Construction Review: June 2009
Shanghai World Financial Cente
The Shanghai World Financial Center boasts of having a roof height of 492 metres, making it the world’s tallest completed building by roof, and an observation bridge with the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.
The Shanghai World Financial Center is a super tall skyscraper in Shanghai, China. It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of 101 stories; of this 70 floors are for office space designed to accommodate 12,000 people, a six star hotel known as the Park Hyatt, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors.
There are 3 observation decks in Shanghai World Financial Center. The height of its lowest observation deck is 423 meters (1,388 ft), on the 94th floor, the second is 439 meters (1,440 ft) high, on the 97th floor, named "Observatory Bridge", and the highest is 474 meters (1,555 ft) high, on the 100th floor.
The rental of spaces in this building has been set at three USD per square meter a day, making it the highest rent in the city.
The tower was financed by several multinational firms, including Japanese, Chinese, and Hong Kong banks, as well as by other international investors. The consortium invested more than 850 million USD for the project. American investment bank Morgan Stanley also coordinated in the financing of the building.
DESIGN
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), 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. The original design specified a circular aperture, 46 meters (150 ft) in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, 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". It also resembled a Chinese moon gate due to its circular form. However, the 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.
KPF submitted an alternative design to the building. Architect Pedersen also suggested that a bridge be placed at the bottom of the aperture to make it less circular. This design change consisted of a trapezoidal hole to replace the circle at the top of the tower. These changes to the design resulted in an extra costs of more than 200 million USD due to the sophistication of the design which included structural system re-design, foundation re-design and increased safety features taken after September 11th 2001.
Construction
The foundation stone was laid on August 27, 1997. On February 13, 2003, the Mori Building Group decided to increase the building's height to 492 meters and 101 stories from the initial plans for a 460 metre, 94-story building. The building construction fully resumed in November 16, 2003.
Before construction resumed on the roof, tower height was scheduled to be 508 meters (1,667 ft) so the building would hold the title of the world's tallest building (structural top) once completed over the Taipei 101, but a height limit was imposed, allowing the roof to reach a maximum height of 492.3 meters.
With a gross floor area of more than 377,300 metres squared, the tower features 31 elevators and 33 escalators. The glass and metal used were covered on simple geometric bodies to create mysterious sight effects.
The building reached its total height on September 14th, 2007 after installation of the final steel girder. The final cladding panels were installed in mid June of 2008 and elevator installation came to an end, in preparation for the tower's opening in late July of 2008.
Architect William Pedersen and developer Minoru Mori resisted suggestions to add a spire that would surpass that of Taipei 101 and perhaps the Freedom Tower, calling the Shanghai World Financial Center a "broad-shouldered building". Even so, its roof height will be the third highest in the world after the Burj Dubai complex and Chicago Spire are completed.
PARK HYATT
Park Hyatt Shanghai opened in July 2008 in the Shanghai World Financial Center. According to local media reports, this is the second Park Hyatt in China after the Park Hyatt Beijing.
The 6-star hotel is located near the top of the building, making it the second highest hotel in the world after the one in International Commerce Centre-Union Square Phase 7 in Hong Kong. Park Hyatt Shanghai has 174 guestrooms and suites, of which 80 span from 55 to 60 square meters; 32 suites ranging from 75 to 180 square meters; and eight special suites with private banqueting halls.
Hyatt has 24 Park Hyatt hotels worldwide in locations such as Paris, Milan, Sydney, and Tokyo, and another 10 under construction. Hyatt has managed nine hotels under the brand of Grand Hyatt and Hyatt in the Greater China region, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, Dongguan, Hangzhou, Tianjin, and Xi’an, with another 12 under planning that will be opened in the next 2-3 years.
CONCLUSION
Shanghai's Pudong New Area is part of China's national initiative to promote rapid, large-scale urban development. In the heart of Pudong is also where Mori Building has invested all of its expertise in the development of the Shanghai World Financial Center.
In addition to intelligent office space that offers cutting-edge specifications and functionality, the Shanghai World Financial Center is also a mixed-use complex that stands as not only a symbol of 21st century Shanghai but also of Asia's emergence on the global financial scene.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox
Structural Engineer: Leslie E. Robertson Associates RLLP
Contractor: China State Construction Engineering Corp. and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co. Other companies:
Arcelor Brasil, Barker Mohandas, LLC, China State Construction and Engineering Corporation, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, Mori Building Corporation, Otis Elevator (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited, Permasteelisa Shanghai,Shanghai Construction General Co., Ltd, Shimizu Construction Company.l