Shanghai World Financial Center

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• Glass and metal were covered on simple geometric bodies to create mysterious sight effects.
• Not implemented within two years, the project should have been canceled according to relevant regulations. However, because it is a project of huge investment and there have been no other suitable investors, the building remained, and in four years would finally rise up in Shanghai.
• Construction finally resumed on February 13th, 2003.
• The height of this building has changed from its original plan - 94 stories at 460m to the current plan - 101 stories at 492m.
• The observation bridge will be the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.
• The consortium funding the project is composed of more than 36 international companies, mainly banking corporations, insurance companies and developers from Japan.
• The foundation stone was laid on August 27, 1997, but a fund shortage on the Japanese side caused by Asian financial crisis halted the project, and nothing had since been done to the projected structure.
• A widespread rumor in the world news media said the tower will surpass Taipei 101 as the world's tallest building at completion, but is not true.
• The design of the opening near the top of the tower has changed in mid-October, 2005; from a circular to a rectangular opening. Architect and developer claim that it is cheaper and easier to implement the new design.
• The Consortium invested more than US$850 million for the project.
• Due to the design change of the top opening from a circle to a trapezoid, the tram-car system that would travel vertically inside the big circle is cancelled.
• Located near the Jin Mao Tower in the financial district of Shanghai.
• A 6-star hotel will be located near the top of the building, which will be the second highest hotel in the world after the one in International Commerce Centre.
• The tallest building in the People's Republic of China, replacing Jin Mao Tower.
• Changes to the design resulted in extra costs of more than $200 million USD due to the sophistication of designs which includes structural system re-design, foundation re-design and increased safety features taken after September 11th 2001.
• The circular aperture at the top of the original design represented heaven, and would have served to reduce wind load on the building.