Shanghai Tower: Spiraling Skyscraper To Be China’s Tallest

Architectural design firm, Gensler, will soon see their spiraling skyscraper design become a reality, as construction on the 632-meter tall building commences. Named the Shanghai Tower, it will steal the title of the world’s second tallest building from Toronto’s CN Tower, with the 707m Burj Dubai remaining in the top spot. The Shanghai Tower will reside in China’s rapidly developing Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone and will be China’s tallest skyscraper to date. The building will be highly focused on sustainability - unusual for China - with its rainwater funnel recycling system for flushing toilets and wind turbines (tucked beneath its parapet) to power the outer lighting. The super-tall structure will join existing towering neighbors, the Shanghai World Finance Center and Jin Mao Tower, in an area that was apparently predominantly farmland as recently as eighteen years ago. The complex design comprises nine cylindrical buildings stacked on top of each other, with a triangular outer shell enclosing the whole structure. Nine sky gardens will serve as public spaces for the patrons and staff of the businesses, cafes, restaurants and stores it will house upon completion in 2014.