Bitexco Financial Tower

Bitexco Financial Tower is a Grade A+ office building located at 2 Hai Trieu, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, developed by Bitexco Group of Vietnam and inaugurated on October 31, 2010. The building was designed by Carlos Zapata (Carlos Zapata Studio, New York) with AREP (France) serving as architect of record. Standing 262.5 m tall across 68 floors, it is not only an architectural icon of Ho Chi Minh City but was also named by CNN as one of the 25 most iconic buildings in the world in 2013.

Carlos Zapata – a Venezuelan-born architect based in New York – drew inspiration from the lotus bud, Vietnam’s national flower, to design Bitexco Financial Tower. This choice carried not only aesthetic significance but also presented an unprecedented engineering challenge: no two of the 68 floors share the same area or shape, requiring the construction team to custom-cut all 6,000 façade glass panels to unique dimensions. To bring this singular design to life, a team of world-leading firms was assembled – including AREP (France) as architect of record, LERA (USA) for structural engineering, Hyundai E&C (South Korea) as main contractor, and Turner (USA) for project management.

One of the building’s most distinctive features is the helipad on Floor 52 – the first helipad in Vietnam. Cantilevering from the south face of the tower at 191 m above ground, the structure was fabricated from over 250 tonnes of structural steel and 4,000 heavy-duty bolts. The entire planning, construction, and installation process took nearly a year, with the elevated assembly alone requiring close to two months – during which the surrounding streets had to be closed to lift each component to a height of 191 m.

Bitexco Financial Tower’s standing on the global architectural map is reflected in two international accolades: CNN’s selection into the top 25 iconic skyscrapers in the world in 2013, and Thrillist’s ranking as the 2nd coolest skyscraper in the world in 2015. Notable tenants currently in the building include Ernst & Young Vietnam, MasterCard Asia/Pacific, Samsung Vina, Hitachi, Hogan Lovells, Allen & Overy, and the Swiss Consulate General.

Bitexco Financial Tower Building Specifications

Bitexco Financial Tower comprises 68 above-ground floors and 3 basement levels, with a total construction area of 119,000 m², of which over 37,000 m² is Grade A+ leasable office space from Floor 7 to Floor 65. Each floor plate varies in size due to the lotus bud design concept – tapering progressively upward, with no two floors sharing identical dimensions.

Floor Distribution by Function

• Basement B1–B3: Car parking
• Floors 1–6: Icon68 Shopping Center (~10,000 m²) – 6-level retail podium
• Floors 7–65: Grade A+ leasable office space; flexible areas from 100 m² to 3,000 m²
• Floor 49: Saigon Skydeck – 360° observation deck at 178 m above ground
• Floor 50: Casual dining restaurant (464 m²)
• Floor 51: Fine dining restaurant (568 m²)
• Floor 52: VIP & Bar Lounge (300 m²) + Helipad (at 191 m above ground)
• Floors 53–65: Top Office Suites – the most premium office segment in the building, with 360° views

Office Floor Technical Specifications

Floor-to-ceiling height 2.7 m, floor load capacity 400 kg/m². The façade consists of 6,000 double-glazed panels – 8 mm outer pane, 12 mm air gap, 8 mm inner pane – each cut to unique dimensions due to the elliptical form that changes with every floor. All glass panels were custom-fabricated per floor and installed progressively during construction.

A dedicated vibration-damping system is installed at Floors 29-30, where oversized steel transfer beams connect the perimeter walls to the central core – under lateral forces, this system moves to maintain equilibrium across the entire tower.

Building Technical Systems

• Elevators: 14 Otis double-deck passenger elevators with Compass System, traveling at 7 m/s – the fastest in Southeast Asia at the time of installation and ranked 3rd globally among buildings equipped with this elevator type; 3 separate service zones + 2 service elevators; maximum waiting time of 45 seconds
• Air conditioning: Trane central system
• Fire protection: NFPA (USA) standard – sprinklers, pressurized stairwells, automated evacuation program

Bitexco Financial Tower sits at the intersection of Hai Trieu, Ngo Duc Ke, and Ho Tung Mau – adjacent to the Nguyen Hue pedestrian boulevard and approximately 3 minutes on foot from Metro Line 1. The Thu Thiem Tunnel is nearby, providing quick access to the new Thu Duc urban area and the eastern provinces.

Amenities and Services at Bitexco Financial Tower

Bitexco Financial Tower provides Grade A+ technical infrastructure with Southeast Asia’s fastest Otis double-deck elevators, alongside an exceptional on-site amenities ecosystem – including the 6-level Icon68 Shopping Center podium, Saigon Skydeck 360° observation deck, and a collection of elevated restaurants and a VIP Lounge.

On-site Amenities

• Icon68 Shopping Center (Floors 1–6, ~10,000 m²) – international fashion brands, cafés, and restaurants; retail center directly integrated within the building
• Floor 50 Restaurant (464 m²) – casual dining with panoramic city views
• Floor 51 Fine Dining (568 m²) – upscale restaurant for corporate entertaining
• Floor 52 VIP & Bar Lounge (300 m²) – event and partner reception space for exclusive occasions
• Saigon Skydeck, Floor 49 – public 360° observation deck at 178 m above ground, a cultural landmark and premier venue for receiving international partners

To receive a detailed quote based on your preferred floor area and level, contact RSQUARE – Ho Chi Minh City’s trusted office leasing consultancy – for a free consultation and full support from site visit through to contract signing.

RSQUARE

Phone: +84-28-3636-9641 (Vietnamese/English) | +82-2-6925-3298 (Korean)

Email: support@rsquare.vn