The
Shanghai Tower ( ) is a super tall skyscraper under construction in the Pudong
District of
Shanghai. Upon completion, the
building will rise approximately , have 128 stories, and contain an
area of .
It will be the tallest building in China
and the second tallest in the world, behind the
Burj
Dubai
(818m/2684ft).
Planning
District
Planning
models for the Lujiazui
financial
district dating back to 1993 show plans for three supertall
skyscrapers all next to each other. Two have already been
built; the Jin Mao
Building
was
completed in 1998, and the Shanghai World
Financial Center
in 2008.
Competition
After numerous designs were submitted by many architectural firms,
two design proposals reached the final in early 2008, both 580 m
tall. An innovative design by
Gensler was
chosen in June 2008, where the building twists as it rises and is
surrounded by an outer glass curtain wall.
Design
The tower will be organized as nine cylindrical buildings stacked
atop each other, enclosed by the glass
façade's inner layer. Between that and the outer
layer, which twists as it rises, nine indoor
gardens at different levels will provide public space
for Shanghai residents. Both layers of the façade will be
transparent, and retail and event spaces will be provided at the
tower's base. The tower will feature the world's highest
non-enclosed
observation
deck.
Director of Design
Marshall
Strabala of Gensler told
E-Architect.co.uk
architectural news website that Shanghai Tower will represent
"China's dynamic future." "It will be an impressive building where
China looks ahead to both the future of this bustling and
ever-changing metropolis, but also to the future of the dynamic
Chinese spirit. There will be no other such unique and
well-conceived tower in the world," said Strabala.
Sustainability
The design of the glass façade is described to be able to reduce
wind loads on the building by 24%, meaning less
construction materials are needed, and the twisting feature will
collect
rainwater to be used for the
tower's
air conditioning and
heating systems.
Wind turbines will generate power for the
building. According to E-Architect.co.uk, it will be the first
super-tall (300 meters or taller)
double-skin building in the world, acting
much like a "thermos bottle," says Strabala, to insulate it and
save energy.
The owners of the future Shanghai Tower hope to be awarded
certifications from the
China Green Building
Committee and the
U.S. Green Building Council for the
building's
sustainable design.
Construction status

Construction site in June 2009
During 2008, the site was prepared for construction, in preparation
for the groundbreaking ceremony held on 29 November 2008. The tower
has passed an
environmental
impact study. Construction of the tower will use sustainable
techniques to make the building environmentally friendly and reduce
energy usage.
The current block assigned for the Shanghai Tower, Z3-2, was for a
short time a
driving range, before the
site was cleared for preparation.
The building is planned for completion in 2014.
See also
References
- Shanghai Tower Breaks Ground - Luxist
External links