Taipei 101

Template:Good article Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox building Template:Infobox Chinese Template:Infobox Chinese The Taipei 101 (Template:Zh; stylized in all caps),Template:R formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a 508 m (1,667 ft), 101-story skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. It is owned by Taipei Financial Center Corporation. It was officially classified as the world's tallest building from its opening on 31 December 2004, until it was dethroned by the Burj Khalifa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Upon completion, it became the world's first skyscraper to exceed half a kilometer. It is the tallest building in Taiwan and the eleventh tallest building in the world.<ref name = Bor /><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The building's high-speed elevators were manufactured by Toshiba of Japan and held the record for the fastest in the world at the time of completion, transporting passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds (attaining Template:Cvt).<ref name = Bor>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn In 2011, Taipei 101 was awarded a Platinum certificate rating under the LEED certification system for energy efficiency and environmental design, becoming the tallest and largest green building in the world.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The structure regularly appears as an icon of Taipei in international media, and the Taipei 101 fireworks displays are a regular feature of New Year's Eve broadcasts and celebrations.

Taipei 101's postmodernist architectural style evokes traditional Asian aesthetics in a modern structure employing industrial materials. Its design incorporates a number of features that enable the structure to withstand the Pacific Ring of Fire's earthquakes and the region's tropical storms. The tower houses offices, restaurants, shops, and indoor and outdoor observatories. The tower is adjoined by a multilevel shopping mall that has the world's largest ruyi symbol as an exterior feature.

History

Planning

In 1997, led by developer Harace Lin, the Taipei Financial Center Corporation, a team led by several Taiwan banks and insurance companies, won the rights to lease the site for 70 years and develop a building, placing the winning bid of NT$20,688,890,000 for the Build Operate Transfer agreement with the city government.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>

Construction

Planning for Taipei 101 began in July 1997Template:R during Chen Shui-bian's term as Taipei mayor. Talks between merchants and city government officials initially centered on a proposal for a 66-story tower to serve as an anchor for new development in Taipei's 101 business district. Planners were considering taking the new structure to a more ambitious height only after an expat suggested it, along with many of the other features used in the design of the building. It was not until the summer of 2000 that the city granted a license for the construction of a 101-story tower on the site. In the meantime, construction proceeded and the first tower column was erected in the summer of 2001.<ref name="Report13">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="NYT">Keith Bradsher. Taiwan Close to Reaching a Lofty Goal Template:Webarchive. The New York Times. 11 January 2004. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

A major earthquake struck Taiwan on 31 March 2002, sending a construction crane falling from the 56th floor to Xinyi Road. The crane crushed several vehicles and caused five deaths – two crane operators and three workers who were not properly harnessed. However, an inspection showed no structural damage to the building, and construction work was able to restart within a week.<ref name="SED">Template:Cite book</ref>

Taipei 101's roof was completed three years later on 1 July 2003. Taipei 101 was completed in 2004. The construction was a joint venture led by Kumagai Gumi, a Japanese construction company, in cooperation with Samsung C&T, a South Korean construction company. Samsung C&T was responsible for overseeing the construction of the main structural framework, and RESE was responsible for the construction logistics and main foundation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ma Ying-jeou, in his first term as Taipei mayor, fastened a golden bolt to signify the achievement.Template:R The formal opening of the tower took place on 31 December 2004. President Chen Shui-bian, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng cut the ribbon. Open-air concerts featured a number of popular performers, including singers A-Mei and Stefanie Sun. Visitors rode the elevators to the Observatory for the first time. A few hours later the first fireworks show at Taipei 101 heralded the arrival of a new year.<ref>Taipei 101 Mall thronged on opening day Template:Webarchive. Taiwan: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan). 21 March 2003. Retrieved 25 March 2014.</ref><ref>Stacy Hsu. New building may put an end to the Taipei 101 New Year's Eve fireworks Template:Webarchive. The Taipei Times. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref><ref>New year ushered in by having a blast Template:Webarchive. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan). 7 January 2005. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref> It replaced the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur as the world's tallest building.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Post-construction

The Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) announced plans on 2 November 2009 to make Taipei 101 "the world's tallest building" by summer of 2011 as measured by LEED standards. The structure was already designed to be energy-efficient, with double-pane windows blocking external heat by 50% and recycled water meeting 20–30% of the building's needs. LEED certification would entail inspections and upgrades in wiring, water and lighting equipment at a cost of NT$60 million (US$1.8 million). Estimates showed the savings resulting from the modifications paid for the cost of making them within three years.<ref name=":1" /> The project was carried out under the guidance of an international team composed of Siemens Building Technologies, architect and interior designer Steven Leach Group and the LEED advisory firm EcoTech International.<ref name="http://www.buildingtechnologies.siemens.com/bt/global/en/Pages/home.aspx">LEED certified: The tallest "green" building in the world Template:Webarchive. Siemens Building Technologies.</ref> The company applied for a platinum-degree certification with LEED in early 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 28 July 2011, Taipei 101 received LEED platinum certification under "Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance". Although the project cost NT$60 million (US$2.08 million), it is expected to save 14.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, or an 18% energy-saving, equivalent to NT$36 million (US$1.2 million) in energy costs each year.<ref name=":1" /> In 2019, it was named among the 50 most influential skyscrapers in the world by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 4 January 2020, the building had a condolence message in lights for the victims of a helicopter crash, which included a number of senior government officials.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 8 February 2020, it was reported that some passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise liner, quarantined for an outbreak of COVID-19, had visited Taipei 101 on 31 January at which point none exhibited symptoms.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 1 April 2020, the shopping center said it was reducing business hours due to the coronavirus pandemic.<ref name="Reference1C">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It had started checking shopper's temperatures in February.<ref name="Reference1C" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 21 May the building said it would resume normal business hours in June, as the country had effectively limited the spread of COVID-19.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Usages

Events and celebrity appearances

Taipei 101 is the site of many special events. Art exhibits, as noted above, regularly take place in the Observatory. A few noteworthy dates since the tower's opening include these below:

• On 25 December 2004, French rock and urban climber Alain Robert made an authorized climb to the top of the pinnacle in four hours.<ref>'Spiderman' scales tallest tower" Template:Webarchive. BBC News. 25 December 2005.</ref>
• On 28 February 2005, former President of the United States Bill Clinton visited and signed copies of his autobiography.<ref name="Clinton2005">Template:Cite news</ref>
• On 19 April 2005, the tower displayed the formula "E=mc²" in lights to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Einstein's theory of relativity. The display, the largest of 65,000 such displays in 47 countries, was part of the international celebration World Year of Physics 2005.Template:R
• On 20 November 2005, the First annual Taipei 101 Run Up featured a race up the 2,046 steps from floors 1 to 91. Proceeds were to benefit Taiwan's Olympic teams. Run Ups have continued to be held regularly.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• On 20 October 2006, the tower displayed a pink ribbon in lights to promote breast cancer awareness. The ten-day campaign was sponsored by Taipei 101's ownership and Estée Lauder.Template:R
• On 12 December 2007, Austrian BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner survived an unauthorized parachute jump from the 91st floor. Baumgartner was banned from re-entry into Taiwan and Taipei 101 increased security measures along with disciplining security staff for failing to intervene.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• On 6 December 2014, Japanese idol group HKT48 held a small concert on the 91st-floor observatory as the premiere of their tour in Taiwan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

New Year's Eve fireworks displays

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}The New Year's Eve Show in Taipei is held at the Taipei City Hall. Visitors have a view of Taipei 101 which is surrounded by fireworks at midnight.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another popular location for crowds to gather to see the fireworks display is the public square of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Architecture and design

Height

Various sources, including the building's owners, give the height of Taipei 101 as Template:Cvt, roof height and top floor height as Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt. This lower figure is derived by measuring from the top of a Template:Cvt platform at the base.<ref name="skyscraperCenter">Template:Ctbuh. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>Template:R CTBUH standards, though, include the height of the platform in calculating the overall height, as it represents part of the man-made structure and is above the level of the surrounding pavement.<ref name="criteria">CTBUH Height Criteria Template:Webarchive. CTBUH. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref><ref name="history">Height: The History of Measuring Tall Buildings Template:Webarchive. CTBUH. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref><ref name="change">CTBUH changes height criteria, Burj Dubai height increases Template:Webarchive. CTBUH. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref><ref name="AP">Taipei skyscraper deemed tallest Template:Webarchive. Associated Press. Paragraph abstract: The council measures from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the skyscraper's architectural top.</ref> Taipei 101 displaced the Petronas Towers as the tallest building in the world by Template:Cvt.Template:R<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The record it claimed for greatest height from ground to pinnacle was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is Template:Cvt in height. Taipei 101's records for roof height and highest occupied floor briefly passed to the Shanghai World Financial Center in 2008, However, this record was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2009.Template:RTemplate:R

Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building, at Template:Cvt as measured to its architectural top (spire), exceeding that of the Petronas Towers, which were previously the tallest skyscraper at Template:Cvt. The height to the top of the roof, at Template:Cvt, and highest occupied floor, at Template:Cvt, surpassed the previous records of the Willis Tower: Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt, respectively.<ref name=emporis>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>Template:R It also surpassed the 85-story, Template:Cvt Tuntex Sky Tower in Kaohsiung as the tallest building in Taiwan and the 51-story, Template:Cvt Shin Kong Life Tower as the tallest building in Taipei.<ref name="DIT">Ai-Li, Jian & Neng-You, Wang. 與天爭高，心意最重要 新光摩天大樓 Template:Webarchive. 閱讀臺北. Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government. April 2009, Vol. 486. (Chinese).</ref><ref>List of skyscrapers in Taiwan Template:Webarchive. SkyscraperPage. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground, as well as five basement levels. The first building to break the half-kilometer mark in height,Template:R it was the world's tallest building from 31 March 2004 to 10 March 2010 (six years)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> until it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in 2010. For 12 years it also had the fastest elevator, at Template:Convert. It also has the largest wind damper in the world, at 18 feet across.<ref name="Reference1A">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 2023, Taipei 101 is the eleventh-tallest building in the world, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's official rankings.<ref name=":0" />

Structural design

Taipei 101 is designed to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors that are common in the area in the east of Taiwan. Evergreen Consulting Engineering, the structural engineer, designed Taipei 101 to withstand gale winds of Template:Convert, (Template:Cvt), as well as the strongest earthquakes in a 2,500-year cycle.<ref name=brochure>Observatory brochure, Floor 89, Taipei 101. 17 August 2007.</ref>

Taipei 101 was designed to be flexible as well as structurally resistant, because while flexibility prevents structural damage, resistance ensures comfort both for the occupants and for the protection of the glass, curtain walls, and other features. Most designs achieve the necessary strength by enlarging critical structural elements such as bracing. Because of the height of Taipei 101, combined with the surrounding area's geology—the building is located just Template:Cvt away from a major fault line<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>—outrigger trusses, located at eight-floor intervals, connect the columns in the building's core to those on the exterior.Template:R

These features, combined with the solidity of its foundation, made Taipei 101 one of the most stable buildings ever constructed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The foundation is reinforced by 380 piles driven Template:Cvt into the ground, extending as far as Template:Cvt into the bedrock. Each pile is Template:Cvt in diameter and can bear a load of Template:Convert.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Motioneering designed a Template:Convert<ref>VISCOUS DAMPERS FOR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS Template:Webarchive. Indian Institute of Technologies. Retrieved 24 August 2015.</ref><ref>CTOT commemorates Canada and Taiwan ingenuity Template:Webarchive. China Post. Retrieved 24 August 2015.</ref><ref>Canadian wind dampers hold sway over world's tallest condos Template:Webarchive . The Canada Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 August 2015.</ref> steel pendulum that serves as a tuned mass damper, at a cost of NT$132 million (US$4 million).<ref name="TMD">Tuned Mass Damper Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref> Suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor, the pendulum sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. The tuned mass damper is visible to all visitors on the 88th floor upwards until the 92nd floor. It can reduce up to 40% of the tower's movements.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its ball, the largest damper ball in the world, consists of 41 circular steel plates of varying diameters, each Template:Cvt thick, welded together to form a Template:Convert ball. Two additional tuned mass dampers, each weighing Template:Convert, are installed at the tip of the spire which help prevent damage to the structure due to strong wind loads.Template:R<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 8 August 2015, strong winds from Typhoon Soudelor swayed the main damper by Template:Convert—the largest movement ever recorded by the damper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The damper has become such a popular tourist attraction that the city contracted Sanrio to create a mascot: the Damper Baby. Four versions of the Damper Baby ("Rich Gold", "Cool Black", "Smart Silver" and "Lucky Red") were designed and made into figurines and souvenirs sold in various Taipei 101 gift shops. Damper Baby has become a popular local icon, with its own comic book and website.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Binder">Template:Cite book</ref>

Structural facade

Taipei 101's characteristic blue-green glass curtain walls are double paned and glazed, offer heat and UV protection sufficient to block external heat by 50%, and can sustain impacts of Template:Convert.Template:R The facade system of glass and aluminum panels installed into an inclined movement-resisting lattice contributes to overall lateral rigidity by tying back to the mega-columns with one-story high trusses at every eighth floor. This facade system is, therefore, able to withstand up to Template:Cvt of seismic lateral displacements without damage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The facade system is also known as a Damper.

The original corners of the facade were tested at RWDI in Ontario, Canada. A simulation of a 100-year storm at RWDI revealed a vortex that formed during a 3-second Template:Convert wind at a height of 10 meters, or equivalent to the lateral tower sway rate causing large crosswind oscillations. A double chamfered step design was found to dramatically reduce this crosswind oscillation, resulting in the final design's "double stairstep" corner facade.<ref name="SnarkyNomad 2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Architect C.Y. Lee also used extensive facade elements to represent the symbolic identity he pursued. These facade elements included the green tinted glass for the indigenous slender bamboo look, eight upper outwards inclined tiers of pagoda each with eight floors, a ruyi and a money box symbol between the two facade sections among others.<ref>Structuremag.org. Taipei 101 the worlds tallest building Template:Webarchive. 6 June 2005.</ref>

Taipei 101's own roof and facade recycled water system meets 20–30% of the building's water needs. In July 2011, Taipei 101 was certified "the world's tallest green building" under LEED standards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Symbolism

The height of 101 floors commemorates the renewal of time: the new century that arrived as the tower was built (100+1) and all the new years that follow (1 January = 1-01). It symbolizes lofty ideals by going one better on 100, a traditional number of perfection. The number also evokes the binary numeral system used in digital technology.<ref name=":4" />

The main tower features a series of eight segments of eight floors each. In Chinese-speaking cultures the number eight is associated with abundance, prosperity and good fortune.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="FSnumber">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The repeated segments simultaneously recall the rhythms of an Asian pagoda (a tower linking earth and sky, also evoked in the Petronas Towers), a stalk of bamboo (an icon of learning and growth), and a stack of ancient Chinese ingots or money boxes (a symbol of abundance). Popular humor sometimes likens the building's shape to a stack of take-out boxes as used in Western-style Chinese food; of course, the stackable shape of such boxes is likewise derived from that of ancient money boxes.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The four discs mounted on each face of the building where the pedestal meets the tower represent coins. The emblem placed over entrances shows three gold coins of ancient Chinese design with central holes shaped to imply the Arabic numerals 1-0-1.<ref name=":4" /> The structure incorporates many shapes of squares and circles to symbolize yin and yang.<ref name=":4">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Curled ruyi figures appear throughout the structure as a design motif. Though the shape of each ruyi at Taipei 101 is traditional, its rendering in industrial metal is plainly modern. The ruyi is a talisman of ancient origin associated in art with heavenly clouds. It connotes healing, protection and fulfillment. It appears in celebrations of the attainment of new career heights.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Internet Archive">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The sweeping curved roof of the adjoining mall culminates in a colossal ruyi that shades pedestrians.<ref name="Internet Archive"/> Each ruyi ornament on the exterior of the Taipei 101 tower stands at least Template:Cvt tall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

At night the bright yellow gleam from its pinnacle casts Taipei 101 in the role of a candle or torch upholding the ideals of liberty and welcome. From 6 to 10 p.m.,<ref>Lights Schedule Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref> the tower's lights display one of seven colors, according to a weekly schedule.<ref>Lighting Timetable Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

Day	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Color	violet	red	orange	yellow	green	blue	indigo

From 26 February to 6 March 2022, the typical colors were replaced by blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The adjoining Taipei 101 on the east side connects the landmark further with the symbolism of time. The design of the circular park doubles as the face of a giant sundial. The tower itself casts the shadow to mark afternoon hours for the building's occupants. The park's design is echoed in a clock that stands at its entrance. The clock runs on wind power drawn from the building's wind shear.<ref>Public signage placed at Taipei 101 clock.</ref>

Taipei 101, like many of its neighboring buildings, exemplifies the influence of feng shui philosophy. An example appears in the form of a large granite fountain at the intersection of Songlian Road and Xinyi Road near the tower's east entrance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A ball at the fountain's top spins toward the tower. As a work of public art the fountain offers a contrast to the tower in texture even as its design echoes the tower's rhythms. The fountain also serves a practical function in feng shui philosophy. A T intersection near the entrance of a building represents a potential drain of positive energy, or ch'i, from the structure and its occupants.<ref>T for Two – Two Feng Shui Tips for T-Intersections Template:Webarchive.</ref><ref>dreaded T-intersection and cul-de-sac Template:Webarchive.</ref> Placing flowing water at such spots is thought to help redirect the flow of ch'i.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:R

Interior

File:Taipei 101 Mall view 2019.jpg

Taipei 101 Mall

Two restaurants have opened on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony's, which offers European-style seafood and steak, and 85TD, which offers Chinese style cuisine. Occupying all of the 86th floor is Taiwanese high-class buffet restaurant Template:Ill.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Din Tai Fung, several international dining establishments and retail outlets also operate in the adjoining mall. The multistory retail mall adjoining the tower is home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. The mall's interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions.<ref name="FS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Floor directory

A tenant directory is posted in the first floor's lobby (visible from the Xinyi entrance). The number 4 is considered an unlucky number in Chinese culture, so instead the 44th floor is renamed the 43rd, and the actual 43rd floor becomes 42A.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 1 January 2011, the highest occupied office floor (excluding the observatory and restaurants) was 75. The building appears to be at least 70% occupied at this point. The 92nd through 100th floors are officially designated as communication floors, although it is unknown if there are any radio or TV stations currently broadcasting from the top of Taipei 101. The 101st floor indoor/outdoor rooftop observatory opened to the public on 14 June 2019.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> The top 92-100 floors are labeled as communications floors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Elevator

File:Tallest Buildings in the World 2020.png

Taipei 101, first from right, compared with other tallest buildings

The double-deck elevators built by the Japanese Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC) set a new record in 2004 with the fastest ascending speeds in the world. At Template:Convert per hour, Template:Cvt per second, or 1,010 m/min,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the speed of Taipei 101's elevators is 34.7% faster than the previous record holders of the Yokohama Landmark Tower elevator, Yokohama, Japan, which reaches speeds of Template:Cvt per second (45 km/h, 28 mph). Taipei 101's elevators transport visitors from the fifth floor to the 89th-floor observatory in 37 seconds.Template:Efn Each elevator features an aerodynamic body, full pressurization, state-of-the art emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system. The cost for each elevator is NT$80 million (US$2.4 million).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2016, the title for the fastest elevator was taken away by the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Shortly after, the title for the world's fastest elevator was passed on yet again to the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Artworks

Many works of art appear in and around Taipei 101. These include: German artist Rebecca Horn's Dialog between Yin and Yang in 2002 (steel, iron), American artist Robert Indiana's 1-0 in 2002 and Love in 2003 (aluminum), French artist Ariel Moscovici's Between Earth and Sky in 2002 (rose de la claret granite), Taiwanese artist Chung Pu's Global Circle In 2002 (black granite, white marble), British artist Jill Watson's City Composition in 2002 (Bronze), and Taiwanese artist Kang Mu Hsiang's Infinite Life in 2013 (aluminum).<ref name=":2" /> Moreover, the Indoor Observatory hosts a regular series of exhibitions. The artists represented have included Wu Ching (gold sculpture), Ping-huang Chang (traditional painting) and Po-lin Chi (aerial photography).<ref name="eNewsletter">101季刊 eNewsletter Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

Floor plan

Levels	Purposes
101	Outdoor Observation Deck (Skyline 460/ Sky Top)
100	Mechanical
99
98
97
96
95
94
93
92			Tuned Mass Damper
91	Outdoor Observatory Deck (Sky Deck)
90	Mechanical
89	Indoor Observatory Deck (Sky View) / KafeD (Coffee Cafe) / Milksha (Bubble Tea Store) / Taipei 101 Souvenir Shop
88	Indoor Observatory Deck (Exit Floor) / Simple Kaffa Sola (Coffee Cafe)
87	Mechanical
86	Restaurant		A Joy
85			Diamond Tony's 101 Panorama, 85TD
84	High Zone Office
83			Morgan Stanley
82			Mechanical
81			Alliance Bernstein
80			CARDIF Assurance Vie, Taiwan Branch
79
78			CARDIF Assurances Risques Divers, Taiwan Branch
77			CIMB Securities Limited
76			CIMB Securities Limited, RBS Securities (Room C-D)
75
74			Mechanical
73			Google
72			BNP Paribas
71			BNP Paribas
70			ING Wholesale Bank
69
68			KPMG
67
66			Mechanical
65
64
63
62			Chien Yeh Law Offices
61			Boston Consulting Group (Unit F), Air China, KPMG, Natixis
60			Skylobby
59			Skylobby
58	Mid Zone Office		Mechanical
57			The Executive Centre / Amicorp
56
55			Legg Mason (Suite E), Bayer
54			Bayer / HSBC Securities (Taiwan) Corporation Limited
53			Bayer
52			HRnetOne
51			Winterthur Life (Taiwan Branch)
50			Mechanical
49			S&P Global
48			Bank of America
47			McKinsey & Company
46			Development Dimensions International, Canonical
45			Perkins Coie (Suite F), Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (Unit D)
44
43			Bank of America
42			Mechanical
41
40
39			French Office in Taipei
38			Volvo
37			The Executive Centre, Crimson Education, VF Corporation
36			Skylobby Taipei 101 Conference CenterTemplate:R Sui Business Lounge
35			Skylobby/ Rookie Shumai 35 VEGEtable (Restaurant)
34	Low Office Zone		Mechanical
33			German Institute Taipei
32
31
30			Nomura (Asset Management)
29			Bank of Communications (Taipei Branch)
28			DBS Bank
27			Korn Ferry (Room D-1), Morningstar
26			Mechanical
25
24			Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe C-1,
23			L'Oreal
22			L'Oreal
21			PPD, Inc. Unit A,
20			Jones Lang LaSalle
19
18			Mechanical
17
16
15			ANZ
14			ANZ
13			Coupang
12			Taiwan Stock Exchange
11			Taiwan Stock Exchange
10			Taiwan Stock Exchange
9			Taiwan Stock Exchange
8	Mechanical
7
6	Gymnasium
5	Taipei 101 Shopping Mall		Taipei 101 Observatory Ticket Entrance
4
3
2			Lobby
1
B1			Taipei 101/World Trade Center metro station (Exit 4)
B2	Parking Lot
B3
B4
B5

Observation deck

Taipei 101 features an indoor observation deck on the 88th and 89th floors, and two outdoor observation decks (91st floor and 101st floor), all offering 360-degree views and attracting visitors from around the world. The Indoor Observatory stands Template:Cvt above ground, offering a comfortable environment, large windows with UV protection, recorded voice tours in eight languages, and informative displays and special exhibits. Here, one may view the skyscraper's main damper, which is the world's largest and heaviest visible damper, and buy food, drinks and gift items. Two more flights of stairs take visitors up to the Outdoor Observatory. The Outdoor Observatories, at Template:Cvt and Template:Cvt above ground,Template:R<ref>Exploring Taipei – The heights, lights and sights of Taipei, Taiwan Template:Webarchive. Travel magazine. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref> is the second-highest observation deck ever provided in a skyscraper and the highest such platform in Taiwan.Template:R<ref>Jackie Lin. Shin Kong Tower Observatory to close by year-end Template:Webarchive. The Taipei Times. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

The Indoor Observatory is open thirteen hours a day (9:00 am–10:00 pm) throughout the week as well as on special occasions; the Outdoor Observatory is open during the same hours as weather permits. Tickets may be purchased on site in the shopping mall (5th floor) or in advance through the Observatory's website<ref>Floor Guide Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref> and allow access to the 88th through 91st floors via high-speed elevator.<ref>Observatory Visit Information Template:Webarchive. Taipei World Financial Center. Retrieved 25 March 2015.</ref>

In 2019, its 101 top floor opened for the first time to the public,<ref name="TopFloorOpens">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> starting 14 June with only 36 people given access each day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 91st-floor observatory used to be the highest floor that open to the public until 14 June 2019 when it was announced by the building's management team that the 101st floor (at 460 meters above sea level) will be opened to the general public, with a quota of 36 people per day and is subject to prior booking.<ref name="TopFloorOpens"/> Going onto the outdoor viewing platform requires safety equipment, such as a safety belt buckled to the railing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards

On its opening date, Taipei 101 was awarded the Emporis Skyscraper Award, coming in 1st place.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Taipei 101 was awarded the top award platinum rating, by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the globally recognized green building ranking system of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making the skyscraper the tallest energy conservation building in the world.<ref name="green">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2017, Taipei 101 was awarded the Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award (AREA).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Taipei 101 was awarded the CTBUH Skyscraper Award on the Performance award category.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of most expensive buildings
• List of tallest buildings in Taipei
• List of tallest buildings in Taiwan
• List of tourist attractions in Taipei
• Taipei Nan Shan Plaza

External links

• Taipei 101 Official Website
• Website for Vietnamese Template:Webarchive
• Taipei 101 Official Website – Observatory
• Taipei 101 Official Website – Mall
• YouTube – Taipei 101 New Year Fireworks 2005, 2007, 2008
• National Geographic Channel – Richard Hammond examines Taipei 101
• Consulting services by RWDI (wind engineering and emergency ventilation) and Motioneering (tuned mass damper)
• Megastructure Supports Taipei's 508-Meter 'Megatower' by Engineering News-Record, a weekly magazine by McGraw-Hill Construction of McGraw-Hill
• LEED Official Site
• C. Y. Lee Architects Office Official Website

Further reading

• Template:Osmway