Chief architect of Shanghai Tower draws up blueprint for Shanghai

Interestingly, there is a hidden story to tell about the Shanghai Tower, which is the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world. “At first, our design for the Shanghai Tower was 680 meters," said Marshall. The site of the Shanghai Tower is in the centre of Lujiazui, near the Jinmao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center. To form a harmonious relationship among the three skyscrapers, the final decision was to set the height at 632 meters. Shanghai World Financial Center is 71.5 meters taller than the Jinmao Tower, while the Shanghai Tower is 140 meters taller than the World Financial Center. The differences in height form a visually perfect arc. As Marshall said, “What was beautiful about the planning of Shanghai Tower is that it was not about being the tallest. It was about being the right size for Shanghai and the right building at the right time. Who knows, in 20 years Shanghai may have another satellite CBD and build a 1,000-meter tower. But for now, it was about building the right building for Shanghai at the right height.”

In Marshall’s eyes, the Shanghai Tower is a synonym for future and plays a unique role. “Jinmao is about China’s past. It is a skyscraper that takes the decoration of a pagoda and applies it to the skin. So it is a stainless steel pagoda. It represents the history of China. SWFC was built by a Japanese developer. It represents China’s present, a present that is opening up to foreign investment. And the third building of the three represents China’s future. So the three buildings - past, present and future - form what we call ‘The Three Brothers.’ The Shanghai Tower is all about being sustainable. I think President Xi has said,“Gold mountains and silver mountains are not as nice as green mountains and clear waters.” I don’t know the exact quote but I think it is very beautiful. So the idea is to create a future-looking building promoting sustainability where everything on the building works, from an esthetic point of view to a cost-reduction point of view.”