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HSBC Main Building coin bank 滙豐總行大廈錢罌
2001–2007
In the 2000s, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) produced a coin bank modelled after the HSBC Main Building in Hong Kong. Designed by Norman Foster and completed in 1986, the building is a signature example of High-Tech Modernism, a movement beginning in the 1970s that emphasises functionality, industrial technology, prefabricated elements, precision engineering, and exposed mechanical systems. The expression of a building’s structure is a key attribute of the style. For example, the five massive triangular steel trusses articulated on the exterior facade of the HSBC headquarters are visible in the miniature coin bank. One of the most expensive buildings at the time of its construction and an integral part of Hong Kong’s economic market, the HSBC tower is both a local landmark and an international icon. Architecture is a common subject for souvenirs and memorabilia. Here, HSBC transformed its glass-and-steel headquarters into a small plastic version for personal use. The coin bank functions like its referent, as both a repository for storing money and a symbol of prosperity.
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