Chinese Taipei Archive

Shin Kong Life Tower

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Shin Kong Life Tower (Chinese: 新光人壽保險摩天大樓) is one of the tallest buildings in Taiwan at 51 stories 244.76 metres (803.0 ft). The rose-coloured skyscraper topped by a pyramid stands in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. Its first twelve floors and two underground floors house a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store; the remaining floors provide office space and serve as headquarters for the Shin Kong Life Insurance Company. The tower stands across Zhongxiao Road from Taipei Main Station near the Asiaworld Department Store.

The Shin Kong Life Tower was Taiwan’s tallest building when it opened in 1993. In 1997 it was surpassed by the Tuntex 85 Sky Tower in the city of Kaohsiung. Both were overtaken in height by Taipei 101 in 2004.

 

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Tuntex Sky Tower

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Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower or 85 Skytower (the Tuntex & Chien-Tai Tower; Chinese: 高雄85大樓), is an 85-floor skyscraper located in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high. An antenna pushes the building height to 378 m (1,240 ft). The building was constructed from 1994 to 1997. It is the tallest in Kaohsiung, and was the tallest in Taiwan until the completion of Taipei 101. It replaced the Shin Kong Life Tower (244.2 m (801 ft)) as the tallest building in Taiwan when it was completed in 1993.

The tower has an unusual ‘prong’ design with two separate 39-floor sections, which merge into a single central tower rising to a spire. This unique design leaves a substantial space below the central part of the tower. The design was inspired by the Chinese character Kao (or Gao 高), meaning "tall," and also the first character in the city’s name.

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Taipei 101

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Taipei 101 (traditional Chinese: 台北101 / 臺北101), also known as the Taipei Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building was the world’s tallest (with occupiable floors) until it was surpassed in height by the Burj Khalifa on July 21, 2007. The skyscraper was officially the tallest building until the opening of the Burj Khalifa on the 4th of January 2010. Taipei 101, designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture and South Korean Samsung C&T received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award and was hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (Discovery Channel, 2005). The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year’s Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.

Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The name of the tower reflects its floor count and carries symbolic meanings alluding to technology and Asian tradition (see "Symbolism" below.) Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.

 

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