The
Oriental Pearl Tower (, official name: 东方明珠电视塔) is a
TV tower in
Shanghai,
China. The Oriental Pearl Tower is located at the tip of
Lujiazui in the
Pudong district, by the side of
Huangpu River, opposite of
The Bund.
It was designed by Jiang Huan Cheng of the Shanghai Modern Architectural Design Co. Ltd. Construction began in 1990 and the tower was completed in 1994. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it was the tallest structure in
China from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the
Shanghai World Financial Center. The Oriental Pearl Tower belongs to the
World Federation of Great Towers.
On 7 July 2007, Oriental Pearl Tower was host to the
Chinese Live Earth concert.
The Pearl Tower attracts over three million visitors each year.
Structural data
The spheres in the tower
The tower features 11 spheres, big and small. The two biggest spheres, along the length of the tower, have diameters of 50 m (164 ft) for the lower and 45 m (148 ft) for the upper. They are linked by three columns, each 9 m (30 ft) in diameter. The highest sphere is 14 m (46 ft) in diameter.
The entire building is supported by three enormous
columns that start underground.
Observation levels
Outdoor observation deck built in May 2009 featuring a glass floor
The tower has fifteen observatory levels. The highest (known as the Space Module) is at 350 m (1148 ft). The lower levels are at 263 m (863 ft) (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90 m (295 ft) (Space City). There is a
revolving restaurant at the 267 m (876 ft) level. The project also contains exhibition facilities, restaurants and a shopping mall. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres.
Antenna spire
An
antenna, broadcasting TV and radio programs, extends the construction by another 118 m (387 ft) to a total height of 468 metres (1,535 ft).
Chinese symbolism in the design
The design of the building is said to be based on a verse of the
Tang Dynasty poem
Pipa Song by
Bai Juyi about the wonderful sprinkling sound of a
pipa instrument, like
pearls, big and small falling on a
jade plate (大珠小珠落玉盘/大珠小珠落玉盤/dà zhū xiǎo zhū luò yù pán). However, the designer Jiang Huancheng says that he did not have the poem in mind when designing the tower. It was the chief of the jury board who said it reminded him of that poem. Some architects compare the structural design to a
bacteriophage virus.
2010 fire
On April 13, 2010 the antenna at the top of the 468
m tower caught fire at around 2 am. The fire was then put out by firefighters. Prior to the fire there were a series of thunderstorms.
Gallery
Night view:Inside the Pearl:See also
