Shanghai Jinmao Tower

Shanghai is well known for its dizzying array of skyscrapers with their unique facades and styles but rarely do most people look beyond the exterior shell which can sometimes be just as intriguing on the inside as they are on the outside. Such is the case with the imposing Jinmao Tower which at 421 m high makes it the fifth tallest in the world currently (as well as looking like something out of a batman movie!). Inside the monstrous building, the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel occupies floors 53 to 87 and therein contains the hidden gem I was here to find…

Jinmao Tower, Shanghai

The hotel is obviously only open to paying guests which, being a man of modest means, I was not. Much against the protestations of my Chinese friend (who was sure we “definitely shouldn’t be here”) I casually wandered into the building and then took the super-fast lift up to the lobby on the 54th floor at a blistering 9.1 meters per second. Feeling a bit like a con-man at this point I asked one of the staff how to get to the 87th floor where we were “meeting friends” and was politely directed to the secondary lifts. This then whisked us up to the top floor which presented the purpose of this little detour; an awe-inspiring barrel-vaulted atrium lined with 28 annular corridors and staircases arrayed in a spiral.

Awe Inspiring

Peering over the edge of the balustrade from the 87th floor down to the 54th was rather unnerving and exhilarating at the same time probably due to the subtle spiral effect which makes you feel as if you’re being sucked into the vortex (you can get a better feel for it by seeing the larger photos). I clung onto my camera tightly fearing that if I dropped it might just kill someone below! Not for the faint of heart!

Junmao Tower Atrium

Whilst from a purely functional perspective it’s a huge waste of space it’s aesthetically very beautiful and literally a centrepiece for the hotel (as well as a good setting for a 007 action scene I’d say!). Iconic design is often lacking in China and even though this can’t be considered Chinese design per-say I’d still say it was one of the best things I saw in Shanghai in terms of its modern side. Hotels are dull places at the best of times but this is pretty cool.

One day, assuming the economic meltdown doesn’t ruin us all, I’ll have to check in for real!

David avatar

7 responses

  1. Margaret avatar
    Margaret

    Gosh, the photos and video clip of the ‘snazzy’ hotel make me feel a bit seasick!!

  2. Lu Shan avatar
    Lu Shan

    Great article! Did you go to the building “next door”, the Shanghai World Financial Center, as well?

    Next time you come to Shanghai and want to visit something smaller, go and see the URBN, http://www.urbnhotels.com, a small, friendly designer hotel oasis on 183 Jiaozhou Lu (just north of Beijing Xi Lu), a former factory building and China’s first Carbon-neutral hotel …

  3. M – Seasick indeed! I felt a bit sick looking down also.

    Lu – thanks for the tip! Unfortunately I didn’t have time to go in the World Financial Center which was a pity because it looks spectacular, especially at night. Also a pity they have to charge so much for admission and not much chance of being able to sneak in 🙂

  4. Lu Shan avatar
    Lu Shan

    David, the background is the Building (Japanese Mori-owned, therefore very similar to the Roppongi Hills Complex in Tokyo) is only rented 50%, so they have to make money somewhere …

    BTW: A few years henceforward, there will be the highest building of Greater China next door, so the then three buildings will form a triangle footprint.
    Lu Shan

    P.S.:
    1) Overview tallest buildings: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/16/Tallest_Buildings_new3.png
    2) Nice photo of the existing two buildings: http://www.global-lab.org/mt/WestridgeChina2008/Construction%20on%20China's%20tallest%20building-the%20Shanghai%20World%20Financial%20Center.jpg

  5. Apparently rooms start at around CNY 2,600 (£267) per night!

  6. Maria avatar
    Maria

    This looks amazing! and to think I thought we’d found something great when we came across that tall spiral(ish) staircase in Newcastle. Your blog looks great too, when did this redesign happen? I love the pictures at the top ^_^ and I’m very jealous that you’re seeing such awesome things 🙂

    I was going to say I can’t believe you were essentially trespassing to get good pictures, but unfortunately I can. Sorry about being out of touch for a while: I need to pounce and say hello next time I’m on msn. Will your ‘phone pick up my message if I text you too?

  7. Hi Maria, good to hear from you!

    I redesigned at the beginning of the year – it had stayed the same for so long so it was time for a change. Glad to hear you think so highly of me 😛

    Unfortunately SMS’ing my UK number wont get you very far but hopefully catch you on MSN sometime soon!

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