Shanghai World Financial Center on Schedule

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Expected to be completed in spring of 2008, the construction of Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) was reported on schedule. Named as the next tallest building in China, the SWFC has 102-storey with 492m-tall total, 300 rooms, and 377300 meter square of floor area.




The SWFC is located at Lujiazui Financial and Trading Area in Pudong New District, Shanghai and will be used as office, hotel, museum, observation, and retail. The architect, KPF Associates employing glass extensively to this new highrise building.


Shanghai Financial Tower Facts

Construction of this monster finally began February 13th, 2003.
Not implemented within two years, the project should have been canceled according to relevant regulations. However, because it is a project of huge investment and there have been no other suitable investors, the building remained, and in four years would finally rise up in Shanghai.
The Consortium invested more than US$850 million for the project.

Two sightseeing bridges were set on the upper part of the mansion, on the tip of which is a round-shaped fretwork at a diameter of 50 meters.

The designs changes results an extra spending of more than $200 million USD due to the sophistication of designs which includes structural system re-design, foundation re-design and increased safety features after September 11th.
The height of this building has changed from its original plan - 94 stories at 460m to the current plan - 101 stories at 492m. Glass and metal were covered on simple geometric bodies to create mysterious sight effects.

The design of the tower includes 300 hotel rooms on the upper floors and an observation area at the top. The circular aperture at the top of the building represents 'heaven' and also reduces wind load on the building.

The design of the opening near the top of the tower changed in mid-October, 2005; from a circular to a rectangular opening. The architect and developer claimed that it is cheaper and easier to implement the new design. But I do happen to know that the more probable reason for changing it was because the Japenese designer designed the original with a circle on top and was changed to a handle/trapeziod looking shape because the Chinese thought it looked too much like the Japanese flag.

Due to the design change of the top opening from a circle to a trapezoid, the tram-car system that would travel vertically inside the big circle is cancelled. Located near the Jin Mao Tower in the ever growing financial district of Shanghai.

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