Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower | |
---|---|
东方明珠广播电视塔 | |
General information | |
Type | Communication, hotel, observation, restaurant |
Location | Shanghai |
Coordinates | 31°14′30.01″N121°29′40.98″E / 31.2416694°N 121.4947167°E |
Construction started | July 30, 1991 |
Completed | November 18, 1994 |
Opened | May 1, 1995 |
Height | |
Antenna spire | 468 m (1,535 ft) |
Top floor | 351 m (1,152 ft) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | Equivalent of a 103 story building |
Lifts/elevators | 6 |
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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).
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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."
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