Union Building (formerly Hotel Mansions) at the junction of Pedder Street (left) and Chater Road (right) 19-23 Pedder Street the building was complete in 1905. In 1921 The Union Insurance of Canton Limited bought Hotel Mansions and renamed it Union Building. After World War II, Hongkong Land bought Union Building in 1946 and spent many years how best to connect it with Kings and York Buildings next door. In 1958, work started on Phase One of the Union House site with the demolition of King's and York Builings built by Hongkong Land in 1904-05. Completion of Phase II (demolition of Union Building) July 1962, allowed the whole site to be redeveloped as one structure called union House and in 1976, it was renamed Swire House. It is the current site of Chater House
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Union Building
To the right Gloucester Building on the corner of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road, Hongkong Land offices were relocated from Queens building to the first floor of Gloucester Building after the World War II. Built on the site of the old Hong Kong Hotel. For a long time the building was a landmark in Central, it was also the tallest building in Hong Kong when it was completed in 1920s. During the war time occupation by the Japanese Army the Hotel was renamed Matsubara Hotel (after the Japanese Manager Mr Matsubara) for the period of occupation. Following the opening of the new Mandarin Hotel in 1963, hotel operations at the Gloucester Hotel are closed down. The building is renamed "Gloucester Building" The guestrooms are converted to badly needed offices and the dining room on the top floor is converted into a Chinese Restaurant.The nine storey building was finally demolished in 1977 to make way for the present Gloucester Tower and the atrium of the Landmark.