West Kowloon International Commerce Centre | The 2nd "Beauty of Green Buildings" Photography Exhibition Call for Entries Officially Launched! ICC Presents Winning Works from the 1st Edition during "Hong Kong Green Week 2026"

Description

The 2nd "Beauty of Green Buildings" Photography Exhibition, organized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), officially launches its call for entries today. It invites architects, designers, photographers, and members of the public to capture through their lenses the design aesthetics, cultural essence, and sustainable urban stories of LEED- and BEAM Plus-certified buildings within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Selected and winning entries will be publicly exhibited in November this year at One IGC, the new commercial landmark in West Kowloon.

As one of the key events of "Hong Kong Green Week 2026," the exhibition "Beauty of Green Buildings: Seeing a Better City" runs from today until September 13 at the International Commerce Centre (ICC). It revisits the winning and selected works from the inaugural event and leverages ICC—the first and largest LEED v5-certified project in Asia—to concretely demonstrate the practical value of green buildings. It aims to inspire public participation through the power of imagery, collectively documenting and conveying visions for a greener urban future.

Hong Kong's LEED Market Continues to Expand, Shifting Focus from New Construction Design to Existing Building Operations and Management

Hong Kong has ranked among the world's top ten LEED markets for two consecutive years since 2024, rising to sixth globally and fourth in Asia in 2025. As of June 2026, Hong Kong has accumulated nearly 600 LEED-certified projects, covering over 136.00 million square feet—equivalent to approximately 49 ICC buildings—with a compound annual growth rate of 32.7% over the past five years, reflecting the market’s continuously rising demand for low-carbon, efficient, and healthy buildings.

Hong Kong possesses a vast stock of existing buildings. Enhancing the energy efficiency and green performance of these buildings is key to achieving Hong Kong’s “carbon neutrality” goal. Currently, industry focus is gradually shifting from new construction design to the operations, management, and continuous optimization of existing buildings, promoting environmental performance improvements across the entire building lifecycle.

The proportion of LEED Operations and Maintenance (O+M) certifications among Hong Kong’s total LEED certifications has risen from 4.3% in 2021 to 21% in 2026, becoming the dominant certification category in Hong Kong. Recertification projects account for approximately 10% of total certifications, including the International Finance Centre Phase I & II and Sun Hung Kai Centre, reflecting growing emphasis by property owners and enterprises on continuous monitoring and transparent disclosure of building performance, integrating sustainability into long-term operational and management strategies. This trend aligns with LEED v5’s further reinforcement of whole-life-cycle management.

AI Accelerates Green Transformation of Data Centers

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the digital economy, data centers are becoming the NEW FOCUS AUTO of green buildings. Data centers have higher requirements regarding energy consumption, cooling, water usage, and operational reliability. In response to these characteristics, LEED has established corresponding requirements in both Building Design and Construction (BD+C) and O+M certifications. Currently, data centers account for approximately 5% of Hong Kong’s LEED-certified projects.

Wang Jing, Vice President of USGBC North Asia, stated: “Hong Kong possesses a mature real estate market and green finance ecosystem, making it an important market for LEED practice and innovation. Sustainability is accelerating its integration into Hong Kong’s existing building upgrades, green transformation of data centers, and long-term strategies for various building types. This year’s photography exhibition builds upon the success of the inaugural edition, further expanding its scope to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, using imagery to connect cities within the region and enabling broader society to witness how green buildings, within different urban contexts, become a shared practice for enhancing urban experience and quality of life, shaping a sustainable future.”

Exhibition Details: "Beauty of Green Buildings: Seeing a Better City"

Exhibition Dates: September 7–13, 2026

Exhibition Venue: 8th Floor, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, West Kowloon, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: Open all day

Admission Fee: Free, no reservation required

Call for Entries: 2nd "Beauty of Green Buildings" Photography Exhibition

Eligibility: Open to the general public; architects, designers, photographers, and members of society are warmly welcomed to participate

Deadline: October 12, 2026

Winners Announcement Date: November 16, 2026

Exhibition Dates: November 16–December 15, 2026

Exhibition Venue: One IGC, 1 Hui Man Road, West Kowloon, Hong Kong