The Shanghai Tower was finally officially completed at the weekend and is now in a 'final inspection phase' before it opens, although we are still waiting on the official opening date. But there is much to look forward to when the world's second tallest building does open its doors to the public.
Standing at 632 metres tall, the Tower is second only to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (828 metres), and dwarfs its Lujiazui neighbours the Jin Mao Tower (420 metres) and the Shanghai World Financial Centre (492 metres). The building's curves and twists that appear to reach for the sky are said to symbolise modern China’s emergence. Here are six things to look forward to from the 127-storey building.
1. A bird's-eye view of the city
The Tower will provide one of the best vantage points in the world with its 119th-storey observatory, surpassing the city's current highest offering from the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Visitors will be able to admire Shanghai’s cityscape and view the top of the Financial Centre and the Jin Mao, both previously the tallest buildings in Shanghai.
2. The Guanfu Museum Shanghai
Directly related to the Beijing Guanfu Museum that opened in 1996, the museum is renowned for its antiques and art collection. Owned by art collector Ma Weidu, the 37th floor museum occupies an area of 6,000sqm and showcases more than 500 historical artefacts collected by Ma.
Visitors here can expect gold pieces, antique furniture, Buddha sculptures and more. After exiting the museum, visitors will then be treated to the sight of a 480sqm enamel floor that has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest enamel hall. It reportedly took 134 craftsmen more than 300,000 hours to complete.
3. It will boast the world’s fastest elevator
The Tower may be the world's second highest, but being Shanghai it had to be first at something. It has the world’s speediest elevators, which travel at a rate of 18 metres per second. In other words, it would take only 55 seconds from the B2 level to reach the 119th floor observation deck of the tower. More than just speed, the three elevators designed by Mitsubishi will also feature an air pressure control system to prevent any strain on your ears.
4. There is a high security underground vault
Located 25 metres underground, the 7,000sqm Baoku Treasury will be China’s largest underground vault, housing precisely 18,698 private safe boxes that are said to have security measures stronger than some banks. These top security safes will also have environment controls in place to ensure that artworks and other items stored remain in the best possible condition.
5. There will be art exhibitions and performances
While no events have been announced yet, the facilities built in the Tower will allow Shanghai to establish itself as a top cultural destination. According to Shanghai Daily, the second floor of the Tower is said to have a ten metre high 2,000sqm room that can host concerts and film festivals, and the 126th floor will also serve as a site for exhibitions and performances.
6. You can do almost everything here
You can work, eat, shop and even sleep within those spiraling walls. The gigantic structure will feature nine separate vertical zones that consist of offices, retail outlets and parks that face the city, also known as sky gardens. It will also have a luxury hotel, an observatory, an entertainment floor and cultural spaces, not to mention the highest panoramic restaurant, hotel lobby and swimming pool.
Keep an eye on our blog for more information about the official opening of the Shanghai Tower.