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Oriental Pearl Tower

Coordinates: 31°14′30.01″N 121°29′40.98″E / 31.2416694°N 121.4947167°E / 31.2416694; 121.4947167
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the tower in Shanghai. For the skyscraper in Manila, see Pearl of the Orient Tower.
Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
东方明珠广播电视塔
The Oriental Pearl Tower in March 2012
Map
General information
TypeCommunication, hotel, observation, restaurant
LocationShanghai
Coordinates31°14′30.01″N 121°29′40.98″E / 31.2416694°N 121.4947167°E / 31.2416694; 121.4947167
Construction startedJuly 30, 1991; 33 years ago (1991-07-30)
CompletedNovember 18, 1994; 30 years ago (1994-11-18)
OpenedMay 1, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-05-01)
Height
Antenna spire468 m (1,535 ft)
Top floor351 m (1,152 ft)
Technical details
Floor countEquivalent of a 103 story building
Lifts/elevators6
Design and construction
Architect(s)Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd.
DeveloperShanghai Oriental Group Co. Ltd.

The Oriental Pearl Tower[a] is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai. Built from 1991 to 1994, the tower was the tallest structure in China until the completion of nearby World Financial Center in 2007. It's status as Shanghai's first AAAAA tourist attraction, the tower's unique architecture, height, and fifteen observation decks have made it a cultural icon of the city.

Architecture

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The bottom-most sphere and its foundations.

The top floor of the Oriental Pearl tower is at 351 metres (1,200 ft), which, combined with its 137 metres (450 ft) antenna, makes the tower 468 metres (1,500 ft) tall.[1] The tower was the tallest freestanding structure in China and Asia from 1994 to 2007, but was later surpassed by Canton Tower in Guangzhou.[2][3]

Foundation

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Located in Lujiazui on the banks of the Huangpu River, the Oriental Pearl Tower stands directly opposite of the Bund.[4] Due to the area's soft soil, large concrete pillars were planted deep within the ground. Steel pipes and plates provided additional support. This technology was later used in nearby Jin Mao Tower.[5]

Spheres

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Three large spherical platforms are connected by three pillars and an elevator in-between. According to its designers, the design, which reflects the culture of Shanghai, was inspired by "Pipa xing", a poem by Tang poet Bai Juyi.[6] The spheres, which were constructed using an integral steel framework, are covered by concrete tiles and laminated red glass panes.[7]

Observation levels

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One of the glass floors.

The tower has fifteen observatory levels. Lower levels house amenities including a revolving restaurant, indoor roller coaster, and museums. Several levels, including the highest one, have panoramic glass floors.[6] There is also a 20-room hotel, named the Space Hotel, between the two large spheres.[8]

History

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Planning

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An initial idea of building a new TV tower in downtown Shanghai in order to increase capacity and replace older infrastructure was introduced in a broadcast on August 25, 1983. On November 17 of the same year, the plan was refined and presented in Shanghai Media Group's sixth five-year plan. The tower was planned to be 400 metres (1,300 ft).[9]

On March 25, 1984, the idea was formally proposed to the city congress, which chose a site site in Lujiazui, an area rapidly developing due to economic reform. The decision was made official by the Shanghai Radio and Television Bureau on August 23.[9]

In October 1986, the final proposal, which included a raise in the tower's planned height to 468 metres (1,535 ft), was submitted to the National Planning Commission, which approved it in January of the following year.[9]

In September 1988, a total of 12 designs from three firms were received. East China Architectural Design Institute's "Oriental Pearl" design was selected.[9]

Construction and opening

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The tower under construction.

On July 30, 1991, the tower's foundation was laid and construction began.[10][11] On December 14, 1993, the tower's body was cappied. On Labour Day of the following year, the antenna was installed after 11 days of ascension.[6] On National Day, interior facilities were completed began operating, marking the end of construction.[9][10]

The Oriental Pearl Tower opened to the public a year later, and its first broadcast, which contained five TV programs and radio, was made.[4][6]

Impact

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Comparison of the Oriental Pearl Tower with the world's seven tallest towers

Awards

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In 1995, 15 foreign heads of government visited the tower.[4] A year later, another 35 foreign heads of government and 30 groups of foreign minister-level government officials visited the tower.[4] The tower has been included in numerous lists, including "Top Ten New Landscapes in Shanghai",[12] "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai",[13] and the list of AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China.[14]

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A Russian stamp depicting the tower.

Since its opening, the Oriental Pearl Tower has been a cultural icon of Shanghai. The tower has been depicted in various artworks and media and attracts millions of tourists yearly.[15]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ simplified Chinese: 东方明珠电视塔; traditional Chinese: 東方明珠電視塔; pinyin: Dōngfāng Míngzhū diànshì tǎ; Shanghainese: Tonfån Mintsythah

References

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  1. ^ 贾宝良 (2005). 世纪韵律 (in Chinese). 五洲传播出版社. ISBN 978-7-5085-0744-6.
  2. ^ "Oriental Pearl Tower". SkyscraperPage.
  3. ^ "Emporis building ID 103802". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d ""东方明珠"：上海广播电视塔". 上海通. October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  5. ^ Gong, Jian; Fang, Tingchen; Zuo, Junqing (January 2022). Wang, Xiuling (ed.). "A Review of Key Technologies Development of Super High-Rise Building Construction in China". Advances in Civil Engineering. 2022 (1). doi:10.1155/2022/5438917. ISSN 1687-8086. ProQuest 2623775105.
  6. ^ a b c d "【记忆】建筑可阅读："大珠小珠落玉盘"的东方明珠塔，是如何建造的？". The Paper. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Schuster, Miriam (November 19, 2022). Characterization of Laminated Safety Glass Interlayers: Thermorheology, Crystallinity and Viscoelasticity. Springer Nature. p. 1. ISBN 978-3-658-39821-7.
  8. ^ Randl, Chad (May 15, 2008). Revolving Architecture: A History of Buildings That Rotate, Swivel, and Pivot. Princeton Architectural Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-1-56898-681-4.
  9. ^ a b c d e 上海改革开放40年 : 那些年, 我们的故事. 上海市档案局(馆), 上海老新闻工作者协会编 (Di 1 ban ed.). Shanghai. 2018. ISBN 978-7-208-15187-1. OCLC 1083305320.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. ^ a b 康, 小兰 (April 9, 2010). "东方明珠电视塔：亚洲第一高塔". 国务院新闻办公室网站. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ 上海画报出版社 (2000). 上海十大新景观 (in Chinese). 上海: 上海画报出版社. ISBN 9787805301785.
  13. ^ ""上海新十大地标建筑"评选揭晓". 中国建筑文化研究会. January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  14. ^ "5A级景区". 中华人民共和国文化和旅游部. 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  15. ^ A Readable Wukang Building: A Case Study on Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST). doi:10.1007/978-3-031-49536-6_1.
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Preceded by Tallest Structure in China
1994–2007 		Succeeded by
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