HW had originally planned to redevelop the Hilton site into a high-rise office-retail complex, yielding a gross floor area of 584,970-square-foot (54,300 m2).

The 1996 annual report of HW reflects the new lease of Inland Lot 8887, with a site area of approximately 103,937 sq ft.

Instead of stealing the limelight, most notably from the Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Center was designed instead "to balance out its more creative neighbouring skyscrapers".

A feng shui master was consulted on ways to absorb the negative energy coming from the Bank of China's sharp edges or "cleaver".

The Cheung Kong Center 's maximum height was determined by drawing an imaginary line from the Bank of China Tower to the HSBC Headquarters, so it falls just short of the "supertall" skyscraper distinction (300 meters or higher).

[7] The Cheung Kong Center's external walls are uniform glass panels each measuring 2.4 m x 2.1 m, giving occupants a 360-degree panoramic view over the entire city.

The black curtain wall gives the building an appearance of a silhouette in the daytime and an inky peaceful void at night, so it is noted for its sparkling illumination as the sky gets dark.