Jin Mao Building, Shanghai

Jin Mao Building is a symbolic architecture of Shanghai marching to the 21st century. It is the first tallest in the country and third tallestin the world, hosting the tallest hotel ever built. With an east-meets-west design signifying Shanghai's emergence as a modern global city, Jin Mao follows the multi-use paradigm, offering retail at its base, offices above, and the Grand Hyatt's World's Highest Hotel occupying the upper 38 floors.

The building is designed by US architectural firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill, and was built by the Shanghai Jian Gong Group, the first Chinese national construction group to tackle such a large and significant project. The Jin Mao Building is a luxurious complex which combines office space with commercial space, a shopping mall, and entertainment functions. The three basement levels house electric facilities, service facilities, parking spaces and a food court.

The building is a superb design, combining elements of traditional Chinese architecture and a gothic influence to produce this amazingly modern building. Architects designed the building around the theme of the Chinese pagoda and the number eight. The lowest segment of the building is sixteen stories high and each succeeding segment is 1/8th smaller than its predecessor.

Two elevators with a speed of 9.1 m/sec. are working to transport visitors in seconds from the first basement to the sightseeing floor. Here, looking around and to the far distance, one can have a whole view of new Shanghai.