Shanghai World Financial Center

The Shanghai World Financial Center SWFC is a supertall skyscraper located in the Lujiazui area of Pudong Shanghai Standing at 492 meters 1614 feet with 101 floors it was the second tallest building in the world when completed in 2008 The buildings distinctive design features a square aperture at the top which was originally intended to be circular to reduce wind pressure but was redesigned to resemble the moon gate a traditional Chinese architectural element This aperture creates a unique silhouette against the Shanghai skyline and has earned the building nicknames like the Bottle Opener The SWFC houses offices hotels conference facilities shopping malls restaurants and most famously the Shanghai World Financial Center Observatory on the 100th floor which offers breathtaking 360degree panoramic views of Shanghai The observatory includes three observation decks on the 94th 97th and 100th floors with the 100th floor featuring the worlds highest observation deck within a building at 474 meters The building represents Chinas rapid economic development and Shanghais emergence as a global financial hub Its innovative engineering includes a tuned mass damper system to withstand typhoons and earthquakes common in the region