The Tallest Building in Taiwan - The Construction of the First Bank Head Office
After the reorganization and launch of Taiwan Industrial and Commercial Bank in 1947, the business developed quickly, and soon the head office (located at the intersection of Yanping South Road and Kaifeng Street) and many other offices built during the Japanese occupation were no longer sufficient. On October 26, 1947, the head office moved to a three-story building located on Chongqing South Road. The building was rented from Taiwan Life Insurance Company and used to house the Nippon Life Insurance Co. Taipei branch. In 1948, due to the growing demands of business operations as well as economic inflation, FCB purchased the Nippon Life Insurance Co. building for 320 million in Old Taiwanese Dollars. In 1957 and 1958, FCB bought the adjacent properties, adding extra to the head office property for a total of 1,224 square meters. Facing Hankou Street on the right, Kaifeng Street on the left and situated right in the center of Taipei’s commercial district, the property was of great monetary value.
In 1976, FCB established the First Bank Building Committee and commissioned the famous architect, Guo Maolin, to design the Bank’s new headquarters, a high-rise building with 22 floors above ground and 3 floors underground. It was completed in 1981 and was the tallest building in Taiwan at the time.
