The Murray

Built in 1969, the Murray building was the then tallest building in Hong Kong and a part of the Conserving Central Project. In its heyday, the edifice won several awards for its clever energy-efficient design, in particular its windows which were angled in a way that avoided direct sunlight into the room but were able to maximize natural lighting. Originally constructed as a government office building that overlooks Hong Kong Park, the building was vacant when its occupants relocated to Tamarin Admiralty in 2011.

Two years later, Wharf Holdings won the auction for the site. Sir Norman Foster and his team at Foster+Partners took on the renovation project and turned the heritage building into The Murray, a luxury hotel with 336 suites. It still retains the iconic window designs, the facade, arches, vehicle ramp leading to a covered car park, and the old tree in the forecourt of the main entrance. “One didn’t really imagine when a building was designed for office accommodation if it’s going to end up being a hotel. I think it’s absolutely marvelous, and to think after all these years, and it’s a lot of years, it should be having a second life, and being used for what it’s going to be used for, is amazing,” says Ron Phillips, the original architect of the Murray building.