The upcoming supertall skyscraper, the current second world tallest building that is under construction (just behind the 818m Burj Dubai), is going to stand proud at the famous Lujiazui District, Pudong of Shanghai, China.
Shanghai is seen as the most futuristic city in whole China, with superb economic growth and boom, not to mention the country of China that is one of the super nation in the Earth, with great economic development, especially in cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin, etc.
The Shanghai Tower or called as the Shanghai Center will be located right beside the famous Shanghai World Financial Center (current second world tallest completed building, 492m) and Jin Mao Tower (421m), in the area straight axis to the Oriental Pearl Tower (468m).
The tower will be 632m (2073 feet) high with 128 floors. The design is to be based on modernism, sustainability and appropriateness of the form to the built environment of the city.
Construction is now on-going, not affected by recent global economic downturn, and foundation work is started earlier, right after the Shanghai World Financial Center is opened to public, showing;
“One skyscraper completed, another one is going up, in a continuous way, in a city like this, Shanghai.”
The final design of the building will be this: by Marshall Strabala from Gensler. (architecture firm)
Famous architecture companies all around the world and even from local submitted numerous designs for the client and government to approve…
and finally, final design is out and construction began…there are so many different and awesome designs from famous architects, and so, the competition is really great!
To view other designs submitted for the competition, please refer to my own site: http://vincentloy.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/the-process-to-final-design-of-shanghai-tower/
What the architect, Marshall Strabala said about the sustainability of the building:
The top of the office building will have a wind farm of 54 vertical-axis wind turbines generating 540,000 kwh of electricity per year—enough to power up to 400 homes. There will also be systems to collect rainwater and condensation. These and other sustainability elements will be computer-controlled and linked through a variety of enterprise and application software that will be controlled by the building’s owner, Shanghai Tower & Construction.
The winning design is chosen in June 2008. The groundbreaking was held on 29th November 2008 and the construction is to be completed in year 2014. (Long way to go, so just wait!)
Design
The design is to be like a coiled dragon, based on the designer.
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.
Site
Location: Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Pudong district, Shanghai, China
Area: 30,370 square meters
Tower
Height: 632 meters
Stories: 128 occupied floors
Area: 380,000 square meters above grade 170,000 square meters below grade
Program: Office, luxury hotel, entertainment, retail and cultural venues
Podium
Height: 38 meters
Stories: 5 stories high
Area: 44,000 square meters
Program: Luxury retail, office, hotel lobbies, bank, restaurant, conference, meeting and banquet functions. Lower levels will house retail, parking, service and MEP functions.
Site and Context
• Shanghai Tower is sited in the Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone of Pudong, a major financial and commercial hub of China. Eighteen years ago, Luijiazui was predominantly farmland. Today, it is set to become a premiere global financial center.
• Shanghai Tower completes a trio of buildings that form China’s first super-tall district. While the Jin Mao Tower pays homage to China’s past and the Shanghai World Financial Center signifies China’s recent economic success, Shanghai Tower signifies the boundless possibilities of China’s future.
• The tower is situated in a public park with an open civic plaza.
Tower Composition
• As a new Shanghai skyline icon, Shanghai Tower presents a constantly changing façade from all directions.
• The building’s form is a metaphor for the spirit and philosophy of China. Referencing the spiral as a symbol of the cosmos in Chinese culture, the tower’s form symbolizes China’s connection with the world, space and time. Additionally, the tower’s triangular plan relates to the site’s harmonious trio of buildings.
• Shanghai Tower is organized internally as a series of nine cylindrical buildings stacked one atop the other, with nine atria encircling them. The inner layer of the tower’s doubleskin façade encloses the vertically arranged interior buildings, while a triangular exterior layer creates the second skin or building envelope. The spaces between the building’s external façade and its internal façade create the atria.
• With sky gardens lining the building’s perimeter, Shanghai Tower is literally wrapped in public spaces. Both interior and exterior skins are transparent, establishing a visual connection between the tower’s interior spaces and Shanghai’s urban fabric. At night the building’s glowing translucent form further joins city and tower.
• As plazas and civic squares create gathering spaces in traditional cities, the nine atria offer gathering spaces within Shanghai Tower.
• On the ground level, retail and event spaces in tandem with abundant entrances on the site further the physical and visual connections between the tower and city.
Sustainable Highlights
• The twisting, asymmetrical shape of the tower reduces wind loads on the building by 24 percent, reducing the structural load on the building.
• Innovative skin technology is one of many sustainable design and renewable energy systems in the tower. The circular inner glass skin uses 14 percent less glass than a square building of the same area, and minimizes energy consumption.
• The double–skin façade’s vertical atria create thermal buffer zones. It also improves indoor air quality while creating desirable places for people to linger. These public amenity floors also reduce the number of vertical trips each building occupant mustmake.
• The building’s spiraling parapet collects rainwater, which is used for the tower’s heating and air conditioning systems. The spiral shape facilitates vortex shedding and creates an asymmetrical surface to reduce wind loads on the building. Wind turbines located directly beneath the parapet generate on-site power.
• Shanghai Tower’s owners aim to register for a high level of building certification from the China Green Building Committee and the US Green Building Council.
Retail Podium
• The retail podium is a multi-story, luxury retail experience that incorporates an ambitious mix of premium luxury brand fl agships, one-of-a-kind specialty retailers, and high-concept dining.
• The dynamic metropolitan feel of the retail podium is designed to enhance the experiential quality for a mix of visitors, tourists and tower inhabitants. Upscale retail facilities, restaurants, cafés and bars combine to provide the ultimate urban leisure destination in Shanghai.
• Acting as a weather barrier, the curved podium façade is glazed to merge inside with outside, allowing daylight to penetrate the space and to form a connection between the approaching visitor to the Shanghai Tower and the stores and restaurants within it.
• A series of multi-level branded retail stores located on the ground level offer uninterrupted visibility from the exterior to their storefronts. Lower-level retail provides direct access from the street level and the mass transit promenade.
Tower Pinnacle
• The tower’s pinnacle features the world’s highest non-enclosed observation deck.
The construction site: (all three supertalls next to each other, great idea)
The plan of the three supertalls:
Design development:
The detail interior and exterior:
Finally,
Notes:
1. All the pictures and information here are not of my own and are obtained from the internet.
2. To know more regarding the Shanghai Center, you may search it from books, internet, etc.
June 21st, 2010 at 9:01 pm
awesome architecture