Jump to content

Taipei 101

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jibran1 (talk | contribs) at 19:34, 22 July 2007 (→External elevation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

25°2′1″N 121°33′52″E / 25.03361°N 121.56444°E / 25.03361; 121.56444

Taipei 101
Map
General information
LocationTaipei, Taiwan
Cost$1,600,000,000
Height
Antenna spire509.2 m (1670.60 ft)
Roof449.2 m (1473.75 ft)
Top floor439.2 m (1440.94 ft)
Technical details
Floor area412,500 m²
Lifts/elevators61(including two doubledecker elevators)
Design and construction
Architect(s)C.Y. Lee
Main contractorKTRT Joint Venture Taipei 101 was the World's Tallest Building from 2004 until July 20, 2007

Taipei 101 (simplified Chinese: 台北101; traditional Chinese: 臺北101 or 台北101; pinyin: Táiběi Yīlíngyī; Wade–Giles: T'ai-pei I-ling-i) is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper located in Taipei City, Republic of China (Taiwan). Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture, it is currently the tallest completed skyscraper in the world. The original name was Taipei Financial Centre, based on its official Chinese name: the Taipei International Financial Center (Chinese: 臺北國際金融中心; pinyin: Táiběi Guójì Jīnróng Zhōngxīn). The building is the 2004 recipient of the Emporis Skyscraper Award. Taipei 101 was named "Taipei 101" because the building is in Taipei and contains 101 floors. On July 4th, the Burj Dubai overtook the Taipei 101 in height [1], yet does not become the tallest building in the world until it is fully habitated.

External elevation

Height comparison of Taipei 101 with the Sears Tower, the Petronas Towers, and the Empire State Building.

Taipei 101 has 101 stories above ground (hence the name) and five underground.

The building holds the records for:

  • Ground to structural top: 509 m (1,671 ft), a record formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers at 452 m (1,483 ft)
  • Ground to roof: 449 m (1,474 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower 442 m (1,451 ft)
  • Ground to highest occupied floor: 439 m (1,441 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower
  • Fastest Ascending Elevator speed: 16.83 m/s (37.5 miles/hour or 60.4 km/h)
  • Largest Count-Down Clock on New Year's Eve.

It does not hold the record for the greatest height from ground to pinnacle, which is still held by the Sears Tower 527 m (1,729 ft).

Taipei 101's roof was completed on July 1, 2003. In a ceremony presided over by Mayor Ma Ying-jeou who fastened a golden bolt to signify the official topping-out, the pinnacle was fitted on October 17, 2003, allowing it to surpass the Petronas Towers by 57 meters (188 feet).[2]. Taipei 101 is the first and currently only habitable building in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height.[3]

Various sources, including the building's owners, list the height as 508.0 m (1,667 ft), roof height and top floor height as 448.0 m (1470 ft) and 438.0 m (1437 ft). These lower figure is measured from the top of a 1.2 m (4 ft) platform at the base. However, according to CTBUH standards, the height of this platform should be included in the building height because it is part of the man-made structure and is above the level of the surrounding pavement.

Taipei 101 displaced the 51 story, 244.15 m (801 ft) Shin Kong Life Tower as the tallest building in Taipei, and the 85 story, 347.5 m (1140 ft) Tuntex Sky Tower in Kaohsiung as the tallest building in Taiwan.[4]

On 21st July 2007, Burj Dubai overtook Taipei 101 as the tallest building in the world. Burj Dubai (which is 141 stories high as of July 21, 2007) is set to be completed in July 2009 if all is going to plan.

Taipei 101 interior

Retail mall of Taipei 101.

In many aspects, the new building is the most technologically advanced skyscraper constructed to date. The building features fiber-optic and satellite Internet connections allowing speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. Toshiba has supplied the world's two fastest doubledecker elevators which run at a top speed of 16.83 metres per second (63 km/h or 37.5 mph) and are able to take visitors from the 5th floor to the observatory on the 89th floor in 37 seconds. The top speeds are 34 percent faster than the previous world's fastest elevators in Yokohama Landmark Tower. Each elevator is designed with an aerodynamic body, pressurization and emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system. The cost for each elevator is over $US 2 million.[5] Visitors can also walk up the staircase to an outdoor observatory located at the 91st floor. A 660-metric-ton (730 tons) tuned mass damper is held at the 87th floor, stabilizing the tower against earthquakes, typhoons, and wind.[6] The damper can reduce up to 40% of the tower's movements.

The entire tower was opened on December 31, 2004, amidst an extravagant New Year's celebration, complete with live performances and fireworks. President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng cut the ribbon. This was the first world's tallest building completed in the 21st century. The next will most likely be Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The tower includes a six-floor retail mall with shops, restaurants, and other attractions, such as night clubs. The architecture of the retail mall includes both retro gothic-style pinnacles and modern industrial structures. The interior layout of Taipei 101 was entirely designed by a feng shui master.

Observation decks

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|section|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
 The indoor observation deck is located on the 89th floor, while the outdoor observation deck is located on the 91st floor.

The general admission entrance to the observation decks is located on the 5th floor, where the access to the observation deck elevators is also located. There are also souvenir shops and free coin lockers (NT$10, approximately US$0.30, deposit is required). The price for one general admission is NT$350 (approximately US$10); the concession ticket is NT$320. Group reservation (for 20 people or more) can be made 5 days prior; group discount admission is NT$300 each. A separate ticket, priced at NT$100 each, is needed for visiting the world's highest outdoor observation deck at 91st floor; the tickets are available at the west side on the 5th floor after the purchase of the 89th floor admission (mandatory). Visitors can choose to have their hands stamped for return visits in the same day. The observation decks operate daily from 10:00 to 22:00. The ticket booths close at 21:15. Admission of the 89th floor is free for children under 100 cm (130 cm for 91st floor). Be careful if you should ever visit, the winds can blow very strongly. Management sometimes closes the observation deck in times of stormy weather.

Pre-recorded tour guide systems are available over the counter on the 89th floor; every visitor needs to present the guide voucher (comes with the ticket) and NT$1000 (or a valid passport) for deposit. The total length of the tour guide is approximately 40 minutes; currently, there are seven languages available, namely: Taiwanese, English, Japanese, German, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin), and Cantonese. The poles on the deck are marked with different numbers, and the visitors will need to enter the number and press the green button on the machine in order to listen to the scene information. The guide system must be returned before the visitor can leave the 89th floor (to either the ground or the 91st floor).[7]

Exterior symbolism

The exterior of the building incorporates many symbols of financial success. The distinctive sections that create the impression of a bamboo stalk in the minds of many people are actually representative of gold ingots, used in ancient China as currency by royalty. There are 8 of them, each with 8 floors, since the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. There are also 4 circles on each side of the building near the base, to represent coins. Most aspects of the design, layout and planning were reviewed and approved by a Feng Shui master.

The 8 segments of Taipei 101 covered with green tinted glass panels are decorated with traditional Chinese lantern-like figures, which are called the "Ru-Yi" symbols. These Ru Yi symbols are placed at the top of every 4 sides of each of the 8 segments. These Ru Yi figures symbolise fulfillment, authority and power. They also bring one's career to better heights and prevent misfortune. Each of these symbols are at least 8m high. [8][9]

There is a perpendicular road that ran straight into the building's boundaries. In Feng Shui related philosophy, this brings sickness or bad business to occupants in the building. This Feng Shui problem was solved by adding a fountain to block off the perpendicular road. [10][11]

Construction

Tuned mass damper atop the Taipei 101.

The tower is designed to endure potentially large wind pressures caused by typhoons and other high wind phenomena. In high rise building structures such as Taipei 101, the required lateral strength and stiffeness is governed by the wind environment. Even still, prior to construction, some worried that the building would be vulnerable to the large earthquakes that are possible in the Taiwan region. However, due to the building's extreme height and respective high natural period it is relatively unsusceptible to forces generated by earthquakes. On March 31, 2002, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake caused a construction crane to fall from the 56th floor of the building, which was at the time the highest floor, killing five people and starting some small fires. It is important to note that the building itself reacted as expected and construction resumed later.

In order to maintain comfort levels for those occupying it and to prevent damage to non-structural elements such as glass curtain walls and other portions of the exterior, skyscrapers are required to be stiff enough to prevent large sideways (lateral drift) movement during high winds. In most buildings this is achieved by increasing the size of critical structural elements such as bracing. In extreme examples, as is the case in Taipei 101, the building's height coupled with its environment, require extraordinary and innovative measures to reduce these effects.

Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers along with Evergreen Consulting Engineering designed a 662[12][13] metric tonne steel pendulum, that serves as a tuned mass damper, suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor. The movements of the tuned mass damper offset movement in the building caused by strong gusts, reducing the overall effect of the wind on the building. The sphere of the tuned mass damper consists of 41 layered steel plates, each with a height of 12.5cm being welded together to form a 5.5m diameter sphere, making it the largest damper sphere in the World. [14] [15]

See also: Tuned mass damper

There are another two tuned mass dampers installed that sit at the very tip of the spire. Each weighing 4.5 tons; this is to prevent cumulative damage to the structure and to the spire due to strong wind loads, a very common issue for spire structures. [16]

Two dozen very large columns provide the main vertical supports; every eight floors, outrigger trusses connect the columns in the building’s core to those on the exterior.

  • Taipei 101 features in the denouement of Eoin Colfer's novel Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony. Several features of the building (some true and others of the author's imagining) are used as plot devices.
  • A building based on Taipei 101 appears as a town type area in some versions of the MMORPG MapleStory.

References

  1. ^ "Dubai Megaprojects". Retrieved 2007-07-10.
  2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3200160.stm
  3. ^ http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100765
  4. ^ SkyscraperPage.com Diagrams: Taiwan
  5. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Engineering#The_World.27s_Fastest_Elevators
  6. ^ http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=100765
  7. ^ http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/OB/about/info.asp
  8. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Aesthetics#Design_Inspirations The Traditional Chinese Ru Yi Symbol being used in Taipei 101
  9. ^ http://www.fengshuibestbuy.com/ruyi1.html The symbolism of a Ru Yi Symbol
  10. ^ http://km.boco.com.tw/NewsDetail.aspx?Bid=B20070117002059
  11. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Aesthetics#Feng_Shui
  12. ^ http://www.pubs.asce.org/ceonline/ceonline01/0112feat.html
  13. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Engineering
  14. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Engineering#The_730_ton_Tuned_Mass_Dumper
  15. ^ http://www.motioneering.ca/User/Doc/pp_taipei101.pdf
  16. ^ http://www.sky-scrapers.org/Structural_Facts/index.php/Taipei_101:_Engineering#The_730_ton_Tuned_Mass_Dumper

See also

Template:ChineseText

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taipei 101.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taipei_101&oldid=146370114"