Oriental Pearl Tower
Encyclopedia
The Oriental Pearl Tower is a TV tower in Shanghai
, China
. The Oriental Pearl Tower is located at the tip of Lujiazui
in the Pudong
district, by the side of Huangpu River
, opposite of The Bund
.
It was designed by the Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. Principal designers are Jiang Huan Chen, Lin Benlin and Zhang Xiulin. Construction began in 1990 and the tower was completed in 1994. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it was the tallest structure in China
(excluding Taiwan
; see Taipei 101
) from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center
. The Oriental Pearl Tower belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.
On 7 July 2007, Oriental Pearl Tower was host to the Chinese Live Earth concert
.
The entire building is supported by three enormous column
s that start underground.
at the 267 m (876 ft) level. The project also contains exhibition facilities, restaurants and a shopping mall. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres.
, broadcasting TV and radio programs, extends the construction by another 118 m (387 ft) to a total height of 468 metres (1,535 ft).
poem Pipa Song by Bai Juyi about the wonderful sprinkling sound of a pipa
instrument, like pearl
s, big and small falling on a jade
plate (大珠小珠落玉盘/大珠小珠落玉盤/dà zhū xiǎo zhū luò yù pán). However, the designer Jiang Huancheng says that he did not have the poem in mind when designing the tower. It was the chief of the jury board who said it reminded him of that poem.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The Oriental Pearl Tower is located at the tip of Lujiazui
Lujiazui
Lujiazui is an important financial district in Pudong, Shanghai. In 2005 the State Council reaffirmed the positioning of the 31.78 km² Lujiazui area, as the only finance and trade zone among the 185 state-level development zones in mainland China.-Economy:...
in the Pudong
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
district, by the side of Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
, opposite of The Bund
The Bund
The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District...
.
It was designed by the Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. Principal designers are Jiang Huan Chen, Lin Benlin and Zhang Xiulin. Construction began in 1990 and the tower was completed in 1994. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it was the tallest structure in China
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...
(excluding 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...
; see Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
) from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai World Financial Center
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...
. The Oriental Pearl Tower belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.
On 7 July 2007, Oriental Pearl Tower was host to the Chinese Live Earth concert
Live Earth concert, Shanghai
The Live Earth concert in China was held at Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai on 7 July 2007.-Running order:*Evonne Hsu - "Love on July 7", "Lost in Venice", "I" *Anthony Wong - "The Little Prince", "The Season", "Venus"...
.
The spheres in the tower
The tower features 11 spheres, big and small. The two largest spheres, along the length of the tower, have diameters of 50 m (164 ft) for the lower and 45 m (148 ft) for the upper. They are linked by three columns, each 9 m (30 ft) in diameter. The highest sphere is 14 m (46 ft) in diameter.The entire building is supported by three enormous column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s that start underground.
Observation levels
The tower has fifteen observatory levels. The highest (known as the Space Module) is at 350 m (1148 ft). The lower levels are at 263 m (863 ft) (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 m (295 ft) (Space City). There is a revolving restaurantRevolving restaurant
A revolving restaurant is a usually tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the revolving floor. The revolving rate varies between one and three times...
at the 267 m (876 ft) level. The project also contains exhibition facilities, restaurants and a shopping mall. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres.
Antenna spire
An antennaAntenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
, broadcasting TV and radio programs, extends the construction by another 118 m (387 ft) to a total height of 468 metres (1,535 ft).
Chinese symbolism in the design
The design of the building is said to be based on a verse of the Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
poem Pipa Song by Bai Juyi about the wonderful sprinkling sound of a pipa
Pipa
The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments . Sometimes called the Chinese lute, the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 12–26...
instrument, like pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s, big and small falling on a jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
plate (大珠小珠落玉盘/大珠小珠落玉盤/dà zhū xiǎo zhū luò yù pán). However, the designer Jiang Huancheng says that he did not have the poem in mind when designing the tower. It was the chief of the jury board who said it reminded him of that poem.
2010 fire
On April 13, 2010 the antenna at the top of the 468m tower caught fire at around 2 am. The fire was then put out by firefighters. Prior to the fire there were a series of thunderstorms.See also
- List of the world's tallest structures
- List of towers
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
