[photopress:real_estate_Shanghai_World_Financial_Center.jpg,full,alignright]When work began on the Shanghai World Financial Center in 1997, the most famous Japanese real estate developer, Minoru Mori, knew he had to aim high to make his mark. And by the time of the groundbreaking it seemed as though his team had struck on the right plan.
It was to be the world’s tallest building, at 1,614 feet, or 492 meters. Within months of the groundbreaking of the Shanghai World Financial Center a financial crash struck Asia and work was halted on the Finance Center. Nothing happened for five years except that other buildings around the world started to go for the record.
The new champion was in Taiwan, Taipei 101, a 1,671-foot structure. In fact, if you are counting rooftops the Shanghai building is taller but it all seems a rather pointless bit of boasting.
The Shanghai building was originally designed to have 94 floors but extra floors have been added. No longer relevant. A 2,300-foot structure is now being built in Dubai.
Still it has happened and people involved are proud. Liu Xue, a pipe fitter working on the project said, ‘It’s a symbol of the speed of China’s development. It’s for office workers, not people like us, and I may never come here again once it’s finished. But I’ll always be able to point to it, and tell my children about it.’
Source: International Herald Tribune
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