people among zones, and below-grade parking links via

walkways to the nearby super-highrise towers.

Shanghai Tower
Gensler

Shanghai Tower completes Asias first supe

precinct, the centerpiece of the citys inter
financial district. The three mixed-use towe
connected, served by Shanghai Metro, and a
Zone 9
from
Observation/Cultural
facilitiesacross the city.
Zone 8
Hotel/Boutique office

Zone 7
Hotel

Zone 6
Office

Zone 5
Office

The Lujiazui zone in Shanghai has gone from farmland

to financial center in two decades, resulting in a skyline
and architectural landscape that need a unifying
landmark. With a rounded triangular footprint derived
both from the bend in the nearby Huangpu River
and from its relationship to the Jin Mao Tower and the
Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower
will stand as a beacon and a signature icon for the city
of Shanghai. At the same time, it completes the
precincts harmonious trio of buildings and gives the

precinct its defining silhoue

form of the tower rotates a
emergence of China as a gl
tower is symbolic of a nati
with limitless opportunitie
President of the Shangha
Development Co., Ltd., a c
government-based develo
and a construction group.

Shanghai Towers footprint was reduced to make more

room for green spaces, pedestrian paths, and entryways
to the tower, creating a public space for respite and
social interaction.

Shanghai Tower, at 632 me

city comprising office spa
shopping, hospitality, and
The Chrysler Building is sho

Zone 4
Office

Zone 3
Office

Zone 2
Office

Zone 1
Retail

12

Shanghai Towers entry-level retail podium welcomes

visitors with an approachable and transparent gateway
to the towers mix of neighborhoods, and serves as
the super-highrise precincts transit-served destination
for shopping and gathering. The circular sunken garden
in the foreground provides access to the podiums lower
levels and to elevators serving the top-level observation area.

16

17

Figure 19: Curtain Wall ACurtain panels sizes change vertically

With integrated design and technology, Shanghai Tower

embodies a new understanding of the super-highrise
building and its place in the 21st-century city.

INNOVATION
TAKES THE PRIZE

Figure 18: Curtain Wall Systems B and A

Gensler won the Shanghai Tower project in an invited

multi-stage competition among leading international
architects. What secured the win were the towers
design and performance, and Genslers commitment
to China. To refine the towers shape, Genslers team
used a series of wind tunnel tests to simulate the
regions greatest natural force, the typhoon. Results
produced a structure and shape that reduce wind
loads by 24 percentultimately yielding a savings of
$58 million in construction costs. A simple structure,
public spaces within the double faade, and sky gardens
based on Shanghais traditional open courtyards
will make Shanghai Tower an unrivaled asset for the
Lujiazui district.

Figure 12: Section perspectives with curtain wall systems description

esign
es at each
preferred

curtain
Ecotect
that the
design
e.

The starting point for all studies was a default profile and
to have division along the curve established efficiently. In
competition phase, the Gensler team decided not to pur
surface diagrid or triangulation schemes, given that the d
intent was to have two curtain wall skins with as minima
obstruction of the view out as possible.

A fast-tracked superhighrise tower

The simplicity of Shanghai Towers

structure is a response to many
challenges: a windy climate, an
active earthquake zone, and claybased soils. The heart of the
structural system is a concrete core.
The core acts in concert with an
outrigger and supercolumn system,
with double-belt trusses that
support the base of each vertical
neighborhood. This makes for
an easier and faster construction
processa significant cost savings
for the client.

This series of drawings illustrates

the layering of structure, composite
floors, inner skin, and exterior
curtain wall.A 16-meter-tall scale model of the tower passed a shake

table test simulating earthquakes measuring up to 7.5 on

the Richter scale.

to zone
reduceplan
wind view
loads with superimposed curtain wall
Figure 20:Shaped
Typical
structural supporting system

| 0
Figure 21a: Curtain
Wall
A: team
Profile
control points
divisionpartial
Genslers
design
anticipated
Many options
were studied, but view
that three important design
strategiesthe asymmetry of the
towers form, its tapering profile,
and rounded cornerswould allow
the building to withstand typhoon
wind forces common to Shanghai.
Using wind tunnel tests, Gensler
and structural engineer Thornton
Tomasetti refined the towers form,
ultimately reducing building wind
loads by 24 percent. The result
is a simpler and lighter structure
with unprecedented transparency
and a 32 percent reduction of costly
materials.

wind tunnel tests pinpointed a

120-degree rotation as optimal
for minimizing wind loads.

the buildi
improve
connecti
the towe
a place w
interact a

Early studies suggested that the best location for a starti

point for division was to be at V-strike area, with full pa
size following. However, coordination of major structura
elements behind the curtain wall required that a second
on the curve be moved 33% of the panel size to allow for
connection of the strut, and sag rods to the perimeter gi
avoiding possible conflict with the vertical glass fin and m
assembly. This is why the first and last panel along the cu
33% or 66% of an actual panel.

The simplified mega-frame proved

to be an economical approach to
construction.
Core
Double-belt truss
Outrigger
Beam
Supercolumn

Figure 13: Tower curtain wall support system (CWSS)

Figure 21b: Curtain Wall A: The layout of two adjacent floors

210

180

150

Going forward, this was a major design criterion for the c

Understanding glass-size limitation and desired scaling, t
Gensler team decided that a single piece of glass should
Benefits
be larger than 2.3 meters in width (~7-6) to accommod
Chinese floating, coating and thermal glassprocessing
capabilities. The default profile is divided along the curve
The innov
into 44 control points; this 44-point division resulted
i
two indep
outer skin
panels. The largest distance between control pointsthewas
inner
2.25 meters (~7-4) at Zone  (first floor) and aboutbetween
.25
will house
at regula
(~4-2) at Zone 9.

120

90

60

The logical starting point in resolving the curtain wall wa

to connect these control points directly and have a smoo
appearance on the exterior of the wall. This involved ang
the vertical mullions in two directions, which is what the
Gensler team proposed as one of the early schemes. Due
combination of rotation and scaling of two adjacent floo
out of four points defining the panel will always be out o
Landscaped atriums are located at regular
glass plane (Figures 2a and b), creating a warping of the

structure designed within, to the

pe beams at 4.5 meters (4.3 meters
r vertically at every strut location,
that uses steel bushings instead of
it lateral movement. Steel bushings
o allow for expected combined
ments
to be largest at Zone 2, at
d

ain wall system vertical expansion

zontal direction, there are total of
hh, allowing typically about 56 mm of
gn movement. Special considerations
ve requirements of the Curtain Wall
nd additional allowances had to be
2
nd
g horizontal movements.

profile conditions between two adjacent floors resulting from

twist and taper (Figure 20). The largest ledge projections are
about 600 mm, representing about 5% of total conditions,

Figure 14:
Typical
atrium
top
and bottom
Curtain Wall A connections
Figure
31: Curtain
Wall
A: Panel
types

A fast-tracked superhighrise tower

.
n

erns over light pollution had

cant impact on the design of
uter curtain wall. Building
sin Chinas urban districts are
sensitive to the impact of
ht reflecting off glass faades
d surrounding buildings. Two
n-wall schemesstaggered
moothwere studied exten. The tests revealed that a
ered skin made of glass panels
rtically was far superior to a
th skin of angled glass, which
reflect much more light onto
boring buildings.

The outer curtain-wall design

incorporates metal shelves at each
floor level, producing the preferred
staggered configuration.

Light reflectance off the curtain

wall was modeled using Ecotect
software, which showed that the
staggered curtain-wall design
was much more desirable.

Figure 29a: Staggered and smooth schemes comparison

Figure 32: Final Curtain Wall A system

| 5

Figure 36: Curtain Wall B system at tab area and at typical location

mizing reflection and glare

a dense LED lighting fixture layout, and to use a deeper mullion

was a practical necessity.

The simplicity of Shanghai Towers

structure is a response to many
challenges: a windy climate, an
active earthquake zone, and claybased soils. The heart of the
structural system is a concrete core.
The core acts in concert with an
outrigger and supercolumn system,
with double-belt trusses that
support the base of each vertical
neighborhood. This makes for
an easier and faster construction
processa significant cost savings
for the client.

This series of drawings illustrates

the layering of structure, composite
floors, inner skin, and exterior
curtain wall.

The simplified mega-frame proved

to be an economical approach to
construction.
Core
Double-belt truss
Outrigger
Beam
Supercolumn

Figure 38: Current design option for Curtain Wall B system

| 06design for Curtain Wall B systematrium view

Figure 37: Current