New Shanghai ICC: Green, elegant and efficient

Market response has been strong since pre-leasing began at the Shanghai International Commerce Centre (Shanghai ICC) - an integrated office, commercial and residential development that is sure to become one of Shanghai's top locations as it sets new standards in convenience, aesthetics and energy efficiency.

"We believe the encouraging response to the Shanghai ICC by major multinationals demonstrates the attractiveness of the project's great location in the heart of the city's top commercial area as well as our commitment to building and operating world-class commercial complex," said Rick Man, commercial leasing director of Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) China.

"Our focus at the Shanghai ICC is to give our clients the highest in international standards, as we do at all our projects."

Under construction by SHKP, one of Hong Kong's top developers, Shanghai ICC will have 320,000 square meters of floor area.

It will feature 36-story and 31-story premium Grade-A office towers, two 27-floor luxury residential buildings and International apm, a nine-story international shopping mall, plus basement and car park designed by the famed architects Benoy.

Prime location

The Shanghai ICC lies in the middle of the former French concession, a tree-lined area that still enjoys the charms of early 20th century villas and lane communities, along with stimulating galleries and restaurants.

The project boasts a prestigious address: Middle Huaihai Road, which has been compared to the Champs Elysees in Paris, Fifth Avenue in New York and Tokyo's Ginza for the famous brands that make it a must-visit shopping hub.

Joining them, the ICC's International apm will be home to a vast collection of prestigious international brands, a state-of-the-art IMAX cinema, relaxing al fresco dining, high-end supermarket and a wide array of entertainment facilities.

The project's prime location is not just long on style - it is also short on the travel time needed to reach the most important locations in this booming metropolis.

Shanghai ICC is being built atop a metro interchange station for Lines 1 and 10, with a third - Line 12 - under construction.

These convenient connections to the longest subway system in the world will be right underneath the basement levels of the ICC.

The project is also near the Yan'an Elevated Road, a major expressway that links to the Hongqiao International Airport and high-speed railway station in the west, as well as the tunnels and bridges that cross the Huangpu to the Lujiazui finance and trade center and the Pudong International Airport in the east.

Beauty and brains

At the Shanghai ICC, SHKP is committed to the same high standards of architectural aesthetics that grace all its developments.

Visitors will enter the new office towers not from the bustling street level but from a special elevated driveway that winds up to a greenery filled plaza on the second tier.

This touch of serenity is further enhanced by a vaulted, two-story lobby and continues to the offices themselves.

Typical office floors have 3 meters of clear height, and trading floors have 4 meters - all with large windows providing abundant sunlight.

There will be green space on the roof and a massive green belt is planned nearby.

The office design is as intelligent as it is stylish.

Following the green principles of SHKP, Shanghai ICC was one of the first projects in the city to receive Gold Precertification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED).

This high-profile endorsement from LEED was given in recognition of the project's emphasis on environmental preservation and eco-friendly design.

Indeed, Shanghai ICC is proud to provide an environment that helps major multinationals reduce their carbon footprint and fulfill their sustainability commitments.

"The sophisticated yet thoroughly green Shanghai ICC provides the perfect mix for Fortune 500 and other world-renowned corporations that value and respect the environment," Man said.

At the same time, the energy-efficient design helps tenants save on their utility bills.

The development will follow Shanghai's new energy-efficient objectives with features such as LED displays on external walls, UV-resistant windows to save energy, water-recycling tanks and plenty of bicycle parking at nearby subway stations to encourage people to drive less.

Excellent management

Good property management is an essential element in tenant satisfaction, and SHKP consistently rates among the leaders, backed by decades of keeping buildings in prime condition.

Its property management subsidiary is one of Hong Kong's most highly respected firms in the business, managing a diverse range of prime commercial, residential and luxury properties, including the Hong Kong ifc and Hong Kong ICC.

Both the Shanghai ICC and the Shanghai ifc, an integrated office, retail, hotel and serviced suite hotel complex that SHKP built in Shanghai's Lujiazui and opened earlier this year, are run by experienced managers from Hong Kong.

Attesting to the company's management leadership, SHKP has won numerous awards for service excellence.

In 2010 alone, the company was named Best Developer in Hong Kong for the sixth year running and Asia's Best Office Developer by Euromoney magazine.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai ICC is already winning accolades. The International apm received a coveted Cityscape Asia award for Best Commercial/Retail Development, in recognition of its world-class standards.

Sucessful pre-leasing

SHKP's development expertise, prime locations and top design and quality are attracting some of the world's best companies.

Global banking giant HSBC, for example, has chosen the Shanghai ifc as its China headquarters, and nearly all space in tower one has been leased. The pre-leasing of zone 1 in 2ifc is also completed.

The market response was overwhelming since pre-leasing began at Shanghai ICC in mid-2010, one of the three zones in the first office tower has been almost fully pre-leased. Committed tenants include multinationals, law firms, fast moving consumer goods and professional service companies, Man said.

"The first office tower, One ICC is scheduled to be completed and handed over to tenants in the second quarter of next year," he said. "We're very excited about providing the premium office space to help our clients grow and prosper in one of the world's most rapidly developing cities."