25 July 2009
The Shanghai World Financial Centre (上海环球金融中心) left was completed in 2008. At a height of 492 metres and 101 storeys, it became the world's second tallest building and the tallest in China. The tower was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and has the unusual feature of a large trapezoid opening near the top. In early versions of the design, this aperture was circular, intended to reflect the sphere at the top of the Oriental Pearl TV tower. It is said that the architects were forced to change the design after complaints that it too closely resembled the Japanese flag. The "observatory bridge" at the top of the tower is currently the world's highest observation deck. The Park Hyatt hotel on the tower's upper floors is the world's highest hotel.
The Jin Mao Tower (金茂大厦) right was, at 421 metres, the tallest building in China until the completion of the World Financial Centre. Its eight-sided design and 88 floors reflect the Chinese association of the number 8 with prosperity, and the design imitates the form of a traditional Chinese pagoda. The building was designed by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Floors 53 to 87 are occupied by the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel, with its famous 110-metre high atrium at the centre. Floor 88 is a public observation deck, tickets for which currently cost 88 yuan.
Construction is under way on a third skyscraper, the Shanghai Tower, which will complete the cluster of three towers that was always envisaged. The third tower will be 632 metres tall and have 128 storeys. It is expected to be complete by 2014.