Taipei 101

Taipei Financial Center (nicknamed Taipei 101台北101 Chinese, Pinyin Taibei yīlíngyī, English "one- o -one" spoken ) is the name of a skyscraper in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

Description

The Taipei 101 was the tallest skyscraper in the world (without antennae or masts ) until it was replaced by the shell of the Burj Khalifa in early 2007, which reached its final height of 828 meters in early 2009. With 508 meters, Taipei 101 towers ( named after its 101 floors ) far above the city skyline. In addition to the 101 above-ground floors, there are five underground. With the highest accessible floor, the building replaced the 1974 completed Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower named ) in Chicago as of yet the Willis Tower is 19 meters higher by its antenna with a total of 527 meters.

Since the Burj Khalifa has a mixed use ( apartments, a hotel and offices) remained Taipei 101, the tallest office building in the world. Since the construction of One World Trade Center in New York City in 2014, it is the second tallest office building in the world, as well as the fifth tallest skyscraper in the world.

The official inauguration took place in 2004 New Year's Eve; on 1 May 2003 the President of Taiwan celebrated the establishment of the highest floor. The first tenants were already drawn into the lowest floors.

The 89th floor is the internal observation deck; also in the 91st floor is an output. At the foot of the skyscraper is the largest shopping mall in Taiwan.

The building has the fastest elevators in the world. With approximately 16.8 meters per second (60 km / h) are brought visitors to the 89th floor, with about 10 m / s (36 km / h) it comes back. Each elevator has cost about two million dollars.

Construction

The basement levels 2-5 are provided for utility tasks. This includes parking for 1839 cars and 2990 scooter. At levels 1 and 6 shops and recreational facilities are located. Levels 7-84 accommodate offices, 86 to 88 restaurants, 89, 91 and 101 views opportunities and 92-100 telecommunications facilities. In the 88th to 92nd floor of a steel ball with a diameter of 5 m is suspended as a vibration on steel cables. It has hydraulic damping elements and weighs 660 tonnes. In addition, there are in the antenna two 4.5 ton mass damper, reduce these vibrations, which can lead to fatigue of the structure.

The building stands on a foundation of 9,000 tonnes of steel and 35,000 tons of concrete, resting on 557 concrete piers. Towards the top, the building each two columns bear on every corner, 3 m long and 2.6 m wide. These columns are made of steel ( hollow) was internally reinforced and filled with concrete. You reach the level 67 Higher pass the steel columns. The rigidity of the structure is achieved by transverse and longitudinal struts 16 that are fed to each floor 8. They form a two-story checkerboard pattern with nine fields.

Viewing platforms

Lifts over shopping center transport the visitor to the 89th level. Access to lying outdoor platform at the 91st level is done via a staircase. Access to the viewing platform is dependent on wind and weather conditions. Not accessible to visitors are the slender upper part of the building and the real peak.

Risks

In Taiwan meet the Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plate, so that Taiwan is one of the most active earthquake regions in the world, with over 4,000 earthquakes per year. In addition, annual grass up to nine typhoons on the island nation. That means it can withstand these loads, the support structure of a bamboo tube was modeled.

A 660 -ton gold plated, made ​​of individual slices steel ball is located between the 88th and 92nd floor with a diameter of 5.5 m, which counteracts with oil hydraulic damping elements to the fluctuations of the building. The maximum acceleration during storms is bisected by the damper about. Suspended on arm-thick steel cables it is currently the largest and the only publicly accessible Tilgerpendel ( vibration absorber ) in the world. Two other dampers, each with 4.5 tons of mass are located in the antenna design. They are designed to reduce vibrations, which lead to fatigue of the steel structure.

To increase the fire resistance, all the pillars of the building were covered with fire -resistant special foam. With the extinguishing water in building a competition swimming pool could be filled two and a half times.

Earthquake

Maximum credible emergency is a severe earthquake that can occur in Taipei about every five years. Here it is sorted from the skyscrapers to evacuate about 10,000 people.

On March 31, 2002, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 (magnitude ) with the epicenter 110 km south-east distance to Taipei shook the east coast of Taiwan. Two construction cranes rushed down from the 56th floor. Five people died, the two crane operator as well as motorists whose cars were hit by parts of buildings. Then, the entire structure of the building has been verified, but no damage was found in the base structure. The construction work continued six months later.

The earthquake of 19 December 2009, shortly after 21 clock local time addressed to no damage.

Construction according to tradition

The pagoda- like design of the building is based on the Chinese tradition. For example, the 8, a Chinese lucky number, always resumed. Also, the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai is constructed according to the shape of the 8. Moreover, the building was built according to Feng Shui. Tenants are protected by traditional Chinese understanding from negative influences. In addition to Chinese lucky coins that are oversized great to see on the facade of the building, protected from bad businesses. Furthermore, it should remember the design of a bamboo.

Chief architect of the building is Chang Yong Lee. The construction of the comprehensive 120.000 m² glass facade in 16,000 elements took over the German company Josef Gartner GmbH, Gundelfingen.

Construction costs

Miscellaneous

• The address is: Taipei 101 - Songzhi Road 8/Xinyi Road - Xinyi District - Taipei - Taiwan ( ROC) (in Chinese中华民国(台湾)台北市 信义 区 西 村里 信义 路五段7号)
• Although the Taipei 101 was 508 meters after its opening as the tallest skyscraper in the world, he was still of another skyscraper, Willis Tower with 527 meters, nominally dominated in Chicago. At Willis Tower, the antennas were included in the altitude, although this does not count for the official height, as they are not recognized as part of the building structure of the world relevant Commission Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ( CTBUH ). Thus, the Willis Tower officially only 442 meters high. The metal tip of the Taipei 101 is, however, considered after the definition of the CTBUH height, so was the Taipei 101 as a higher building. In the term structure, the Commission always defined the absolute level, which means that the Willis Tower is not one as the taller buildings, but as a higher building. As building and television towers, masts and chimneys are ranked, but which are not considered in listing of the tallest buildings. Without his top of Taipei 101 with 448 meters would still be just higher than the Willis Tower.
• The Austrian base jumper Felix Baumgartner jumped on 13 December 2007 first, without permission, from Taipei 101
• At the turn of a spectacular, more minute firework display from the various floors of the building, which attracts hundreds of thousands of onlookers. Since Taipei is one of the first cities due to its location, each celebrating the new year, the pictures of the fireworks are commonly sent in the coverage of the European media and can also be found on YouTube.
• Depending on wind strength varies the peak by up to 1.30 meters.
• Every year at the Taipei 101 instead of a flight of stairs leading over 2046 steps to the viewing platform on the 91st floor of the building.
• In the 33rd floor of the building there is the German diplomatic mission in Taiwan, the German Institute Taipei.