The AIA Building, located at No. 1 Stubbs Road in Wan Chai, is Hong Kong’s first urban campus. In May 2024, AIA Group unveiled its redeveloped headquarters, designed by global firm Arquitectonica, winner of the 2019 American Prize for Architecture. As the first commercial skyscraper outside Central, it has become a landmark in the district.
The 22-floor structure features a sleek glass exterior and a parabolic floor plate design that embodies modern sophistication. Its architectural excellence earned it the 2023 Asia Pacific Property Award for Best Office Development in Hong Kong.
The client sought a comprehensive facade access solution that would enable efficient maintenance of the building’s exterior while addressing architectural challenges such as sunshades, recessed areas, and limited installation space. Standard twin-track horizontal traversing BMUs were deemed unsuitable due to spatial constraints and operational inefficiencies.
Our solution was a fixed-based BMU system featuring a telescopic jib and mast, a knuckle jib section, and a wide cradle. This configuration provided extensive reach, allowing seamless navigation around complex facade elements. The design ensured full maintenance coverage while enhancing safety and ease of operation. By reducing reliance on mobile units, the solution simplified maintenance while improving durability and operational efficiency.
The BMU system includes a fixed-based unit with a telescopic jib and mast, a wide cradle, and a knuckle jib for obstacle avoidance. A maintenance platform ensures easy servicing, and safety features guarantee regulatory compliance. The building’s facade design incorporated sunshades and recessed areas, which made traditional access solutions inadequate. To address this, we designed a wide cradle system that enabled effective cleaning and maintenance in these challenging sections.
Additionally, the limited installation space posed a significant constraint, making it difficult to implement a traditional BMU. To overcome this, we developed a fixed-based system with a telescopic mast, reducing the footprint while maintaining full functionality. Another challenge was the risk of collision with the building’s lightning poles, which required careful planning to ensure uninterrupted facade coverage. Our innovative knuckle jib feature provided precise movement, allowing the BMU to navigate safely around structural obstacles while maintaining full accessibility.
