Shanghai prepares to debut world's highest observatory

Shanghai will officially become home to the world’s highest observatory on Friday as the sightseeing facility in the Shanghai World Financial Center (WFC) opens its doors to the public, the South China Morning Post reported. The observatory sits 474 meters above ground on the 100th floor of the 101-storey building. The WFC – the world’s third-tallest skyscraper – is the brainchild of Japanese real estate tycoon Minoru Mori and has taken more than 10 years to build, following disruptions caused by the Asian financial crisis and Sino-Japanese political tensions. Mori, the company founder, insisted that the global financial crisis would not hit demand for office space in the WFC. The first tenants moved in earlier this month and the occupancy rate is 45%, higher than had been predicted. The building’s management expects the occupancy rate to reach 90% within a year on the back of strong growth in the Shanghai economy.