View source for World-Wide House

{{short description|Office building in Central, Hong Kong}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Chinese
|pic=HK World Wide House.jpg|piccap=Worldwide House, viewed from Des Voeux Road
|order=ts
|t=環球大廈
|s=环球大厦
|j=waan4 kau4 daai6 haa6
|p=Huánqiú Dàshà
}}
[[File:HK World Wide House Shopping Arcade.jpg|thumb|250px|Interior of Worldwide House]]
'''World-Wide House''' is an office building in [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]], [[Hong Kong]]. It is located between [[Connaught Road Central]], [[Pedder Street]] and [[Des Voeux Road Central]].

==History==
The site is situated on [[Land reclamation in Hong Kong|land reclaimed]] at the turn of the 20th century.

WWH was constructed on a {{convert|23000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} site<ref name="MTR role">Malcolm Surry, [http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/16_05.01/65736.pdf Metro's role in the property game], ''South China Morning Post'', 16 July 1976</ref> vacated by the former [[General Post Office, Hong Kong|General Post Office]], which was located there from 1911 to 1976. The GPO was relocated to [[Connaught Place (Hong Kong)|Connaught Place]] for the construction of the Pedder station (later renamed to [[Central station (MTR)|Central]]) of [[MTR]]. Below the building is the interchange of [[Hong Kong station]] and [[Central station (MTR)|Central station]] of MTR.

In the early 1970s, there were proposals for the site to be swapped for the [[Alexandra House]] plot, to create more open space in Central, and be pedestrianised. The proposals were defeated mainly due to financial considerations.<ref>[http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/08_03.01/92298.pdf Govt against GPO plan], ''South China Morning Post'', 18 November 1973</ref>

[[MTR Corporation]], which had been given the first refusal on the site, paid the [[Government of Hong Kong|Hong Kong Government]] approximately HK$212 million in cash for the rights for the site. The Government ended up receiving some $8,700 per square foot instead of its initial asking price of $10,000.<ref name=$212>[http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/newspaper/view/12_07.01/117216.pdf GPO site cost $212m], [[South China Morning Post]], 6 April 1977</ref>

[[Cheung Kong Holdings|Cheung Kong]], the enterprise founded by [[Li Ka-shing]], obtained the right for the development of the above-ground structure. With a plot ratio of 15:1,<ref name="MTR role"/> CKH built a 32-storey single tower office-cum-commercial building. The arcade is connected to adjacent properties by the [[Central Elevated Walkway]].<ref name=$212/>

==Shopping arcade==
'''World-Wide Plaza''' is the shopping centre on 3 levels on the lower floors of Worldwide House. It is built in an "[[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]]" style, but without skylight. Its first level is accessible from the Central Elevated Walkway or by escalator from the ground floor of the building.

The kiosks or shop units are typically from around 10 square metres, and are rented out to small traders, who sell telecommunications and banking services, to food, and magazines. The arcade is popular with the large [[Filipinos in Hong Kong|Filipino population]], particularly on Sundays, as many of the shops are run by their compatriots. The wide assortment of typically small shops caters to their needs, selling merchandise from their homeland.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=150>
File:World Wide House Office Entrance 201506.jpg|The Office entrance of World-Wide House
File:Interior of World-wide House shopping arcade.jpg|Interior of World-Wide Plaza
File:HK World Wide House Shopping Aracde Corridor.jpg|Filipinos selling and purchasing VCDs in World-Wide Plaza, Central.
</gallery>

==References==
{{Commons category|World-Wide House}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Central, Hong Kong}}
{{Shopping centres in Hong Kong}}
{{Coord|22|16|57|N|114|9|28.44|E|display=title}}

[[Category:Central, Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Shopping centres on Hong Kong Island]]