SWFC

April 18 marks the 20th anniversary of the development and opening up of Pudong New Area. The two pictures below show the astonishing speed of the development in just two decades. The completion of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower (468m) in 1994, the HSBC Tower (203m) in 1998 and our very own SWFC (492m) in 2008 combine to create an amazing skyline of the ‘new Shanghai.’

With the coming of the Expo the surroundings of the SWFC have changed dramatically. Public art now occupies the green area opposite the SWFC and the pedestrian bridge in front of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower will be opened to the public on May 1. In the near future the bridge will be extended to connect the Lujiazui traffic hub, Super Brand Mall, IFC, Jin Mao Tower and the SWFC, improving connectivity and easing the traffic conditions of Lujiazui.

The SWFC went dark in support of Earth Hour between 8pm and 9pm on March 27. Earth Hour is a global World Wide Fund for Nature climate change initiative which the SWFC has been proud to be a part of for two years. The aim is to raise awareness of climate change and to create a sustainable low-carbon future for the planet.

The SWFC was awarded the Best Commercial Project award at the recent Good Design is Good Business 2010 China Awards. The awards were held by Architectural Record magazine, published by McGraw Hill, to honor architects and clients who work together to create excellent and outstanding buildings. The competition judges’ comment regarding the SWFC was that, “A bold client commissioned this iconic tower to serve as a home for a luxury hotel, offices, and retail mall and to bring a sense of place to the Pudong district of Shanghai.” (Left: Mr. Yoshimura〈left 2〉, President of Mori Building China (Shanghai), accepts the Best Commercial Project award; Right: Certificate of Good Design is Good Business 2010 China Awards)

Built by China – Construction Record of SWFC Project, co-edited by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. and Shanghai Construction Group, was published in February. The book documents the 1,296-day construction process of the SWFC from November 15, 2004 to May 31, 2008. It shows the superior construction management, unparalleled construction technology, unprecedented construction difficulties and extraordinary construction speed.

The Expo is coming soon on May 1. The theme is “Better City, Better Life,” representing the common wish of humankind for better living in future urban environments. Expo pavilions are now in the final stages of completion. Some 4,000 Expo-customized taxis with the official Expo logo and pattern of the China Pavilion were also launched. There are now 11 Metro lines in Shanghai and the city boasts the world’s longest Metro network at 420km. It is estimated that about 50 percent of Expo visitors will take the Metro to visit the site.