Sky100 Hong Kong - Closed Since May 2025 - Still No Update. 15 Months of Silence
What Happened to Hong Kong’s Highest Indoor Observation Deck Sky100?
The J3 Group - Premium Quality Private Tours | Experiences and Insider Chats since 2010
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
A meaningful blog post with a difference - tips on Travel, Tourism, Tours, Daily Life and my personal thoughts on Hong Kong.
Please do visit Amazing Hong Kong
Hong Kong | Pearl of the Orient
A Resident since 1972 - Private Tours of Hong Kong with Jamie
The Best Things to do in Hong Kong
click on the image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | image taken by Jamie
Sky100 Observation Deck | Still Closed 15 months on | Hong Kong
Foreword by Jamie
Sky100 has gone quiet - and that silence says more than the original announcement ever did
For more than fourteen years the observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre was one of those places clients asked about almost as soon as they mentioned wanting a high-level view of Victoria harbour in Hong Kong. It was never the only option, but it was convenient, weather-proof and, on a clear day, genuinely impressive. Then, in May 2025, it closed for what was described as major renovation and upgrading works. The official line was straightforward: closed from 17 May 2025, expected back in the first half of 2026 with a refreshed design and new visitor experiences.
We are now in the final days of August 2026. The first half of the year has come and gone. The website still carries essentially the same one-line notice. There have been no revised dates, no progress reports, no soft-opening hints and almost nothing in the local press, not to mention that the Tourism Authorities in Hong Kong have been strangely silent on the subject For a venue that once sat high on many visitor wish-lists, the complete lack of communication is remarkable.
click on the image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | image by Sky100
Sky100 Observation Deck | Official Website Statement | Hong Kong
A short timeline of Sky100
Sky100 opened to the public on 17 April 2011. It occupied the 100th floor of the then-new International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, 393 metres above sea level, and immediately claimed the title of Hong Kong’s highest indoor observation deck. The naming itself had been the subject of a public contest the previous year that drew thousands of entries. Early projections suggested it could draw three to five thousand visitors a day. It quickly became a regular stop for both tourists and locals who wanted a 360-degree view without the crowds and weather exposure of Victoria Peak.
Over the following years it settled into a reliable supporting role. It was popular for harbour fireworks, for evening visits when the city lights came on, and for visitors who preferred the controlled environment of an indoor deck. It never seriously challenged Victoria Peak as the classic viewpoint, but it offered a different angle - looking back towards Hong Kong Island rather than across to Kowloon - and it was easy to reach by the MTR (Subway) via Kowloon Station. For fourteen years it did steady business.
That run ended on 17 May 2025. The operators announced a major optimisation project and projected a return in the first half of 2026. Since then, silence.
click on any image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | images taken by Jamie
Sky100 Observation Deck | Photography Issues | Hong Kong
The photography problem at Sky100 that never went away
Anyone who tried to take proper photographs from Sky100 quickly discovered the practical limitations of the thick laminated glass. Even with a high-quality camera the results were compromised. Straight lines bowed, contrast flattened and colours shifted. At night the problems became severe. Internal lighting reflected back into the glass, turning large sections of the windows into soft mirrors. Vertical streaks and haze cut across the skyline, harbour lights bled, and the overall image lost definition. You ended up fighting the window rather than photographing the view.
The same optical penalty appears in daytime shots taken from the Ritz-Carlton restaurants only a couple of floors higher. The glass – almost certainly tinted for heat and glare control - drains colour, softens detail and leaves the skyline looking muted and flat, even on a good camera with no retouching. The view is there, but it is filtered rather than clean.
The images I have taken makes the point better than any description. Even with my high-quality camera the thick glass has turned parts of the view into a soft, streaked haze. Vertical reflections of the interior structure cut across the skyline, the harbour lights bleed, and the overall contrast is flattened. You can still recognise the Bank of China, IFC and the ferry terminals, but the photograph is fighting the window the whole time.
That is exactly why so many serious photographers (and plenty of keen amateurs) quietly stopped treating Sky100 as a proper shooting location once the novelty wore off. Victoria Peak, for all its queues and weather, simply does not impose the same optical penalty.
This is why an outdoor terrace always seemed the logical solution. Without glass in the way the view becomes clean again.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that Sky100 did have4 anti-reflection photo booths to help visitors to eliminate some of the glass reflection when taking night time skyline photos, I never did try them as they always had lines! so Sky100 did recognise that photography was an issue particularly at night time
In addition I always used to laugh at this bit of advice that circulated online, the problem is simple your average tourist does not carry a bag of heavy duty cameras and related camera equipment, they use a smart phone!
Tips to Avoid Window Glare at Sky100
Use a rubber lens hood or anti-glare silicone mask: Pressing a collapsible rubber lens hood directly against the glass blocks ambient interior lights from bleeding into your camera frame.
Wear dark clothing: Avoid wearing bright or white shirts that can easily reflect as ghost images in long-exposure night shots.
Shoot at an angle: Slight side angles reduce direct bounce-back compared to shooting perpendicular to the thick glass.
Utilize gear aids: Some urban creators leverage portable blocking tools or check for designated low-reflection pane sections on the observation deck.
Browse professional examples: You can inspect real-world examples of these reflections and how photographers balance them on platforms like Daniel Cheong on Flickr or curated galleries on Getty Images.
My first blog post on this subhect at Sky100 was in 2014
click on the image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | image taken by Jamie
Ultimate Outdoor Terrace | 116th Floor, Ritz Carlton Hotel | Hong Kong
Outdoor viewing terrace at Sky100 - possible or not?
I rather like the above image, 16 floors above Sky100 - a window cleaner cleaning the windows. I had to edit the image in photoshop at the window distorted the image some, but godh, that chap has nerves of steel!
One hope I expressed at the time of the Sky100 closure was that the renovation might include some form of outdoor terrace. Classic observation decks elsewhere, including the Empire State Building, offer open-air sections precisely because glass-free views are cleaner. In Hong Kong the obstacles are obvious: typhoon-force winds several times a year, driving rain, heat and humidity, and the structural and liability requirements that come with putting members of the public on an exposed platform nearly 400 metres up.
Yet the pure “impossible” argument does not quite hold when it comes to Sky100. On the 118th floor of the same building, The Ozone Bar at the Ritz-Carlton operates a genuine outdoor terrace. It is limited in size, subject to weather closures, and managed as a controlled, paid hotel facility with a minimum spend, but it exists. That fact undercuts the claim that no outdoor access is feasible at this height under Hong Kong regulations.
A limited outdoor section on the scale of Ozone’s terrace is therefore plausible and possible. Most visitors would treat such a space with natural caution at that altitude, so numbers would be self-limiting. Typhoon and heavy-rain closures would remove perhaps 30 - 50 days in a normal year; the remaining 300+ days would still offer meaningful open-air viewing. The practical differences remain significant. Sky100 is a high-volume public attraction rather than a hotel bar. Crowd management, safety barriers, evacuation routes and insurance exposure are all more demanding when the space is open to anyone with a ticket. Those issues are solvable, but they are not trivial.
The length of the silence itself may be telling. Sun Hung Kai Properties is a major developer with a strong reputation. Cost alone is unlikely to be the barrier. It is entirely possible they recognised the persistent glass problem - both the night reflections and the daytime muting - and decided to address it properly. Not with a simple interior refresh, but with a genuine attempt to create a world-class attraction that finally solves the optical limitations that dogged the original deck and still affect the hotel floors above it.
The Sky100 current reality in late August 2026
Until clear news appears, the practical advice is unchanged. Sky100 remains closed. No firm reopening date has been published. Victoria Peak continues to deliver cleaner photographic results in most conditions and fewer of the glass-related frustrations that plagued the previous version of the deck. For visitors who specifically want the West Kowloon perspective looking back towards the island, there is currently no public equivalent at that height.
That said, if the height and the view itself are the main draw rather than the observation-deck experience, there is still an option inside the same building. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel occupies floors 102 to 118. You can book a table at one of the hotel restaurants on the 102nd or 103rd floors - Tin Lung Heen, Tosca di Angelo or Café 103 - ( I have eaten at all 3 and they are awesome) and enjoy essentially the same harbour and skyline outlook through floor-to-ceiling glass, only a couple of floors higher than Sky100. Alternatively, for those prepared to meet the dress code and minimum spend, The Ozone Bar on the 118th floor offers a genuine outdoor terrace section with unfiltered views. Neither is a substitute for a proper public observation deck, but both remain open and deliver the altitude “view” many visitors are seeking while Sky100 stays shut.
The silence itself is the striking part of the story. A popular, high-profile observation deck in the city’s tallest building closes for major works, projects a first-half-2026 return, and then simply goes quiet for months with no progress updates or even a holding statement. Whether the extended works eventually deliver improved glazing, better night-time conditions or a limited outdoor section remains unknown. For the moment, the deck is out of action and Victoria Peak remains the more reliable choice.
Additional notes and out of left field observations
Since posting this blog post I have been mulling over possible scenarios as to what the developer of Sky100 has been doing over 15 months and I will outline these below
I think my reasoning is sound and the two scenarios are the most logical explanations for a closure that has already stretched well past the original “first half of 2026” window.
A simple interior refresh on a deck that still looked presentable in 2025 should not take fifteen months. The official language - “Exciting Transformation”, “Major Renovation”, “Fresh Distinctive Appearance” - is deliberately vague and has not been updated. That silence, combined with the well-documented glass problems, points to something more substantial than new carpets and interactive screens.
This was the gist of my 2 ideas
so I can think of 2 scenatio’s
• They have ordeded new windows for the 100th floor that will do away with the reflection issue, probably custom and very expensive glass that adhere’s to safety regulations and no doubt some other tweeks to the original design of the whole flor
• An outdoor viewing platform
My point being is that if either of these ideas was being implemented, there would surely be visible evidence on the outside of the curtain wall - The more I think about it the more I am leaning towards new specially made glass (maybe NASA has a few tricks up it’s sleeve!)
On the question of visible external evidence: I have checked recent sources and there are no publicly available drone shots, telephoto images or construction reports showing scaffolding, temporary platforms or obvious changes to the curtain wall specifically at the 100th floor. The facade of ICC continues to look uninterrupted from the outside. That absence of visible work is interesting.
Scenario 1 - New high-performance glass This remains the more practical of the two. Replacing the existing laminated panels with custom low-reflection, high-clarity glass that still meets Hong Kong’s stringent safety, wind-load and fire codes is expensive and slow. The glass would almost certainly need to be purpose-made. Much of the installation can be carried out from the inside or with temporary external cradles that do not leave obvious long-term marks on the facade. From street level or even from a distance with a telephoto lens, the change might not be dramatic until the new glass is in and the protective films are removed. Given that the reflection and tinting problems affect both Sky100 and the hotel floors above, fixing the optical performance would deliver a genuine improvement and justify the language of “transformation”.
Scenario 2 - Outdoor viewing platform This would almost certainly leave clearer external evidence. Opening part of the curtain wall, adding structural supports, wind barriers, drainage and safety systems would alter the exterior appearance of that floor. Even a limited terrace on the scale of Ozone would require noticeable modifications. The fact that no such changes have been reported or photographed suggests this option is less likely, or at least not yet at a stage where the facade has been opened.
Sun Hung Kai Properties has the resources and the reputation to do either job properly. Cost is unlikely to be the limiting factor. What is more probable is that they decided the glass problem was fundamental and chose to solve it rather than paper over it with interior cosmetics. Custom glass that finally allows clean daytime and night-time photography would turn Sky100 from a compromised viewpoint into a genuinely competitive one.
Until the operators release actual details or exterior photographs emerge that show work in progress, both remain informed speculation. The complete absence of any progress update after fifteen months continues to be the most striking part of the story.
So there you go
Customised Private Tours + Experiences in Amazing Hong Kong
Jamie has lived in Hong Kong - Pearl of the Orient for 50+ years
Carefully Crafted Personalised and Customised Itineraries by Jamie | Hong Kong’s Most Experienced Private Tour Guide for : Solo Travellers Friends Families Seniors Couples Business People MICE Delegates.
Private Tours Cultural Tours Walking Tours Sightseeing Tours City Tours Night Tours Layover Tours Transit Tours Private Shore Excursions Bespoke Tours Personalised Tours Jewish Heritage Tours Luxury Private Tours Day Tours Luxury Boat Tours Themed Tours Private Family Tours Private Day Tours Corporate Tours
Just you, your family or friends and Jamie your personal English private tour guide - over 2,400+ tours completed since 2011 - Jamie offers quality Private Tours of Hong Kong
Tour Group Size 1 - 6 people only
J3 Group Hong Kong | J3 Consultants Hong Kong | J3 Private Tours Hong Kong
Creating Memories That Will Last A Lifetime
Go here for the Hong Kong Michelin Restaurant Guide which includes the Bib Gourmand Category
I do not do Food Tours in Hong Kong but I know people that do!
click on any image to enlarge
The information above can be shown to restaurant managers in Hong Kong if you are intolerant to gluten and nuts,
I do not do food tours as mentioned above, I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese, I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene and it is not through lack of trying and yes a lot of restaurants do not have English menu’s or staff who speak conversational English.
.. and yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972, my wife was born in Hong Kong and we have been together over 40 years and her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese so I have never had much of an issue!
This does not translate to doing food tours though, yes, I could do them, no problem there but they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends (see the 3 links above) most of their awesome guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and obviously food culture is part of their DNA, it is impossible for me to compete with that!
So please feel free to contact them for food tours
I do not do Hiking Tours in Hong Kong but I know someone that does!
I do not do Hiking Tours, never have and never will even though I used to go Hiking a lot when I was a lot younger, The Hong Kong Government is promoting hiking tours so I urge you to contact my friend Sabrina at Hong Kong Trails and Tours, she is a long time Hong Kong resident and and a very experienced hiker with close to 700 Hikes in 15+ years under her belt, please click on the link below
click on any image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | images taken by Jamie
