ifc mall

ifc mall is the easiest place in Central to wait out a downpour. It sits at the foot of the International Finance Centre towers, directly above Hong Kong Station, the terminus of the Airport Express and the Tung Chung Line. From Exit F or E1 of the station you walk straight into the mall, so it works as a dry base whether you are arriving from the airport or crossing from Kowloon. The mall itself covers about 74,000 square metres over four storeys and holds more than 200 international brands, from mid-priced labels to luxury fashion. Its anchors are the Lane Crawford department store, the PALACE ifc cinema and a c!ty'super supermarket, which is a good place to pick up food gifts to take home. Tall glass-roofed atriums run through the building, with escalators climbing through them, and some of the upper levels look out towards the harbour. Food is the other reason to linger. The dining directory runs from coffee bars that open at 8am to fine-dining restaurants, and several stay open until 10pm, so a long lunch or dinner with a harbour backdrop is easy to arrange. If the rain still has not stopped, the cinema can take care of another couple of hours. Be clear about what this is. There is no art programme or museum here, and nothing to buy a ticket for. It is a well-designed, well-connected mall, and for a visitor based on Hong Kong Island, that makes it a practical rainy-day anchor. Pair it with the Racing Museum or an evening film, and it can fill an afternoon without an umbrella.