Oriental Pearl Tower

Last updated

Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
东方明珠广播电视塔
Oriental Pearl Tower 2012.jpg
The Oriental Pearl Tower in March 2012
Oriental Pearl Tower
General information
TypeCommunication, hotel, observation, restaurant
Location Shanghai
Coordinates 31°14′30.01″N121°29′40.98″E / 31.2416694°N 121.4947167°E / 31.2416694; 121.4947167
Construction startedJuly 30, 1991;33 years ago (1991-07-30)
CompletedNovember 18, 1994;30 years ago (1994-11-18)
OpenedMay 1, 1995;29 years ago (1995-05-01)
Height
Antenna spire468 m (1,535 ft)
Top floor351 m (1,152 ft)
Technical details
Floor countEquivalent of a 103 story building
Lifts/elevators6
Design and construction
Architect(s)Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd.
Developer Shanghai Oriental Group Co. Ltd.

The Oriental Pearl Tower [a] is a Futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai. Built from 1991 to 1994, the tower was the tallest structure in China until the completion of nearby World Financial Center in 2007. Shanghai's first AAAAA tourist attraction, The tower's unique architecture, height, and fifteen observation decks have made it a cultural icon of the city.

Contents

Architecture

The bottom-most sphere and its foundations. Pudong, August 2012 04.JPG
The bottom-most sphere and its foundations.

The top floor of the Oriental Pearl tower is at 351 metres (1,200 ft), which, combined with its 137 metres (450 ft) antenna, makes the tower 468 metres (1,500 ft) tall. [1] The tower was the tallest freestanding structure in China and Asia from 1994 to 2007, but was later surpassed by Canton Tower in Guangzhou. [2] [3]

Foundation

Located in Lujiazui on the banks of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl Tower stands directly opposite of the Bund. [4] Due to the area's soft soil, large concrete pillars were planted deep within the ground. Steel pipes and plates provided additional support. This technology was later used in nearby Jin Mao Tower. [5]

Spheres

Three large spherical platforms are connected by three pillars and an elevator in-between. According to the its designers, the design, which reflects the culture of Shanghai, was inspired by "Pipa xing", a poem by Tang poet Bai Juyi. [6] The spheres, which were constructed using an integral steel framework, are covered by concrete tiles and laminated red glass panes. [7]

Observation levels

One of the glass floors. Oriental Pearl Tower Observation Deck.jpg
One of the glass floors.

The tower has fifteen observatory levels. Lower levels house amenities including a revolving restaurant, indoor roller coaster, and museums. Several levels, including the highest one, have panoramic glass floors. [6] There is also a 20-room hotel, named the Space Hotel, between the two large spheres. [8]

History

Planning

An initial idea of building a new TV tower in downtown Shanghai in order to increase capacity and replace older infrastructure was introduced in a broadcast on August 25, 1983. On November 17 of the same year, the plan was refined and presented in Shanghai Media Group's sixth five-year plan. The tower was planned to be 400 metres (1,300 ft). [9]

On March 25, 1984, the idea was formally proposed to the city congress, which chose a site site in Lujiazui, an area rapidly developing due to economic reform. The decision was made official by the Shanghai Radio and Television Bureau on August 23. [9]

In October 1986, the final proposal, which included a raise in the tower's planned height to 468 metres (1,535 ft), was submitted to the National Planning Commission, which approved it in January of the following year. [9]

In September 1988, a total of 12 designs from three firms were received. East China Architectural Design Institute's "Oriental Pearl" design was selected. [9]

Construction and opening

The tower under construction. Huangpu River,Oriental Pearl Tower,The Bund,Shanghai,China.jpg
The tower under construction.

On July 30, 1991, the tower's foundation was laid and construction began. [10] [11] On December 14, 1993, the tower's body was cappied. On Labour Day of the following year, the antenna was installed after 11 days of ascension. [6] On National Day, interior facilities were completed began operating, marking the end of construction. [9] [10]

The Oriental Pearl Tower opened to the public a year later., and its first broadcast, which contained five TV programs and radio, was made. [4] [6]

Impact

Comparison of the Oriental Pearl Tower with the world's seven tallest towers Tallest towers in the world.svg
Comparison of the Oriental Pearl Tower with the world's seven tallest towers

Awards

In 1995, 15 foreign heads of government visited the tower. [4] A year later, another 35 foreign heads of government and 30 groups of foreign minister-level government officials visited the tower. [4] The tower has been included in numerous lists, including "Top Ten New Landscapes in Shanghai", [12] "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai", [13] and the list of AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China. [14]

A Russian stamp depicting the tower. Russia stamp 1998 No.  471.jpg
A Russian stamp depicting the tower.

Since its opening, the Oriental Pearl Tower has been a cultural icon of Shanghai. The tower has been depicted in various artworks and media and attracts millions of tourists yearly. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. simplified Chinese :东方明珠电视塔; traditional Chinese :東方明珠電視塔; pinyin :Dōngfāng Míngzhū diànshì tǎ; Shanghainese : Tonfån Mintsythah

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pudong</span> District in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China

Pudong is a district of Shanghai located east of the Huangpu, the river which flows through central Shanghai. The name Pudong was originally applied to the Huangpu's east bank, directly across from the west bank or Puxi, the historic city center. It now refers to the broader Pudong New Area, a state-level new area which extends all the way to the East China Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jin Mao Tower</span> Supertall skyscraper in Shanghai, China

The Jin Mao Tower, also known as the Jinmao Building or Jinmao Tower, is a 420.5-meter-tall (1,380 ft), 88-story landmark skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China. It contains a shopping mall, offices and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel which starts from the 53rd floor, which at the time of completion was the highest hotel in the world. Along with the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower it is part of the Lujiazui skyline seen from the Bund. It was the tallest building in China from its completion in 1999 until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center which is located close by. The Shanghai Tower, a 128-story building located next to these two buildings, surpassed the height of both these buildings in 2015, creating the world's first trio of adjacent supertall skyscrapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai World Financial Center</span> Supertall skyscraper in Shanghai, China

The Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company, with Leslie E. Robertson Associates as its structural engineer and China State Construction Engineering Corp and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co. as its main contractor. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, ground-floor shopping malls. Park Hyatt Shanghai is the tower's hotel component, comprising 174 rooms and suites occupying the 79th to the 93rd floors, which at the time of completion was the highest hotel in the world. It is now the third-highest hotel in the world after the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which occupies floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Radio & TV Tower</span> Telecommunications and observation tower in Beijing, China

The Central Radio & TV Tower is a 405-metre-tall (1,329 ft) telecommunications- and observation tower in Beijing, China. It was the tallest structure in the city until 2018, when it was surpassed by China Zun. It is the ninth-tallest tower in the world, and has its observation deck at 238 m (781 ft). The tower provides panoramic views over the city from its revolving restaurant and observation deck. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lujiazui</span> Locality in Shanghai, China

Lujiazui is a locality in Shanghai, a peninsula formed by a bend in the Huangpu River. Since the early 1990s, Lujiazui has been developed specifically as a new financial district of Shanghai. The decision to earmark Lujiazui for this purpose reflects its location: it is located on the east side of the Huangpu River in Pudong, and sits directly across the river from the old financial and business district of the Bund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canton Tower</span> Communications and observation tower in Guangzhou (Canton), China

The Canton Tower, formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower, is a 604-meter (1,982 ft)-tall multipurpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou. The tower was topped out in 2009 and it became operational on 29 September 2010 in time to 2010 Asian Games. The tower briefly held the title of tallest tower in the world, replacing the CN Tower, before being surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree. It was the tallest structure in China prior to the topping out of the Shanghai Tower on 3 August 2013, and is now the second-tallest tower and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.

Shanghai Television is a TV station based in Shanghai, China. It was founded in 1958. Its old web site address was www.stv.sh.cn. In 2001, it was merged with Radio Shanghai, Eastern Radio Shanghai, Oriental Television Station and Shanghai Cable Television under the name of Shanghai Media Group. It broadcasts 258 hours of TV and 214 hours of radio on a daily basis (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lujiazui station</span> Shanghai Metro station

Lujiazui is a station on Line 2 and 14 of the Shanghai Metro rapid transit system, situated in the middle of the financial district of Lujiazui. This station is the first stop in Pudong going east towards Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and is part of the initial section of Line 2 that opened from Zhongshan Park to Longyang Road that opened on 20 September 1999. The station later became an interchange on 30 December 2021 after the opening of Line 14. Being at the center of the Lujiazui financial district, the station is of significance to the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Tower</span> Megatall skyscraper in Shanghai, China

Shanghai Tower is a 128-story, 632-meter-tall (2,073 ft) megatall skyscraper located in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. It is the tallest building in China and the world's third-tallest building by height to architectural top. It is the tallest and largest LEED Platinum certified building in the world since 2015. It had the world's fastest elevators at a top speed of 20.5 meters per second until 2017, when it was surpassed by the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, with its top speed of 21 meters per second. Designed by the international design firm Gensler and owned by the Shanghai Municipal Government, it is the tallest of the world's first triple-adjacent supertall buildings in Pudong, the other two being the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. Its tiered construction, designed for high energy efficiency, provides nine separate zones divided between office, retail and leisure use. The US-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat cites it as "one of the most sustainably advanced tall buildings in the world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Lujiazui</span> Mixed-use: Office, Residential in Shanghai, China

One Lujiazui, previously known as Development Tower, is a mixed-use skyscraper in Shanghai, China. It is the 9th tallest building in Shanghai. Finished in 2008, the tower stands 269 metres tall. The glass highrise's primary use is as an office building, though it also offers over 6,000 square metres of residential space. One Lujiazui is located near the Lujiazui Central Park, by the Huangpu River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wuhan Greenland Center</span> Supertall skyscraper in Wuhan, Hubei, China

Wuhan Greenland Center is a 476 metres (1,562 ft) tall skyscraper in Wuhan, China. The tower was originally planned to be 626 metres (2,054 ft), but it was redesigned mid-construction due to airspace regulations so its height does not exceed 502 metres (1,650 ft) above ground level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhongyuan Tower</span> Steel freestanding tower in Henan province, China

Zhongyuan Tower, also known as Henan Radio and Television Tower or "Tower of Fortune", is located in Zhengzhou, China. It is a multi-functional commercial, artistic and cultural center integrating radio and television broadcasting, tourism, cross-border trade, cultural performance, catering and leisure. The tower measures 268 metres (879 ft) high and the top antenna is 120 metres (390 ft) high, with a total height of 388 m. It is the world's second tallest steel tower after the Tokyo Skytree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai IFC</span> Skyscraper in Shanghai, China

Shanghai International Finance Center, usually abbreviated as Shanghai IFC, is a commercial building complex and a shopping center located at 8 Century Avenue, Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China. It incorporates two tower blocks at 249.9 metres (820 ft) and 259.9 metres (853 ft) housing offices and a hotel, and an 85-metre (279 ft) tall multi-storey building behind and between the two towers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huzhu Pagoda</span> Pagoda in Shanghai, China

Huzhu Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda located on Tianmashan Hill in the Songjiang District of Shanghai. It is known for its leaning angle, surpassing that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wuxi opera</span>

Xiju, also known as Wuxi opera, is a genre of opera which originated in the southern region of the Yangtze River Delta in China. It evolved from "Tanhuang" (滩簧), a folk opera art in the region of Wuxi and Changzhou of Jiangsu province. As one of the main local operas in Jiangsu Province, Wuxi opera has been reputed as "a piece of plum flower in Taihu Lake", a title given to the three major operas in East China, alongside Yue opera and Huangmei opera.

The culture of Shanghai or Shanghainese culture is based on the Wuyue culture from the nearby Jiangsu and Zhejiang province, with a unique "East Meets West" Haipai culture generated through the influx of Western influences since the mid-19th century. Mass migration from all across China and the rest of the world has made Shanghai a melting pot of different cultures. It was in Shanghai, for example, that the first motor car was driven and (technically) the first train tracks and modern sewers were laid. It was also the intellectual battleground between socialist writers who concentrated on critical realism, which was pioneered by Lu Xun, Mao Dun, Nien Cheng and the famous French novel by André Malraux, Man's Fate, and the more "bourgeois", more romantic and aesthetically inclined writers, such as Shi Zhecun, Shao Xunmei, Ye Lingfeng and Eileen Chang.

Ye Keming was a Chinese engineer who was chief engineer at Shanghai Construction Group, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banque de l'Indochine Building, Shanghai</span> 1914 commercial building in China

The Banque de l'Indochine Building, is a building designed by architecture firm Atkinson & Dallas as a branch building for the Banque de l'Indochine, in The Bund, Shanghai. The building is at No.29, The Bund, and was built in the former Shanghai International Settlement. Construction began in 1911 and ended in 1914 by contractor Xie Sheng Construction Plant. It currently houses the China Everbright Bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Line Building</span> 1922 commercial building in Shanghai

The Glen Line Building, also known as the United States Information Agency Building or Shanghai People's Radio Station Building, is a 7-floor building in Shanghai, China, which was built in the former Shanghai International Settlement in 1922. It was designed by architect George Leopold Wilson of the Palmer and Turner Hong Kong. It is a 'major cultural heritage site under national-level protection', and also an 'outstanding historic building' of Shanghai.

Tibet Tourism, full name Tibet Tourism Co., Ltd. is the first listed company in the Tibet Autonomous Region specializing in tourism, culture, and media.

References

  1. 贾宝良 (2005). 世纪韵律 (in Chinese). 五洲传播出版社. ISBN   978-7-5085-0744-6.
  2. "Oriental Pearl Tower". SkyscraperPage .
  3. "Emporis building ID 103802". Emporis . Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 ""东方明珠":上海广播电视塔". 上海通. October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  5. Gong, Jian; Fang, Tingchen; Zuo, Junqing (January 2022). Wang, Xiuling (ed.). "A Review of Key Technologies Development of Super High-Rise Building Construction in China". Advances in Civil Engineering. 2022 (1). doi: 10.1155/2022/5438917 . ISSN   1687-8086. ProQuest   2623775105.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "【记忆】建筑可阅读:"大珠小珠落玉盘"的东方明珠塔,是如何建造的?". The Paper . Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  7. Schuster, Miriam (November 19, 2022). Characterization of Laminated Safety Glass Interlayers: Thermorheology, Crystallinity and Viscoelasticity. Springer Nature. p. 1. ISBN   978-3-658-39821-7.
  8. Randl, Chad (May 15, 2008). Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings That Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 137. ISBN   978-1-56898-681-4.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 上海改革开放40年 : 那些年, 我们的故事. 上海市档案局(馆), 上海老新闻工作者协会编 (Di 1 ban ed.). Shanghai. 2018. ISBN   978-7-208-15187-1. OCLC   1083305320.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. 1 2 康, 小兰 (April 9, 2010). "东方明珠电视塔:亚洲第一高塔". 国务院新闻办公室网站. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. 上海画报出版社 (2000). 上海十大新景观 (in Chinese). 上海: 上海画报出版社. ISBN   9787805301785.
  13. ""上海新十大地标建筑"评选揭晓". 中国建筑文化研究会. January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  14. "5A级景区". 中华人民共和国文化和旅游部. 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  15. A Readable Wukang Building: A Case Study on Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST). doi:10.1007/978-3-031-49536-6_1.
Preceded by Tallest Structure in China
1994–2007
Succeeded by