Context to China's Legacy of Tall Building Development
ctbuh.org/papers
Title: Context to China’s Legacy of Tall Building Development
Author: Junjie Zhang, Chairman, ECADI
Subject: History, Theory & Criticism
Keywords: Commercial Economics Supertall
Publication Date: 2012
Original Publication: CTBUH Journal, 2012 Issue III
Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished
© Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Junjie Zhang Research: China’s History of Supertalls Context to China’s Legacy of Tall Building Development Modern supertall buildings have become one of the vital symbols of economic development and the urbanization progress in mainland China, as well as one of the major focuses of China’s construction industry. This paper reviews the context of modern supertall development in mainland China, evaluates development trends and stimuli, and analyzes evolving advancements. These factors will have a guiding significance on the future of Zhang Junjie China’s supertalls and its fast-growing cities.
Author The rise of supertall buildings in modern Zhang Junjie, Chairman Chinese architecture has a social context, as East China Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. (ECADI) well as an economic and cultural background. 3rd Floor, 151 Hankou Road Chinese ancestors relentlessly tried to conquer Huangpu District Shanghai 200002, China the highest mountains and the biggest rivers in t: +86 21 6321 7420 order to challenge the order of nature. In this f: +86 21 6321 4301 context, the Wooden Pagoda of Ying County, e: [email protected] www.ecadi.com Shanxi Province (see Figure 1), is a high-rise prototype. Built in 1095 and extended in 1195,
Zhang Junjie it rises to a height of 67 meters. Mr. Zhang Junjie graduated from the Department of Architecture at Tsinghua University with a Bachelor’s th Degree in Architecture and earned a Master’s Degree Since the beginning of the 20 century, in Business Administration from Ohio State University modern commercial cities in China in the United States. In 1986, he started his career in architectural design in the East China Architectural progressively emerged, and high-rise and Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd. (ECADI). He is supertall buildings developed as now Chairman of the Board of ECADI with multiple titles and positions in the Chinese architectural representations of the cities and their business community, including first-class registered architect, advancements. Ever since then, these buildings Figure 1. Wooden Pagoda of Ying County, Shanxi professor-level senior engineer, senior member of the Architectural Society of China and vice president have stepped onto the stage of history, province. © Gisling of the Architect Branch of the Architectural Society sustaining the glorious view of the flourishing of China. He has successfully directed the design of multiple types of large public buildings and complex forthcoming 100 years. Through analysis and research, the three designs for office buildings, finance buildings, confer- defining characteristics of each are building ence and exhibition centers, hotels, educational buildings and cultural buildings. In 1993, he was Supertall buildings in mainland China are height, GDP per capita in major cities, and the awarded the First Young Architects Award of the defined as buildings over 100 meters. number of completed projects. These Architectural Society of China. Afterwards, he won multiple National Excellent Design Awards. According to the Code of Fire Protection Design characteristics can be used to depict the of Tall Civil Buildings published in 1995, the criteria for the four periods: code specification identifies the minimum height of all tall buildings to be 100 meters. 1. Preparation Period: building heights are Editor’s Note: Thus, the Chinese construction industry sets below 100 meters; This paper is one of 100 meters as the minimum height for all 2. Germination Period: an emerging 115 papers supertall buildings. [Editor’s note: The CTBUH breakthrough with the first supertall included in the defines supertall as a building over 300 meters, but building height over 100 meters; proceedings of the this paper uses the Chinese definition.] 3. Development Period: building height CTBUH 9th World breaking through 200 meters; GDP per Congress in The developmental thread for modern capita in major cities reaches RMB5,000; the Shanghai. Many supertall buildings in China can be divided into number of completed 200 m+ supertall of the papers, four time periods: buildings is less than 30; including this one, were submitted in 4. Prosperity Period: building height breaking Chinese and translated. The proceedings 1. Preparation Period, 1900 to 1949 through 400 meters; GDP per capita in will be available for sale after the Congress 2. Germination Period, 1950 to 1979 major cities reaches RMB25,000; the from the CTBUH Web Shop 3. Development Period, 1980 to 1999 number of completed 200 m+ supertall (http://store.ctbuh.org) 4. Prosperity Period, 2000 until present buildings is more than 100.
34 | China’s History of Supertalls CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue III An in-depth analysis of these four periods technology, mechanical and electrical reveals four hidden developmental stimuli: equipment technology, and construction technology. 1. The impact of national economic development In the past 30 years, a great number of code In the past 30 years, GDP grew from under standards have been published. In regards to RMB1 trillion in 1980 to RMB47 trillion in structural technology, there is the High-Rise 2011. Real estate developments and Concrete Structure Technology Regulations investments exceeded RMB6 trillion. As a and the High-Level Civil Buildings Steel result of large investment stimuli, supertall Structure Regulations. For earthquake and buildings played one of the most important disaster prevention, there is the Buildings roles in the economic development of Seismic Design Codes, High-Rise Construction cities. Seismic Fortification Regulations authorized by the Construction Department No. 111 2. Impacts from urban population growth Regulation, and the Civic High-Rise Fire- The effect of urban population Protection Design Regulations. In regards to concentration has become more elevator and related technology, publications Figure 2. Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai. © Georgio prominent in the last 30 years. Urban include Specification for Electric Lifts and the population increased from under 100 National Standard of Safety Specification of Other projects in the period include The million people in the 1980s to exceeding Elevator Manufacture and Installation. Shanghai International Hotel (completed in 350 million people in 2010. The Mechanical and electrical equipment is 1934, 84 meters), and the Bank of China urbanization rate reached 50% in 2011. covered by the Code for Design of Heating (completed in 1934, 84 meters). New completed urban areas covered nearly Ventilation and Air Conditioning and the 40,000 square kilometers at the end of the Standard for Design of Intelligent Buildings. In terms of structural technology, steel frames 2000s. As a result of intensive land uses, For façade technology, there is the Technical were primarily used for the main structures. In highly efficient, supertall buildings are Code for Glass Curtain Wall Engineering, this period, the Shanghai International Hotel, gradually becoming a significant symbol of Technical Code for Metal and Stone Curtain the tallest building in China and Asia, was urban development. Wall Engineering, and Architecture Façade. composed of a steel frame structure and reinforced concrete floors, with three parallel 3. Development of the Central Business high-speed passenger elevators. The Otis District (CBD) Evolving Advancements of Modern passenger elevator was used in 1906 for the The construction boom of CBD in Supertall Buildings in China first time in the Shanghai Huizhong Hotel. megalopolises began with the River Delta Region in the 1980s and the Shanghai Each period in the development of tall Germination Period (1950 to 1979): Pudong New District in the 1990s. buildings in China is characterized by key After the People’s Republic of China was Currently, the expanding Beijing CBD, the elements, as well as seminal projects that founded, the Pearl River Delta Region became financial district of Yujiabao in the Binhai helped define the period. a significant source for international trade. New Area of Tianjin, the Wangjiadun CBD of New facilities and hotels were built for Wuhan, and the Hengqin new area CBD of Preparation Period (1900 to 1949): foreigners visiting the Canton Fair. The first Zhuhai are among the metropolises that Shanghai was the largest and most truly tall building in China was the 114-meter- have attracted a great number of financial prosperous industrial and commercial city in tall Guangzhou Baiyun Hotel, completed in institutions, international multinational China at this time. Shanghai was also the most 1976. Another significant high-rise building corporations, large national companies and developed construction region in China. The from the era was the Guangzhou Hotel (1968, private enterprises in China. As a result of its main construction projects included the 88 meters). high efficiency in business investment Peace Hotel, also known as Sassoon House values, supertall buildings have been in (see Figure 2). The 77-meter art deco building In terms of structural technology, the main favor with entrepreneurs. is topped by a pyramid, making it a distinctive structure of the Guangzhou Baiyun Hotel is a part of the Bund. Built by Victor Sassoon, a shear wall construction. A high-speed elevator 4. Development of building technology member of the Sassoon banking family, it was was installed with a lifting height of 102 The construction industry in China has the tallest building in China when it was meters. At that time, high-rise building made tremendous advancements in completed in 1929. Today it is the Fairmont technologies were still in the exploratory structural technology, earthquake and Peace Hotel Shanghai. phase. disaster prevention, elevator equipment
CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue III China’s History of Supertalls | 35 location. The construction concept was based The representational product in first-tier cities, on the layout of one function for one building. such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Only exceptional cases like the Jin Mao and Beijing, and Tianjin included the 492-meter the Shanghai Center (completed in 1990, Shanghai World Financial Center (see Figure 164.8 meters, see Figure 3) explored multi- 4), which became the tallest building in China function designs and complexes. when it was completed 2008. It was followed by the Shenzhen KK100 (completed in 2011, In terms of structural technology, various 442 meters), the Guangzhou International forms coexisted. Taking the Jin Mao as an Financial Center (completed in 2010, 439 example, a “mega frame + core tube + meters), and the Tianjin Global Financial outriggers” system was used, as well as the Center (completed in 2011, 337 meters, see steel-concrete composite structure. Top-down Figure 5) construction methods were utilized. Fire-protection technology advanced with the The representational products in second-tier release of the Code for Fire Protection of Civil cities such as Nanjing, Wuxi, Wenzhou and
Figure 3. Shanghai Centre. © ECADI High-Rise, which went into a trial phase in Wuhan included the Zifeng Tower, Nanjing 1982 and formally implemented in 1995. (completed in 2010, 450 meters, see Figure 6), Development Period (1980 to 1999): Elevator equipment technology also the Longzi International Hotel (completed in During this period, the Pearl River Delta region improved, with the first VVVF Control Elevator 2011, 328 meters), the Wenzhou Trade Center had its first breakthrough in supertall building in mainland China installed in 1988. Double- (completed in 2011, 322 meters), and the construction, followed by the Shanghai region deck elevators were introduced in 1994, Wuhan Minsheng Bank Tower (completed in of the Yangtze River Delta , which was followed by the round-shape sightseeing 2008, 331 meters). experiencing strong economic growth. high-speed elevator with three-cables and a speed of 7 m/s, followed by a 9 m/s super Two new patterns emerged in this period that In the first decade of this period, the high-speed elevator. In the area of mechanical are worthy of more in-depth comment: representational products in the Pearl River equipment, before the 1980s the air condi- regional clusters and different building Delta region were the Shenzhen tioning system composed of fan coils and air Development Center, completed in 1987 at handling units were utilized. Cooling and 165 meters tall, and the Shenzhen heating sources were provided by centrifugal International Trade Building, completed in chillers and coal-fired boilers, or an urban heat 1987 at 160 meters. During this period, there supply network. Partial control systems were were 12 tall buildings completed with heights introduced for mechanical and electrical between 100 meters and 200 meters systems. By the 1990s, VAV air conditioning nationwide. systems and the BA systems were used while coal boilers were replaced by fuel boilers. In the last decade of this period, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities Prosperity Period (2000 to present) participated in an interactive competition to During this period, the economy of first-tier build supertall towers with heights between cities in the Pearl River Delta Region, Yangtze 200 meters and 400 meters. The 421-meter Jin River Delta and the Bohai Bay Area continued Mao completed in 1999, was the second to develop, while other second-tier cities tallest building in Asia and the third tallest started catching up. The total number of building in the world. Other notable projects completed buildings over 200 meters was 143 included the Guangzhou CITIC Plaza, and there were 331 buildings under completed in 1996 at 390 meters, and the construction. In comparison to the 384-meter Shenzhen Shun Hing Square, Development Period, this era had an completed in 1996. There were 124 tall exponential growth in the number of buildings over 100 meters completed buildings constructed, which was hundreds nationwide, including 27 of more than 200 more than the previous period. Construction meters. principles and building technologies also gradually improved, supertall buildings During this period, high-rise building projects entered the prosperity period. were small in quantity and scattered in Figure 4. Shanghai World Financial Center. © ECADI
36 | China’s History of Supertalls CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue III Figure 5. Tianjin Global Financial Center. © ECADI Figure 6. Zifeng Tower, Nanjing. © ECADI Figure 7. China Central Place Hotel, Beijing. © ECADI complexes, including commercial complexes buildings, Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott with a deep foundation pit technology. In and transportation complexes. hotels, a Central Place Mall, and interna- terms of fire protection technology, tional apartment buildings, among other performance-based evacuation 1. Regional cluster pattern programmatic elements within the cluster. applications and smoke simulation Based on overall planning and develop- parameter technologies were used. mental principles, local governments 2. Building Complex Pattern Earthquake and disaster prevention began to develop regional clusters of This pattern integrates various functions in techniques also improved. Energy supertall buildings. Representative cases several buildings or a single building to dissipation technology, elastic-plastic include the Yujiapu Financial District in the form supertall building complexes. time-history analysis, anti-progressive Tianjin Binhai New Area (still under Representative cases include the Shanghai collapse, performance-based design, construction) and the China Central Place IFC North Tower (260 meters, completed in anti-explosion and wind-resistant design, in Beijing (completed in 2008, see Figure 7), 2010) and the Tianjin Goldin Financial 117 and numerical wind tunnel simulation among other projects. (under construction, 597 meters) among methods were used extensively, with an other projects. increasing emphasis on counter-terrorism The Yujiapu Financial District of the Tianjin technologies. In the area of equipment Binhai New Area has a planning area of 3.86 The Shanghai IFC complex is a combination technology, gas boilers, energy storage million square meters, taking up 120 land of four buildings with a total floor construc- technology, ground-source heat pumps, parcels with a total construction area of 9.5 tion area of 400,000 square meters. The solar energy, fresh air cooling equipment, million square meters. During the planning building functions include two Class A waste heat recovery, and rainwater process, an overall plan integrated the office buildings, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel and a utilization were among the various space above and below ground, along with commercial building. The Tianjin Goldin energy-saving technologies applied. the transportation traffic. The space above Financial 117 is composed of a world-class Intelligent building systems and intelligent ground adopted an appropriate road scale, level office building, a six-star hotel, an lighting controls were also fully developed. road density and neighborhood upscale shopping mall, business depart- characteristics; the underground ments, exhibition center, and theaters. Based on its steel-concrete composite commercial space included three vertical structure, the Shanghai World Financial and two horizontal underground railway During this period structural technology Center (WFC) utilized an economic and traffic systems to keep them became more mature with the introduction reasonable “core tube + mega column + interconnected. of pure steel plate shear walls, steel outrigger” structural system. It included the supporting tubes, a tube-in-tube structure first automatic wind damper device The China Central Place in Beijing has more system, and a mega structure system. Steel controllers installed in a supertall building than 30 million square meters of space and - concrete composite structures became in mainland China. It; it also installed cover more than one million square meters, mainstream. For foundations, long pile and elevators in mainland China at 10 m/s. including three super-5A intelligent office post-grouting techniques were used, along During construction an integral steel
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The innovative idea of the West Golden Eagle Meanwhile, supertall buildings will continue Plaza on the Nanjing River (under to breakthrough new heights. The seven construction, 350 meters tall, see Figure 8) has buildings over 500 meters currently under formed a “city in the sky” prototype. The total construction are: Shenzhen Ping An Finance area of the project will be 900,000 square Center (660 meters), Shanghai Tower (632 meters which will include one office-hotel meters), Wuhan Greenland (606 meters), main building, two office buildings, and one Tianjin Goldin Finance 117 (597 meters), The commercial annex. The most unique feature is CTF Guangzhou (530 meters), Tianjin Chow Tai that the three main building complexes are Fook Binhai Center (530 meters), and the connected in the sky at a height of 200 Dalian Greenland Center (518 meters, see meters. A vertical transportation planning Figure 9). The list of projects in development system is applied to the whole complex also includes Wuhan Center (438 meters, see including elevated high-speed viaducts Figure 10), an original design produced by a directly integrated into three levels above Chinese architecture company. ground and a city subway is introduced
Figure 8. West Golden Eagle Plaza, Nanjing. © ECADI beneath the buildings. Supertall buildings will become one of the most important mediums for further platform modular system and an automatic In the future, the new principle of a “city in the exploration and research of green and hydraulic climbing formwork system were sky” will focus on population planning, sustainable developments and the human used with other systems. industry composition, space distribution, living environment. The Technical Details of energy, transportation, culture, health, Green Supertall Building Evaluation, low-carbonization, environment protection, completed in February 2012, has become The Emerging Trends of Modern Supertall and other aspects in order to improve the China’s first guidance for reducing urban Buildings in China efficiency of the intensive usage of urban energy resources and micro-climate land. environmental impacts. The evaluation guide After the four periods of preparation, points out the future direction for supertall germination, development, and prosperity, During this new growth era, different building developments with vital significance there is no doubt that supertall buildings in technologies will be further developed and for China’s cities. As the human representative China will become increasingly mature, integrated into supertall buildings, including of the highest technical construction continue to prosper, and break new records. regional energy centers, numerical simulation achievements, supertall buildings should be technology on building environments, an important experimental platform and Guided by commercial demands, urban non-traditional water usage plans, networking vehicle to make contributions to the infrastructure and intensive land uses, technology and building energy consumption advancement of more low energy supertall buildings will further explore the analysis techniques. consumption methods and to create more new concept of a “city in the sky.” beautiful living environments.
Guided by “commercial demands, urban infrastructure and intensive land uses, supertall buildings will further explore the new concept of a ‘city in the sky.’ ” Figure 9. Dalian Greenland Center. © ECADI Figure 10. Wuhan Center. © ECADI 38 | China’s History of Supertalls CTBUH Journal | 2012 Issue III