Context to China's Legacy of Tall Building Development
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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 Unpublished conference paper 5.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 Unpublished © Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Junjie Zhang Research: China’s History of Supertalls Context to China’s Legacy of Tall Building Development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.