Shanghai will open the world’s third-tallest skyscraper to the public tomorrow (August 30th 2008) , 14 years after the project began. Total investment in the 101-story, 492-meter-high landmark project, located in Pudong’s Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, amounts to over eight billion Yuan (1.16 billion U.S. dollars).
Some Interesting facts about the Burj Dubai:
Seeking to set it apart from your average slate-grey skyscraper, MAD designed the SinoSteel Plaza to be “natural, organic and futuristic.” Situated in Tianjing near BoHai Bay, the complex comprises two structures: a 1,174 foot tower and an adjacent hotel.
Each building’s elegant white façade plays an integral role in its energy efficiency: “By mapping the different air flows and solar direction across the site, we were able to position different sized windows accordingly, minimizing heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.” The façade also acts as the building’s main structural support, which allows the interior spaces great flexibility for the types of use they can accommodate.
Construction is currently underway and the complex will be completed in 2011.
