Shanghai Tower
Shanghai Tower is under construction since fall 2008 and will be probably finished in 2014. It will stand in Pudong district of Shanghai. The building will be 632 meters high (2073 ft) with 128 floors to use. The total high of the building is 632 meters but only 565 meters till roof (the rest will be antennas or spire). The contained area will be approximately 380.000 quadratmeters (4,090,000 sq ft). This will be the second tallest building in the world and tallest in China. The approximate cost of the building will be probably around 2,2 billion dollars.
Construction site in mid 2009. Photo taken from Skyscrapercity forums.
Plans of creating financial district in Shanghai were announced in 1993 and included plans of three huge supertalls. Two of them are already standing (Jin Mao building – finished in 1998 and Shanghai World Financial Center – finished in 2008).
Shanghai Tower finally approved project in surroundings of other Shanghai supertalls. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.
After years of proposals government chosen design from Gensler. This very innovative construction spins and twists around the central core surrounded by a curtain of glass. The project is based on nine cylindrical cores sticked to each other and rising in twisted shape. This design is supposed to reduce the wind pressure on the whole construction (wind loads will be reduced by 24%). Used materials and unique shape will highly reduce the energy consumption.
Another view of futuristic Shanghai Tower. Image taken from Skyscrapercity forums.
The construction is not only innovative but beautiful. Surely this will be one of the most impressive supertalls ever rised. The facade is changing in all directions showing China’s connection to the world, time and space. There will be six sky gardens in building’s parameter. The exterior and interior skin of the building will be transparent. There will be also places for atrium and inside civic squares which makes building open to the world and giving people a lot of public space.
Tags: Amazing, Architecture, China, highrise, Shangai, Skyscraper