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SHANGHAI — China's tallest building, the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre, will open to the public on Saturday, 14 years after its developer began the project.
The 1,614-foot building had once been expected to be world's tallest, but others surpassed it during its long construction. The Burj Dubai claimed the title in July, 2007. Though still under construction, it already stands at more than 1,800 feet – its final height a closely guarded secret.
Previously, Taiwan's Taipei 101 had been the tallest, with spires that reach 1,667 feet. The tallest building in the United States, the Sears Tower in Chicago, comes in at 1,451 feet. Before they were destroyed in the Sept, 11, 2001, attacks, the World Trade Center towers both topped 1,360 feet. The Freedom Tower being planned for the site will measure 1,776 feet when it's completed in 2011.
From the Shanghai World Financial Centre's top-floor observation deck – which Japanese property tycoon Minoru Mori says is the world's highest – visitors have a dizzying view to ground level through transparent patches of flooring and a sweeping panorama of Shanghai.
The silver spire of the 1,381-foot Jinmao Tower next door, formerly the city's tallest building, lies far below.
Mr. Mori acquired the Shanghai site in 1994 and began piling work in 1997 – just as the Asian financial crisis hit. The land sat idle until 2003.
Associated Press
