Shanghai World Financial Center
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| Shanghai World Financial Center 上海(秀仕)环球金融中心 |
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Shanghai World Financial Center in July 2008 |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location |  Shanghai, China |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Status | Complete[1] |
| Groundbreaking | 27 August 1997 |
| Constructed | 1997 – 2008 |
| Opening | 30 August 2008[1] |
| Use | Office, hotel, museum, observation, parking garage, retail |
| Height | |
| Roof | 492.0 m (1,614.2 ft) |
| Top floor | 474 m (1,555 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 101 |
| Floor area | 377,300 m2 (4,061,200 sq ft) |
| Elevator count | 31 |
| Cost | ¥ 8.17 billion RMB (US$1.20 billion) |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
| Structural Engineer |
Leslie E. Robertson Associates RLLP |
| Contractor | China State Costruction Engineering Corp. and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co. |
| Developer | Mori Building Co. |
References: [2][3][4] |
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The Shanghai World Financial Center (Abbr: SWFC; simplified Chinese: 上海环球金融中心; traditional Chinese: 上海環球金融中心; pinyin: Shànghǎi huánqiú jīnróng zhōngxīn) is a supertall skyscraper in Shanghai, China. It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors. Park Hyatt Shanghai is the hotel component containing 174 rooms and suites. On opening, this hotel will become the highest in the world, surpassing the Grand Hyatt Shanghai on the 53rd to 87th floors of the neighboring Jin Mao Tower.[5]
On 14 September 2007 the skyscraper was topped out[6] at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 ft)[7] and became the second tallest building in the world; as well as the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong. It is currently the world's tallest completed building by roof.
On 28 August 2008, the SWFC officially opened for business. On August 30 the Observation Deck opened with a view from 3 levels. The highest view is at 474 m (1,555 ft) above ground level.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the 101-story tower was originally planned for construction in 1997, but work was temporarily interrupted by the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s and later to accommodate design changes by the developer. The building of the tower is financed by several multinational firms, including Japanese, Chinese, and Hong Kong banks, as well as by the Japanese developer and as-yet unnamed American and European investors. American investment bank Morgan Stanley is coordinating the financing for Mori Building.
[edit] Architecture
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, 46 m (151 ft) in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure,[8] as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square and the sky with a circle".[8] It also resembled a Chinese moon gate due to its circular form in Chinese architecture. However, this initial design began facing protests from some Chinese, including the mayor of Shanghai, who considered it too similar to the rising sun design of the Japanese flag. Pedersen then suggested that a bridge be placed at the bottom of the aperture to make it less circular.[7] On 18 October 2005, KPF submitted an alternative design to Mori Building and a trapezoidal hole replaced the circle at the top of the tower, which in addition to changing the controversial design, will also be cheaper and easier to implement according to the architects.[4] [9] In the eyes of some, the building resembles a giant bottle opener.[10]
There are 3 observation decks in Shanghai World Financial Center. The height of its lowest observation deck (观光大厅) is 423 m (1,388 ft), on the 94th floor, the second is 439 m (1,440 ft) high, on the 97th floor, named "Observatory Bridge" (观光天桥), and the highest (观光天阁) is 474 m (1,555 ft) high, on the 100th floor.[11]
The skyscraper's roof height is set at 492 m, and has temporarily claimed the highest roof in the world. Before construction resumed on the roof, tower height was scheduled to be 509.2 m (1,671 ft) so the building would hold the title of the world's tallest building (structural top) over the Taipei 101, but a height limit was imposed, allowing the roof to reach a maximum height of 492 m. Architect William Pedersen and developer Minoru Mori have resisted suggestions to add a spire that would surpass that of Taipei 101 and perhaps the Freedom Tower, calling the Shanghai WFC a "broad-shouldered building". The SWFC boasts a gross floor area of more than 377,300 m2 (4,061,200 sq ft) and 31 elevators and 33 escalators.
Shanghai World Financial Center was named on November 21, 2008, by architects as the best skyscraper completed this year. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's Carol Willis, head of New York's Skyscraper Museum said: "The simplicity of its form as well as its size dramatizes the idea of the skyscraper." Architect Tim Johnson noted its innovative structural design: "Steel trusses gird against the forces of wind and earthquake and made the building lighter, made it use less steel, and contributed to its sustainability."[12][13]
[edit] Construction
The foundation stone was laid on 27 August 1997. In the late 1990s the Japanese Mori Building Corporation had a fund shortage caused by the Asian financial crisis in 1997 to 1998 , which halted the project after the foundations were completed. On 13 February 2003, the Mori Group increased the building's height to 492 m and 101 stories from the initial plans for a 460 m (1,509 ft), 94-story building. The new building will use the foundation of the original design. The building construction resumed on 16 November 2003.[14]
A fire broke out in the SWFC on 14 August 2007. The fire was first noticed on the 40th floor, around 16:30 (GMT +8), and soon the smoke was clearly seen outside the building. By 17:45, the fire had been extinguished. The damage was reported to be slight and nobody was injured in this accident.[15] The cause of the fire is still unknown, but according to some sources the preliminary investigation suggested workers' electric weldings caused the fire.[16][17]
The building reached its total height of 492 m on 14 September 2007 after installation of the final steel girder.[18] The final cladding panels were installed in mid June 2008, and elevator installation was finished in mid July 2008. On 17 July 2008 The Shanghai World Financial Center was completed and on 28 August 2008, the SWFC officially opened for business.[1] On 30 August 2008, the observation floors were opened to the public.
[edit] Gallery
 SWFC under construction, February 2006 |
 SWFC under construction, 24 August 2006 |
 SWFC under construction, 15 January 2007 |
 SWFC under construction, 5 April 2007 |
 SWFC under construction, 20 May 2007 |
 SWFC under construction, 18 July 2007 |
 Fire breaks out on the 40th floor, 14 August |
 SWFC under construction, 10 September 2007 |
 SWFC under construction, 3 November 2007 |
 SWFC under construction, 12 February 2008 |
 Top of the SWFC |
[edit] See also
- List of skyscrapers
- List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "China's tallest and timely arrival". BBC. 28 Aug 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7585913.stm.
- ^ "Shanghai World Financial Center - SkyscraperPage.com". http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=7609. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ "Shanghai tops out world's third-tallest building". http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/15/content_6108904.htm. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ a b "Shanghai World Financial Center - www.emporis.com". http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=130957. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ "Park Hyatt Shanghai To Open In 2008". China Hospitality News. http://www.chinahospitalitynews.com/2007/11/19/5085-park-hyatt-shanghai-to-open-in-2008/.
- ^ "Shanghai skyline gets new tallest landmark". Shanghai Daily. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=331219&type=Metro.
- ^ a b "Shanghai World Financial Center". Emporis. 2008. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=130957. Retrieved on 2008-09-05.
- ^ a b Lubow, Arthur (2006-05-21). "The China Syndrome". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/magazine/21bejing.html?pagewanted=all#. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Shanghai World Financial Center (facts)
- ^ 'Bottle opener' or spire of serenity?
- ^ SWFC Official Website - Observatory Introduction Movie
- ^ Shanghai tower named year's best skyscraper
- ^ Shanghai tower named year's best skyscraper
- ^ "Construction of Shanghai World Financial Center resumes". People's Daily Online. 2005-11-18. http://english.people.com.cn/200511/18/eng20051118_222353.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ "Fire breaks out at troubled Shanghai World Financial Center". Forbes (AFX News Limited). 2007-08-14. http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2007/08/14/afx4016900.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Ying, Gao (2007-08-15). "Shanghai World Financial Center catches fire". Window of China (Xinhua News Agency). http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-08/15/content_6534328_2.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ Fei, Xing (2007-08-14). "China's Tallest Building Catches Fire". The Epoch Times (Epoch Times International). http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-8-14/58774.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ "China's tallest building rises". The Guardian. 2007-09-14. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/sep/14/china.tallest.building. Retrieved on 2008-05-22.(The video has been removed as the copyright has expired.)
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shanghai World Financial Center |
- SWFC official website
- Mori Building Co. Shanghai WFC project page
- Skyscraperpage.com diagram of Shanghai WFC
- The Shanghai WFC: a case study on Constructalia
- Emporis.com data page on the Shanghai WFC
- Tallestbuilding data page on the Shanghai WFC
| Preceded by Jin Mao Tower |
Tallest Building in Shanghai 2007 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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