Oriental Pearl Tower
| Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower | |
|---|---|
东方明珠广播电视塔 | |
 The Oriental Pearl Tower in March 2012 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Communication, hotel, observation, restaurant |
| Location | Shanghai |
| Coordinates | 31°14′30.01″N 121°29′40.98″E / 31.2416694°N 121.4947167°E / 31.2416694; 121.4947167 |
| Construction started | July 30, 1991 (1991-07-30)[1] |
| Completed | November 18, 1994 (1994-11-18)[2] |
| Opened | May 1, 1995 (1995-05-01) |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 468 m (1,535 ft) |
| Top floor | 351 m (1,152 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | Equivalent of a 103 story building |
| Lifts/elevators | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. |
| Developer | Shanghai Oriental Group Co. Ltd. |
| References | |
| [3][4] | |
The Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower[a] is a TV tower in Shanghai. It is located on the banks of the Huangpu River, in Lujiazui, Pudong, opposite of the Bund. Since its opening in 1995, the tower has become a major tourist attraction and a cultural icon of Shanghai.
History
Planning
An initial idea of building a new TV tower in downtown Shanghai in order to increase capacity and replace older infrastructure was introduced in a broadcast on August 25, 1983. On November 17 of the same year, the plan was refined and presented in Shanghai Media Group's sixth five-year plan. The tower was planned to be 400 metres (1,300 ft).[5]
On March 25, 1984, the idea was formally proposed to the Shanghai Congress, which was approved later that year. After investigation, the site of the new tower was chosen in Lujiazui, an area that was rapidly developing due to economic reform. The decision was made official by the Shanghai Radio and Television Bureau on August 23 of the same year.[5]
In October 1986, the final proposal, which included a raise in the tower's planned height to 450 metres (1,480 ft), was submitted to the National Planning Commission, who approved the finalized proposal in January of the following year.[5]
In September 1988, three design firms submitted 12 designs for the tower. The "Oriental Pearl" design, created by the East China Architectural Design Institute, was selected.[5] The design featured three large spherical platforms and nine smaller observation decks, connected with three pillars and an elevator. According to the firm, the design was inspired by "Pipa xing" by Tang poet Bai Juyi and represented the culture of Shanghai.[6]
The lowest and largest sphere contains a museum and shopping center. Inside the middle sphere is a revolving restaurant. The highest sphere features a panoramic glass floor.[7]
Construction and opening
On July 30, 1991, the tower's foundation laid and construction began.[8]
On December 14, 1993, the tower's body, which measured 350 metres (1,100 ft), was capped. On Labour Day of the following year, the steel antenna with a length of 110 metres (360 ft) and a weight of 450 metric tons (500 short tons) was installed after 11 days of ascension.[6] On October 1 of the same year, the ground floor interior was completed and various facilities began operating. Construction was marked as completed.[5][8]
A year later, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, and the tower was officially opened to the public.[9] Later that day, the tower made its first broadcast, which contained five TV programs and radios.[6]
Awards
In 1995, 15 foreign heads of government visited the tower.[9] A year later, another 35 foreign heads of government and 30 groups of foreign minister-level government officials visited the tower.[9]
The tower has been included in numerous lists, including "Top Ten New Landscapes in Shanghai",[10] "Top Ten New Landmarks in Shanghai",[11] and the list of AAAAA Tourist Attractions of China.[12]
Observation levels
The tower has fifteen observatory levels. The highest (known as the Space Module) is at 351 metres (1,150 ft). The lower levels are at 263 metres (863 ft) (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 metres (300 ft) (Space City). There is a revolving restaurant at the 267 metres (876 ft) level. The project also contains exhibition facilities and a small shopping center. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres. The upper observation platform has an outside area with a 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) glass floor.[13]
Gallery
- Looking up at the Oriental Pearl Tower
- Oriental Pearl Tower in the evening
- The Oriental Pearl tower at night
- Oriental Pearl in the clouds at night
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Shanghai
- List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
- List of the world's tallest structures
- List of towers
Notes
- ^ simplified Chinese: 东方明珠电视塔; traditional Chinese: 東方明珠電視塔; pinyin: Dōngfāng Míngzhū diànshì tǎ; Shanghainese: Tonfån Mintsythah
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ SkyscraperPage - Oriental Pearl Tower
- ^ "Oriental Pearl Tower". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ "Emporis building ID 103802". Emporis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b c d e 上海改革开放40年 : 那些年, 我们的故事. 上海市档案局(馆), 上海老新闻工作者协会编 (Di 1 ban ed.). Shanghai. 2018. ISBN 978-7-208-15187-1. OCLC 1083305320.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c 张, 添翼 (November 24, 2018). "【上海印记】魔都地标！东方明珠电视塔是如何建成的？". 上海发布. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Oriental Pearl Tower". Sunspire Photography. July 13, 2014.
- ^ a b 康, 小兰 (April 9, 2010). "东方明珠电视塔：亚洲第一高塔". 国务院新闻办公室网站. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c ""东方明珠"：上海广播电视塔". 上海通. October 28, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ 上海画报出版社 (2000). 上海十大新景观 (in Chinese). 上海: 上海画报出版社. ISBN 9787805301785.
- ^ ""上海新十大地标建筑"评选揭晓". 中国建筑文化研究会. January 6, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "5A级景区". 中华人民共和国文化和旅游部. 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ "Oriental Pearl Tower". Sunspire Photography. July 13, 2014.
External links
- Official website
Geographic data related to Oriental Pearl Tower at OpenStreetMap
