Chang-Gu World Trade Center
Encyclopedia
The Chang-Gu World Trade Center , also known as Grand 50 Tower, is a 222 meters (728 ft) tall skyscraper
in Sanmin District
of Kaohsiung
, Taiwan
. It was completed in 1992 and was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners. It has 50 floors, the first building in Taiwan to have 50 floors or over, note the alternative name.
After its completion in 1992, the Chang-Gu World Trade Center became the tallest building in Taiwan
. However, it only kept this title for 6 months when the Shin Kong Life Tower
in Taipei
was completed in early 1993. It kept the title as the tallest building in Kaohsiung for 5 years until the completion of the Tuntex Sky Tower
in 1997. The building is currently the 188th tallest building in the world.
The building follows a Chinese
pagoda
style and has an octagonal base to be stable against high winds which are typical in Taiwan as it is prone to typhoons. During the buildings test phase, it was tested to pressures equivalent of wind speeds in excess of 300 mph. It was also tested to withstand earthquake
s which are commonplace in Taiwan.
The buildings crown follows the same perimeter as the rest of the building however it stands on an elaborate, thin base. The underside of the crown is lit up at night however the rest is not. The top is home to the Grand 50 Club which is managed by the Peninsula Group based in Hong Kong
. The Grand 50 Club is known as a prestigious night-spot.
The building contains a car park with 280 spaces available. This located underneath the building, covering five underground floors. The atrium
is 21 stories high and is clad in Spanish
granite
. At the top of the building is a helicopter
pad.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Sanmin District
Sanmin District
Sanmin District is a district of Kaohsiung city in southern Taiwan.-External links:*...
of Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It was completed in 1992 and was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners. It has 50 floors, the first building in Taiwan to have 50 floors or over, note the alternative name.
After its completion in 1992, the Chang-Gu World Trade Center became the tallest building in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. However, it only kept this title for 6 months when the Shin Kong Life Tower
Shin Kong Life Tower
Shin Kong Life Tower is one of the tallest buildings in Taiwan at 51 stories . The rose-coloured skyscraper topped by a pyramid stands in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. Its first twelve floors and two underground floors house a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store; the remaining floors provide...
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
was completed in early 1993. It kept the title as the tallest building in Kaohsiung for 5 years until the completion of the Tuntex Sky Tower
Tuntex Sky Tower
Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower or 85 SKYTOWER , is an 85-floor skyscraper located in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is high. An antenna pushes the building height to...
in 1997. The building is currently the 188th tallest building in the world.
The building follows a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
style and has an octagonal base to be stable against high winds which are typical in Taiwan as it is prone to typhoons. During the buildings test phase, it was tested to pressures equivalent of wind speeds in excess of 300 mph. It was also tested to withstand earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s which are commonplace in Taiwan.
The buildings crown follows the same perimeter as the rest of the building however it stands on an elaborate, thin base. The underside of the crown is lit up at night however the rest is not. The top is home to the Grand 50 Club which is managed by the Peninsula Group based in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The Grand 50 Club is known as a prestigious night-spot.
The building contains a car park with 280 spaces available. This located underneath the building, covering five underground floors. The atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
is 21 stories high and is clad in Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. At the top of the building is a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
pad.
External links
- Emporis.com - Building ID: 122156
- Skyscraperpage.com
- 2Bangkok.com - Pictures available on site.
- Turner Construction - involved in the construction of the tower.