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

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

• List of tallest buildings in Shanghai
• List of tallest buildings and structures in the People's Republic of China
• List of tallest buildings in the world
• List of architects of supertall buildings

References

1. Shanghai Tower Breaks Ground - Luxist

External links

• Shanghai Tower at Emporis
• Shanghai Tower at SkyscraperPage
• Images of the design proposals at SkyscraperPage Forum