A SILVERY pagoda, a rising bamboo shoot, an upright pen. These are images evoked by the 88-storey Jin Mao Building in Pudong, the tallest skyscraper in China and a soaring monument to Shanghai's economic boom.
Jin Mao represents the energy and determination of the people of Shanghai.
The design of this gently tapered building also embodies China's history and culture. First, it is a modern evocation of an ancient pagoda. Second, the building frequently incorporates the number of eight, which the Chinese consider lucky, throughout the structure.
Jin Mao has 88 floors and an octagon floor plan. It was topped out on August 28 last year and completed on August 28 this year. The 420.5-metre-tall building is an engineering triumph. Many technological breakthroughs were required to erect it. The builders drove 1,062 steel pipes as far as 83.5 metres down -- the longest steel piles ever used in a land-based building -- and poured a four-metre-thick concrete base 19.6 metres under the ground to support the building.
Experts said Jin Mao can withstand big typhoons as well as earthquakes measuring up to seven on the Richter scale. The top of the building can sway by an estimated maximum of 75 centimetres during the strong winds.
As well as deep foundations, the skyscraper has impact-absorbing mechanisms. Its steel shafts have shear joints that can cushion the lateral forces imposed by winds and quakes, and a swimming pool on the 57th floor can also disperse some force.
The building has the largest basement wall in China, one metre thick, 36 metres high and 568 metres long. It used 20,500 cubic metres of reinforced concrete. The basement can provide parking for up to 600 vehicles.
Jin Mao is sheathed in glass and a framework of aluminum alloy pipes that give the facade a silvery patina. The top level is an observatory deck for sightseers. Two high-speed elevators can send up to 35 people straight to the 88th floor in 45 seconds. Grand Hyatt Shanghai, a five-star hotel, occupies the 53rd to 87th floors. The lower floors are for offices, retail and dining outlets.
There is also a six-storey annex for conference, exhibition and recreation. It is said that when the building is in full use, it will be frequented by over 100,000 people a day. There are 61 elevators and 19 escalators throughout the building.
The 555-room Grand Hyatt is poised to become the world's tallest hotel when it opens March 1999. Its upper floors are higher than the top globe on the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The luxury hotel. designed to cater to international business travellers, has a 31-storey atrium lobby, another highest in the world.
Featuring modern art decor and traditional Chinese imagery, all guestrooms have stunning views and the most spacious in the city, averaging more than 40 square metres.
The rooms are equipped with interactive TV with Internet access, games and on-line financial information; two phone lines and a voice mail message system. The white marble bathroom has two showers with a heated mirror so you can shave while in a shower. The bathtub is by the window to provide natural light during the day and spectacular views at night.
There are seven floors of Regency Club rooms and suites and an impressive, two-storey-high lounge for Regency Club guests with a panoramic view of the city's famous waterfront and jagged skyline. The 87th floor is for an elegant, fine-dining restaurant.
A collection of restaurants and bars are located on the 56th floor where Cantonese, Japanese, Italian and other cuisines are served.