Jin Mao Tower

88 Century Avenue

Pudong

Shanghai 200121

People's Republic of China

 

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 1998

 

The Jin Mao ("Golden Prosperity") Tower is a serous postmodern effort by U.S. skyscraper firm SOM (who have serially built some of the world's tallest buildings, including Sears Tower in Chicago and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai) to combine the international skyscraper form with Chinese tradition. This is done through the pagoda-inspired tiering; a curtain-wall facade criss-crossed with a pattern of aluminum alloy latticework; and many aspects of the buildings proportions derived from the number 8: 88 floors, 16 segments, an octagonal plan, etc.

 

 

The lower half of the building is offices; the upper half (from floors 53 to 87) if the Grand Hyatt, including an atrium that extends through all those upper floors, and the world's longest laundry chute, descending from these floors down to the tower's basement.

 

 

The Jin Mao Tower was the tallest in the People's Republic of China when it was built, but was overtaken in 2007 by its neighbour the Shanghai World Financial Center.

 

 

 

Simon Glynn 2011

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How to visit

 

To visit the building, you can explore the (ticketed) Skywalk observation deck on the 88th floor, at a height of 340 meters, accessible by express elevator from the basement; or go for a drink in the Grand Hyatt.

 

Take Subway Line 2 to Lujiazui Station. The Jin Mao Tower has four entrances, one specifically for the Skywalk.

 

The building is next door to the Shanghai World Financial Center by KPF.

 

For more information visit the building's own web site at www.jinmao88.com.

 

 

 

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