When the traditional foundations of cities give way to modern structures which blend both traditional and modern styles then, the city can be truly judged to be starting to get modern. A live example of this fact is the world famous skyscraper named Taipei 101 which is the pride of Xin-Yi district of Taipei in China. With a height of 509 metres, it was once known to be the tallest building on the Earth before being overtaken by Burj Khalifa of Dubai.
The earlier name of Taipei 101 was Taipei World Financial Centre. The most recently acquired title by the building has been that of the tallest green building of the world which is designed to judiciously use and maintain Energy and Ecosystem. The designer of Taipei 101 is C.Y.Lee and partners whereas it was constructed by two parties namely KTRT Joint Ventures and Samsung C&T Corporation. The construction of the building started in 1999 and ended in 2004.
The structure of Taipei 101 consists of 101 floors which are over ground and 5 underground floors. In its design there is both Asian and western influence which establishes the changing mindset of the people of Taipei. The tower has been made both typhoon and earthquake resistance with a weight of 700,000 tonnes. The observatories of the Taipei 101 are located on the 89th and 91st floors which are at a height of 382 metres and above from the ground. This height is reached with the help of the elevators which are also famous to be the fastest in the world with a speed of 63 km/hr and being double decked. The observatories are popular with the visitors for providing a 360 degree panoramic view of the entire city. While the owner of Taipei 101 is known to be Taipei Financial Centre Corporation, the maintenance of the building is known to be a responsibility of a segment of Urban Retail Property Corporation which is based in Chicago.
Apart from its many technological features which make Taipei 101 a standout, the one which does not exist anywhere else in the world is its 660 metre ton tined mass damper whose job is to keep the building stable during times of strong winds. The other attraction quotients of the Taipei 101 include the two world cuisine restaurants which are located on the 85th and 86th floors. The building is also home to a mall which occupies 6 stories and includes a number of stores, restaurants, and clubs. A number of corporate offices like BNP Paribas, KPMG, Meryl Lynch, and so on are also located within the building. There are many interior decorations within the Taipei 101 which point towards the fact that feng shui customs have been obeyed while decking it up.
Ever since its completion, Taipei 101 has also played host to a number of events and is also a venue of the New Year fireworks in Taipei. It figures amongst the prime attractions of China and as per the records of 2012 already received one million visitors.