Everything about Taipei 101 totally explained
Taipei 101 is a 101-floor
landmark skyscraper located in
Taipei,
Taiwan. The building, designed by
C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed from May 1995 to March 2005 primarily by the
South Korean multinational
Samsung Engineering & Construction and supported by the
KTRT Joint Venture, is one of the
world's tallest completed skyscrapers. Taipei 101 received the
Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2004. It has been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (
Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (
Discovery Channel, 2005).
The building stands as an icon of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole. Its
postmodern style combines tradition and modernity in ways that appear simultaneously Asian and international. Its safety features enable it to withstand
typhoons and
earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.
Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international
New Year's Eve broadcasts, and the
landmark appears frequently in films, television shows, print publications,
anime media, games, and other elements of popular culture.
The name of the tower reflects its location in Taipei's 101 business district and its floor count. (See also
"Symbolism" below.) The number is pronounced in English simply as
One Oh One and in
Mandarin by the equivalent.
Taipei 101 is owned by the
Taipei Financial Center Corporation and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in
Chicago USA. The name originally planned for the building,
Taipei World Financial Center, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in
Chinese was literally,
Taipei International Financial Center ().
Taipei 101 was overtaken in height on
July 21 2007 by the
Burj Dubai in
Dubai,
UAE, upon the completion of that building's 141st floor. The title of "world's tallest building" still rests with Taipei 101, though, as international architectural standards define a "building" as a structure capable of being fully occupied. The Burj Dubai is on course to claim the title once its construction is finished.
Features
Height
Taipei 101 has 101 storeys above ground and five underground. Upon its completion Taipei 101 claimed the official records for:
The record for greatest height from ground to
pinnacle remained with the
Sears Tower in
Chicago (
USA): .
Taipei 101 was the first building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height. It was the first "world's tallest building" to be constructed in the new millennium.
Taipei 101 displaced the
Petronas Towers in
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, as the tallest building in the world by . It also displaced the 85-story,
Tuntex Sky Tower in
Kaohsiung as the tallest building in Taiwan and the 51-story,
Shin Kong Life Tower as the tallest building in Taipei.
The
Burj Dubai, located in
Dubai,
UAE, overtook Taipei 101 in height upon completion of its 141st floor on July 7 2007. The Burj Dubai is expected to hold a number of world records by the time it opens in mid-2009. Taipei 101 retains its official title until the Burj Dubai is completed, however, as the
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat doesn't officially recognize a structure as a "building" for record purposes until it's functional--that is, until it's completed and can be occupied.
Various sources, including the building's owners
Construction
Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the
typhoon winds and
earthquake tremors common in its area of the
Asia-Pacific. Planners aimed for a structure that could withstand gale winds of per second (216 km/h, 134 mi/h) and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.
Skyscrapers must be flexible in strong winds yet remain rigid enough to prevent large sideways movement (lateral drift). Flexibility prevents structural damage while resistance ensures comfort for the occupants and protection of glass,
curtain walls and other features. Most designs achieve the necessary strength by enlarging critical structural elements such as bracing. The extraordinary height of Taipei 101 combined with the demands of its environment called for additional innovations on the part of engineers.
The design achieves both strength and flexibility for the tower through the use of high-performance steel construction. Thirty-six columns support Taipei 101, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000-psi concrete. Every eight floors, outrigger trusses connect the columns in the building’s core to those on the exterior.
These features combine with the solidity of its
foundation to make Taipei 101 one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. The foundation is reinforced by 380 piles driven into the ground, extending as far as into the bedrock. Each pile is in diameter and can bear a load of - . steel pendulum that serves as a
tuned mass damper, the cost for it's NT$132 million (US$4 million). Suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor, the pendulum sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. Its sphere, the largest damper sphere in the world, consists of 41 layered steel plates, each with a height of being welded together to form a diameter sphere. Another two tuned mass dampers, each weighing, Each ruyi ornament on the exterior of the Taipei 101 tower stands at least tall. The sweeping curved roof of the adjoining mall culminates in a colossal ruyi that shades pedestrians. Though the shape of each ruyi at Taipei 101 is traditional, its metallic interpretation is plainly modern.
At night the bright yellow gleam from its pinnacle casts Taipei 101 in the role of a candle or
torch upholding the ideals of liberty and welcome. Over the course of each week the tower's arc lights cycle through the seven colours of the
spectrum:
| Day | Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday
|
| Colour | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The time of the lighting: 6:00 PM-10:00 PM.
The cycle connects the tower with the rich symbolism of rainbows, traditionally seen as bridges linking earth to sky and earth's peoples to one another.
A further connection with time appears in an adjoining park, where a clock draws its energy entirely from the building's wind shear. The circular shape of the clock is echoed in the shape of the park itself.
Taipei 101, like many of its neighbours, shows the influence of feng shui philosophy. An example appears at the intersection of Songlian Road and Hsinyi (Xinyi) Road, where a large fountain stands near the tower's east entrance. A ball at the top spins toward the tower. The fountain may be viewed as a work of public art. Its stone and liquid textures offer a contrast to the glass and metal of the building even as its horizontal ridges repeat the building's rhythms. Yet, in feng shui terms, the fountain serves a practical function, though, . A T intersection near the entrance of a building drains positive energy, or ch'i, from a building and its occupants. Flowing water placed at such a spot can remedy the situation by generating a positive inward flow of ch'i. At Taipei 101 a traditional predicament has been addressed with a traditional solution--yet the result looks modern.
Taipei 101 merges ancient motifs and ideas with modern techniques and materials. As a landmark it renews the symbolism of all tall towers as cosmic centers. Its interplaying symbols convey images of optimism, abundance, and awareness of the cycles of time.
Interior
Taipei 101 is the first record-setting skyscraper to be constructed in the twenty-first century. Appropriately it exhibits a number of technologically advanced features as it provides a center for business and recreation.
The original 2004 fiber-optic and satellite Internet connections enabled transfer speeds up to a gigabyte per second.
The doubledeck elevators built by Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC) set a new record in 2004 with top ascending speeds of per second (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h). This speed is 34.7 percent faster than the previous record holders of the Yokohama Landmark Tower elevator, Yokohama, Japan, which speeds of per second (45.0 km/h, 28.0 mi/h). Taipei 101's elevators sweep visitors from the fifth floor to the 89th-floor observatory in only 37 seconds. Each elevator features an aerodynamic body, full pressurization, state-of-the art emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system. The cost for each elevator is NT$80 million (US$2.4 million).
A tuned mass damper stabilizes the tower against movements caused by high winds. The damper can reduce up to 40% of the tower's movements (see "Construction").
The 101st floor is home to a private club named Summit 101. No information about this club has been made public save for a reference in the observatory pamphlet.
The observatories are located in the 91st and 89th floors. (See "Observatories" below.)
Two restaurants have opened on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony's, which offers European-style seafood and steak, and Shin Yeh 101 (欣葉), which offers Taiwanese-style cuisine. Occupying all of the 86th floor is Japanese restaurant XEX.
The multi-story retail mall adjoining the tower is home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. The mall's interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol (see "Exterior symbolism" above) is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions.
Observatories
Taipei 101 features an Indoor Observatory (89 F) and an Outdoor Observatory (91 F). Both offer 360-degree views and attract visitors from around the world.
The Indoor Observatory stands above ground and may be reached by high-speed elevators from the shopping mall fifth floor. It offers visitors a comfortable indoor environment, large windows with UV protection, recorded voice tours in seven languages, informative displays and special exhibits. Here one may view the skyscraper's main damper, nicknamed "Damper Baby", and buy food, drinks and gift items.
The Outdoor Observatory stands above ground. It is the world's highest outdoor observation deck.
A staircase takes visitors up two more flights to the Outdoor Observatory.
The Indoor Observatory is open twelve hours a day (10:00 AM-10:00 PM); Outdoor Observatory hours are the same as weather permits, both are operate all the week. Tickets may purchased on site in the shopping mall fifth floor, or in advance through the Observatory's web site (see "links" below). The tickets are priced at NT$400 (US$13) each, it can visit 88 F (tuned mass damper area), 89 F and 91 F 3 floors altogether.
Art
Many works of art appear in and around Taipei 101. These include:
Tenants
A number of enterprises maintain offices in Taipei 101. A few that have been featured in public announcements
Chronology
Important dates in the planning and construction of Taipei 101 include the following:
February 28 2005 - Former American president Bill Clinton visits and signs copies of his autobiography.
Gallery
Image:101.tall.altonthompson.jpg|Taipei 101, cosmic pillar
Image:101.red-dusk.altonthompson.jpg|Taipei 101 at dusk (Monday)
Image:Taipei 101 at night.jpg|Taipei 101 at night, fully lit (rare)
Image:DSC_05011.jpg|Night view of Taipei from Jhonghe, Taipei County
Image:Taipei101- Taipei City Hall view.jpg|Taipei 101 from Taipei City Hall
Image:Taipei101_in_Xmas_Tree_Costume.jpg|Taipei 101, light Christmas tree
Image:Taipei101_HappyNewYear2006.jpg|Taipei 101 New Year's fireworks, 2006
Image:IMG_7569.jpg|Taipei 101 New Year's fireworks, 2008
Image:2008TaipeiCityNewYearCountdownParty Firework Taipei101.jpg|Taipei 101 New Year's fireworks, 2008
Image:Taipei_101_2008_NewYear_Firework.jpg|Taipei 101 New Year's fireworks, 2008
Image:DSCF0591.jpg|Taipei 101 Entrance
Image:101.love-indiana.altonthompson.jpg|Love at Taipei 101
Image:DSCF0594.jpg|Taipei 101 from Xinyi (Hsinyi) Road
Image:DSCF0365.jpg|Taipei 101 from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall MRT Station
Image:Taipei101upwards.jpg|Taipei 101 look from below
Further Information
Get more info on 'Taipei 101'.
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