Wednesday, November 26, 2008

taipEi 101


TAIPEI 101
Taipei 101 (traditional Chinese; simplified Chinese; pinyin: Táiběi Yīlíngyī; Wade-Giles: T'ai-pei I-ling-i; POJ: Tai-pak yat-leng-yat) is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building, designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture and Samsung Engineering & Construction, is the world's tallest completed skyscraper according to the CTBUH, the arbiter of tall building height. Taipei 101 received the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2004. It has been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (Discovery Channel, 2005).
The building contains 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. Its postmodern style combines Asian and international modern and traditional elements. It is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts, and the tower appears frequently in films, television shows, print publications, anime media, games, and other elements of popular culture.[citation needed]
The name of the tower reflects its location in Taipei's international business district (101 mailing code) as well as its floor count. (See also "Symbolism" below.) The number is pronounced in English simply as One Oh One and in Mandarin and other local languages by the equivalent.
Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center (traditional Chinese: 臺北國際金融中心; pinyin: Táiběi Guójì Jīnróng Zhōngxīn).
Taipei 101 was overtaken in height on 2007-08-21 by the Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE, upon the completion of that building's 141st floor . As of November 2008, the title of "world's tallest building" still rests with Taipei 101, as international architectural standards define a "building" as a structure capable of being fully occupied. The Burj Dubai will claim the title upon its completion, which is expected in September 2009.

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