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We told you about Shanghai's skyscraper envy. Now, the World Financial Center has barely been completed but our wonderful city has already announced plans for yet another skyscraper that will dwarf it. Two days ago, the all-authoritative Xinhua produly proclaimed that the new building, which is to be named Shanghai Center (we are unsure if this has any relation to the existing Shanghai Center) will be the world's tallest at 580 meters and 118 stories. According to them, that's 72 meters higher than the Taipei 101 Tower, currently the tallest building in Asia at 508 meters and "25 meters higher than the 555-meter-tall Burj Dubai skyscraper, which is still under construction".
555 meters? As far as we understand, the developers behind Burj Dubai are keeping the final height of the building tightly under wraps, because they don't want anyone else to steal their thunder. A more likely answer to the mystery is 807.7m (see picture above from China Daily) which has often been bandied about. At almost 300 meters taller than Taipei 101, that is upping the ante quite a bit, and still they're not leaving anything to chances!
But that doesn't mean China won't spring any surprise to make sure it will maintain bragging rights. As far as we can tell, the officials seem to be just as secretive about their latest project and we have seen too many conflicting reports on both the Chinese and English internet to be sure what's true and what's not. Compare for instance the artist's impression above to the ones below:
Photos from xmnext.com via sohu.com
The building on the left is supposed to be designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and the one on the right is supposedly by New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox. Whoever it is, we are assuming the second design lost its bid because nobody is going to trust any architectural firm that can get the relative heights of the Jinmao versus the WFC so, so wrong!
More on Shanghai Center from China Daily
:Taking up 20,300 sq m, the Shanghai Center is expected to house offices, hotels and shopping malls as well as recreational facilities, complementing the two neighboring buildings with more office space for financial institutions and companies as the district sees an increasing inflow of foreign capital.According to a recent survey on office requirements of foreign firms in Shanghai conducted by Mori Building Co, office quality is becoming increasingly important when financial companies seek expansion. The survey also found that Lujiazui remains the most popular office location in Shanghai.
"Competition over the world's tallest building seems inevitable as the city moves steadfastly to become a world-class financial center," Michiho Kishi, deputy general manager of public relations at Mori Building Co, the real estate developer behind SWFC, told China Daily.
Related links:
Xinhua: Construction of high-rise "Shanghai Center" to start
Xinmin Evening News: 上海中心预计上半年奠基 高度几何尚无定论(图)
China Daily: Shanghai draws up plan for nation's tallest building
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come on china, you can do it ^_^
That's what Shanghai needs, the world's tallest, most vacant office building. Discovery Channel already had a senior engineer discussing the "half mile" building which is Burj Dubai.
Those new Shanghai tall buildings will make great targets for Xiong Feng missiles from Taiwan.
1) Both designs are rather ugly and don't fit with the current Shanghai skyline.
2) There is no way Shanghai will ever have the world's tallest building. I doubt the Burj Dubai will be overtaken within any of our lifetimes and for good reason: it is a very ugly, worthless building, a testament to misspent oil money.
3) Hoping to finish construction by 2010 is a pipe dream.
4) Xiong Feng missiles don't have the range to make it to Shanghai. Nice try though.
5) They are ruining a perfectly good driving range to build something in this plot.
4) Xiong Feng missiles don't have the range to make it to Shanghai. Nice try though.
The Xiong Feng II and III do, with the III able to reach Shanghai.
Incorrect.
The XF IIE is a cruise missile with an estimated, very short 200km range. Taiwan is 650km from Shanghai. The IIE was designed to strike military targets, primarily airfields, in Fujian province. The XF III is an anti-shipping missile.
To further refute your above statement, Taiwanese Vice Defense Minister Ko Chen-heng was quoted ten days ago in Yomiuri Shimbun saying that Taiwan's missiles "aren’t intended to strike civilian targets such as in Shanghai and Hong Kong".
Nanhe 0: MIB 2
you know i aint a fan of the PRC. but youre as tiresome as those knee-jerk defenders of the PRC.
me 1000, china blogosphere 0
stupid expats
iht.com/articles/2007/09/28/asia/taiwan.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage
Brave Wind 3
globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/hf-3.htm
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology Second Institute is engaged in follow-up research and development projects, including preparatory research and development of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship and/or land attack cruise missile weapon system, concerning which few details have been made public.
In January 2005 it was reported that Taiwan successfully test-fired the Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile. Several Hsiung Feng III missiles were fired from southern Taiwan in the direction of the Pacific in December 2004 in the presence of Defense Minister Lee Jye. The missile has been under development for a decade and failed several early tests
The Hsiung Feng III has a range of 300 kilometers (187.5 miles), enough to hit China, 160 kilometers (100 miles) across the Taiwan Strait. The new missile is believed to outperform a similar weapon in China's arsenal, the Russian-made Sunburn.
Brave Wind 2E
globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/hf-2.htm
Hsiung Feng II-E (Brave Wind)
In 2001 it was reported that a land attack cruise missile, designated Hsiung Feng 2E, based on the HF-2, has a range of 1,000km. Though only in its development stages, the HF-2E will be a major advance for Tai-wan. For the first time, Taiwan will be able to attack targets as far away as Shanghai.
On 05 June 2005 it was repoted that Taiwan had successfully test fired its first long range cruise missile. The exact date of the test was unclear, though there was speculation that it may have been in March 2005. The Hsiung Feng cruise missile, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, was reported to have a range of 1,000 kilometers. Defense Minister Lee Jye witnessed the test firing of the missile from Jiupeng / Chiupeng military base in southern Pingtung county. The missile flew more than 500 kilometers before hitting its target.
A small number of the cruise missiles were expected to enter pilot production in late 2005 or early 2006. The Hsiung Feng cruise missile still needs to have its terminal-guidance technology enhanced. Several years may be needed before Taiwan can begin mass production of the missile. Taiwan is striving to build up its capabilities to counter the missile buildup of China, which had targeted the island with at least 700 ballistic missiles by 2005.
In August 2005 The China Times reported that Taiwan had begun deploying home-made cruise missiles on mobile launchers that are capable of hitting major military targets in southeast China. The Hsiung Feng missiles, said to have a range of 1,000 kilometers (600 miles), were deployed by the defense ministry's new Missile Command. The missiles were said to cost some 100 million Taiwan dollars (3.13 million US) apiece. Taiwan reportedly successfully test-fired its first cruise missile earlier this year which flew over 500 kilometers before hitting its target.
In August 2005 The China Times reported that the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, was developing cruise missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers for further deployment.
The Ministry of National Defense spokesman referred to these media reports as a "sheer fabrication"
Wow! You both are impressive. You've turned a discussion about China's tallest building into a debate about the range of Taiwanese missiles. You're both about as far off topic as the Burj Dubai is going to be tall.