Shanghai is often referred to as the New York of the East. Indeed, today this city is a major business and economic center, and with its number of modern business centers and high-rise towers, it can compete with the American Big Apple. One of the main attractions of Shanghai is the Jin Mao Tower. What is interesting about this building, how was it built and can it be visited today?
Modern technology and tradition
Jin Mao's skyscraper was built with the help of American architects. Construction began in 1994. And already 4 years later, on August 28, 1998, the grand opening took place. The tower began to fully function in 1999. At the time of completion, this skyscraper was the fourth tallest in the world. Only the Willis Tower in Chicago (1974), the World Trade Center in New York (1971, destroyed in 2001), and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) surpassed it. Jin Mao remained the tallest building in Shanghai until 2008, when the Shanghai World Financial Center was built in the city. In spite ofultra-modern look, the tower is made in full accordance with the traditions of the East. Take a closer look at it, even visually you can see some resemblance to a pagoda - a traditional Chinese building.
Magic number
In Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered a sign of prosperity. It is not surprising that it was it that was used to calculate all the main proportions in such a majestic structure. The skyscraper has only 88 floors (together with the belvedere - 93). Jin Mao's tower is divided into 16 segments by height, each of which is 1/8 less than the base. The central concrete frame of the structure has 8 corners, it is surrounded by 8 composite columns and the same number of external steel ones. Thanks to this architecture, in the general plan, the building looks like a giant ear of corn. But, of course, the designers did not specifically seek to give it such a resemblance, but only relied on Eastern traditions. An interesting fact is that a number consisting of eights was also chosen for the grand opening of the tower - 1998-28-08.
The secret of sustainability and design features
In the construction of high-rise buildings, great attention is paid to compliance with safety rules and standards. A typical feature of Shanghai is the unsatisfactory quality of the topsoil. At the base of the skyscraper there are 1062 steel pillars, the piles go into the ground to a depth of 83.5 meters. At the time of the tower's construction, this is a record figure for traditional ground construction in the world. The foundation is surrounded by a concrete wall 1 meter thick, going 36 meters deep.meters. The design of the Jin Mao skyscraper is thought out to the smallest detail and meets all safety standards. The building is able to withstand hurricane winds up to 200 m/s, as well as earthquakes up to 7 points on the Richter scale. On the 57th floor, there is a swimming pool that acts as a shock absorber, and steel columns have moving parts.
Jin Mao: height and other important characteristics
The total height of the skyscraper is about 420 meters (93 floors). However, do not worry: you can go up and down very quickly. The tower has 61 high-speed elevators, moving at a speed of 9.1 m / s, the trip from the first to the last floor will take only 46 minutes. The builders of the skyscraper also prepared an interesting surprise: all the signs in the cabins are in Chinese, but there will be no difficulties with understanding. Since in addition to the inscriptions on the wall of the elevators, you can see a graphic drawing of the tower, in the contour of which a luminous dot moves, depicting the elevator and clearly demonstrating to passengers their location. Inside the skyscraper there is an atrium - a central inner circular space with a diameter of 27 meters and a height of 142 meters. Its total length is from 56 to 87 floors. There are 28 corridors around the free space, as if in a spiral.
What's inside?
Jin Mao Toweris not only a business center, but also a luxury hotel. The first two floors are occupied by the elite Grand Hyatt hotel, where its hall and banquet halls are located. Floors 3 to 50 are offices, followed by two technical floors, and floors 53 to 87 are the main area of the hotel complex. For the convenience of visitors, the tower has only 3 entrances, two of which lead to offices, and one to the hotel. There is an observation deck on the 88th floor, which offers a breathtaking view of the city, and above (in the spire) there are two more technical floors. The Grand Hyatt 5is a modern hotel complex that has everything you need for life and recreation. Of course, living there is not cheap. If desired, it is easy to find a less expensive accommodation option within walking distance of the majestic skyscraper.
Observation deck
Skywalk is a place available for tourists to visit. The total area of the observation deck is 1.5 km2, about 1000 people can comfortably accommodate here at a time. Through the panoramic windows you can see the whole city at a glance. From a bird's eye view, Shanghai is not at all the same as from the ground. The business center quarter looks like toy houses, and even the local Oriental Pearl TV tower does not look too huge. On the panoramic windows you can read the names of major cities and the distance to them from your current location. But if these impressions are not enough for you, do not forget to look down - at the atrium of the hotel. Attention: it makes sense to visit the observation deckonly in good weather. On days when the spire of a skyscraper is not visible because of the clouds, it is pointless to spend time on such an excursion. You can visit the attraction daily from 08:30 to 21:00. The tour is paid, but believe me, its cost justifies the experience. On the observation deck, there is usually an active trade in all kinds of souvenirs, but do not rush to make purchases here: in the city's "ground" shops, all this will cost less.
Golden Prosperity
The interiors of the skyscraper amaze with their respectability and abundance of all shades of gold. And no wonder, because "golden prosperity" is the literal translation of Jin Mao's name. The construction of the skyscraper was carried out in compliance with all the traditions of the East and using the latest developments. As a result, we can see an incredibly beautiful and reliable building, which will soon celebrate its twentieth anniversary. How to get on the tour and where is the Jin Mao Tower? It is better to take a photo of this sight “in growth” from afar. The skyscraper is located in the Pudong area, the nearest subway station is Lujiazui.
