Oriental Pearl Tower

Last updated

Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
东方明珠广播电视塔
Far view of the Oriental Pearl Tower from the Bund side (35607236514).jpg
The Oriental Pearl Tower in May 2017
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 (1991-07-30) [1]
CompletedNovember 18, 1994 [2]
OpenedMay 1, 1995
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.
References
[3] [4]

The Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower [lower-alpha 1] is a TV tower in Shanghai. It is located on the banks of the Huangpu River, in Lujiazui, Pudong, opposite of the Bund. Since its opening in 1995, the tower has become a major tourist attraction and a cultural icon of Shanghai.

Contents

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). [5]

On March 25, 1984, the idea was formally proposed to the Shanghai Congress, which was approved later that year. After investigation, the site of the new tower was chosen in Lujiazui, an area that was rapidly developing due to economic reform. The decision was made official by the Shanghai Radio and Television Bureau on August 23 of the same year. [5]

In October 1986, the final proposal, which included a raise in the tower's planned height to 450 metres (1,480 ft), was submitted to the National Planning Commission, who approved the finalized proposal in January of the following year. [5]

In September 1988, three design firms submitted 12 designs for the tower. The "Oriental Pearl" design, created by the East China Architectural Design Institute, was selected. [5] The design featured three large spherical platforms and nine smaller observation decks, connected with three pillars and an elevator. According to the firm, the design was inspired by "Pipa xing" by Tang poet Bai Juyi and represented the culture of Shanghai. [6]

The lowest and largest sphere contains a museum and shopping center. Inside the middle sphere is a revolving restaurant. The highest sphere features a panoramic glass floor. [7]

Construction and opening

On July 30, 1991, the tower's foundation laid and construction began. [8]

On December 14, 1993, the tower's body, which measured 350 metres (1,100 ft), was capped. On Labour Day of the following year, the steel antenna with a length of 110 metres (360 ft) and a weight of 450 metric tons (500 short tons) was installed after 11 days of ascension. [6] On October 1 of the same year, the ground floor interior was completed and various facilities began operating. Construction was marked as completed. [5] [8]

A year later, the ribbon cutting ceremony was held, and the tower was officially opened to the public. [9] Later that day, the tower made its first broadcast, which contained five TV programs and radios. [6]

Awards

In 1995, 15 foreign heads of government visited the tower. [9] A year later, another 35 foreign heads of government and 30 groups of foreign minister-level government officials visited the tower. [9]

The tower has been included in numerous lists, including "Top Ten New Landscapes in Shanghai", [10] "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai", [11] and the list of AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China. [12]

Observation levels

The tower has fifteen observatory levels. The highest (known as the Space Module) is at 351 metres (1,150 ft). The lower levels are at 263 metres (863 ft) (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 metres (300 ft) (Space City). There is a revolving restaurant at the 267 metres (876 ft) level. The project also contains exhibition facilities and a small shopping center. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres. The upper observation platform has an outside area with a 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) glass floor. [13]

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

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">Plaza 66</span> Skyscraper complex in Shanghai, China

Plaza 66 is a commercial and office complex in Shanghai, consisting of a shopping mall and two skyscrapers. The shopping mall has 5 levels with a total area of over 50,000 square metres. The first tower is 288 metres (945 ft) high and was completed in 2001, while the second is 228 metres (748 ft) high and was completed in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 3 (Shanghai Metro)</span> Metro line of the Shanghai Metro

Line 3 is a north–south line of the Shanghai Metro network. Its current rolling stock, 03A01, carry a bright yellow colour belt to differentiate them from Line 4 trains which share a portion of its route, while the newer stock, 03A02, features a yellow and purple livery, which the exact line is labelled using sticker or screens saying “Line 3” or “Line 4”. Unlike the majority of the lines in the Shanghai Metro system, Line 3 is primarily elevated, entirely above ground except for Tieli Road, located at the entrance to Baosteel Group Corporation. The line runs from North Jiangyang Road in the north to Shanghai South Railway Station in the southwest of the city, where it meets line 1. While line 1 goes straight through the city center, line 3 roughly follows the Inner Ring Road around the city from Caoxi Road to Zhongtan Road. The line has about 300 drivers. Between December 26, 2000, and August 8, 2002, the line operated under the name Pearl Line; On August 8, 2002, it was renamed as Rail Transit Line 3. The line is colored yellow on system maps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Square</span> Public square in central Shanghai

People's Square is a large public square in the Huangpu District of Shanghai. It is south of Nanjing Road (West) and north of Huaihai Road (East).

<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 for the 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.

<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">Line 14 (Shanghai Metro)</span> Line of Shanghai Metro

Line 14 of the Shanghai Metro is an east-west metro line opened on 30 December 2021. The line, consisting of 31 stations, starts from Fengbang town in Jiading District, and terminate in Jinqiao town in Pudong New Area via Zhenru, Jing'an Temple, Dashijie, and Lujiazui. Its total length is 39.1 kilometres (24.3 mi), and passengers are able to transfer to 13 existing and planned metro lines. Due to Line 14 cutting across some of the densest areas of Shanghai and being a relief line for line 2, high ridership is expected for the line. As such the line uses high capacity 8 car A size trains similar to lines 1 and 2. The line uses an automatic train control system jointly developed by Thales and Shanghai Electric. Line 14 is fully driverless. The line is colored olive on system maps.

<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 636 metres (2,087 ft), but it was redesigned mid-construction due to airspace regulations so its height does not exceed 500 metres (1,640 ft) above ground level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longhua Pagoda</span> Building in China

Longhua Pagoda (龙华塔) is an octagonal wood and brick pagoda located in Xuhui District, Shanghai, East China. It is thought to have been first built during the Three Kingdoms period, but the existing tower structure was built during the Northern Song dynasty. The pagoda underwent several renovations over various dynastic periods, which resulted in the addition of several architectural features that were not in the typical style of the Song dynasty. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, these later additions were removed and rebuilt in the Song dynasty style. Because of this, the pagoda has now been largely restored to its original appearance. The pagoda was twice established as a Shanghai Cultural Site Under State Protection, once on 26 May 1959 and again on 7 December 1997. On 25 May 2006, it was declared by the State Council to be among the sixth group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National 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">Qiantan International Business Zone (Shanghai)</span> Financial district of Shanghai, China

Qiantan International Business Zone (Shanghai) (simplified Chinese: 上海前滩国际商务区; traditional Chinese: 上海前灘國際商務區; pinyin: Shànghǎi Qiántān Guójì Shāngwùqū) also called the New Bund, is a newly built International Business Zone in Qiantan, Pudong, Shanghai, China, lying to the south of the former Expo 2010 site next to the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. It is known as Shanghai's "second Lujiazui" as the Secondary Central business district developing close to Lujiazui. It will be developed specifically as another new financial district of Shanghai, but will focus more on overall urban functionality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing Olympic Tower</span> Tourist observation tower opened in 2015

The Beijing Olympic Tower is located on Kehui South Road, part of the Olympic Green in the Chaoyang District of Beijing, China. Construction began in 2011, three years after the 2008 Summer Olympics; it was completed in 2014, and opened on August 8, 2015. It is used strictly for observation; there is no provision for offices or apartments. The design was by a Chinese firm, China Architecture Design & Research Group; a Shenzhen architect alleged that the architects at the firm had plagiarized an award-winning earlier design of his.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda</span> Building in Inner Mongolia, China

Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda, commonly referred to as Baita or White Pagoda is a large pagoda located in Saihan District, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.

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

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. SkyscraperPage - Oriental Pearl Tower
  3. "Oriental Pearl Tower". SkyscraperPage .
  4. "Emporis building ID 103802". Emporis . Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. 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)
  6. 1 2 3 张, 添翼 (November 24, 2018). "【上海印记】魔都地标!东方明珠电视塔是如何建成的?". 上海发布. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  7. "Oriental Pearl Tower". Sunspire Photography. July 13, 2014.
  8. 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.
  9. 1 2 3 ""东方明珠":上海广播电视塔". 上海通. October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  10. 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.
  11. ""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.
  12. "5A级景区". 中华人民共和国文化和旅游部. 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  13. "Oriental Pearl Tower". Sunspire Photography. July 13, 2014.
Preceded by Tallest Structure in China
1994–2007
Succeeded by