Page 21 - Sphere No.5 (Feb 2002)

including Burberrys, Ermenegildo Zegna and Versace. The
office tower, meanwhile, has attracted many well-known
multinationals.
“We had a specific target and got results. Our business is
much better than the competition’s now,” Chow says. “Every-
one in Shanghai knows Westgate Mall. It always goes back to
one thing: positioning the product right.”
“Even before construction starts,” adds Tsui, “it’s important
to know your customers and what they really want.”
On those principles, offices, flats and shops at Phase 1 of
Walton Plaza in Shanghai were pre-sold before they even
opened, and HWP is currently extending it with prime offices
and luxury apartments scheduled for completion in 2004.
Meanwhile, over in Shanghai’s Pudong Huamu district the
Seasons Villas development, comprising houses and apart-
ments for over 500 mainly expatriate families, is nearing com-
pletion and plans are already underway to build an
adjacent complex.
The deluxe Shanghai Gubei Project targets affluent local
buyers as well as overseas Chinese, including people from
Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“Building for your customers,” repeats Raymond Chow, “is
akin to an HWP mantra.”
One customer, Tsingtao Beer, liked The Qingdao Pacific
Plaza so much that it purchased the entire 19-storey office
building for use as its headquarters. The complex also com-
prises four high-rise apartment blocks, garden duplexes a
clubhouse and a shopping centre.
TOP FLOOR
Prestige can count a lot in certain circumstances, says Chow,
which is why HWP employs world-class architects like
Norman Foster and Richard Rogers (see story, p.20).
And you don’t get much more prestigious than Beijing
Oriental Plaza, the biggest integrated commercial develop-
ment in the capital. Located on a 1 million-sq.-ft. site in the
centre of Beijing, abutting both the prestigious Changan
Avenue and the famous Wangfujing Street, it incorporates a
grand shopping mall, eight Grade-A office towers, deluxe
apartments and a five-star hotel. The US$2 billion project
nearing completion is set to consolidate HWP’s position as a
premier developer in the Mainland.
Closer to Hong Kong, Zhuhai is buzzing with excitement
over its largest-ever development at HWP’s Mediterranean-
style Horizon Cove, while in Shenzhen, the next phase of Le
Parc goes on sale soon.
With 21 projects so far in China, Chow says HWP’s future
over the border appears limitless. He anticipates selling 4,000
units a year in the Mainland for the next decade—or four
times the number being sold today.
But he is also cautious about expanding too fast. “We
could go to any city and I’m sure we would make money,” he
says. “But it would become harder to monitor our devel-
opments with too many offices expanding too fast. We’re
focusing on keeping everything under control to ensure we
develop the best quality products.
“Although we’re newcomers to the Mainland market,
we’ve established a reputation as a quality, reputable devel-
oper, not only of prestigious residences but also of large-scale
shopping malls, intelligent office towers, world-class hotels
and even golf courses. And we intend to keep that rep-
utation. We’re moving steadily on the right track.”
S PHERE
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