Shanghai airport leads continuation of big growth.

Otis China Wins Major Airport Order

Otis Elevator (China) Co. has been selected to supply 279 escalators and moving walks to what will be the world’s largest satellite airport terminal being built at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the main international airport for Shanghai. Once complete in 2019, it will increase the airport’s annual handling capacity by 20 million, to 80 million passengers. The expansion covers 622,000 m2 and consists of two linked halls. Otis China President Perry Zheng observed:

“Otis is an industry leader in the infrastructure segment in China, supporting the current Pudong Airport, as well as airports in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and other cities, together with metro and high-speed rail stations across the country.”

“Vertical City” to Include German Firm’s Tallest

Hamburg, Germany, architecture firm von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (GMP) has designed its tallest building to date for Nanjing Financial City — Phase II, a new “vertical city” in Nanjing, China, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reported. The 411-m-tall, approximately 80-story structure will have offices through the 60th floor with a five-star hotel and related amenities above. One of five high rises comprising the development, the building qualifies as a supertall as defined by CTBUH. It will be joined by a 245-m-tall office building with a sunken garden between the two. The supertall’s nearly square footprint will be distinguished by two-story horizontal bands that mark amenities such as a sky lobby and staff restaurant. A construction timeline was not given, but the master plan was completed in early 2016.

Taipei Offering Elevator Installation Subsidies

Taipei’s Urban Regeneration Office (URO) is accepting applications through December 29 for subsidies of up to US$100,000 to install elevators in older, low-rise apartment buildings, Taiwan News reported. Buildings must be at least 20 years old and have fewer than six floors. Aimed at enhancing accessibility for disabled and elderly residents, the subsidies should not exceed 50% of installation cost, or 75% if the building is within a government-designated urban renewal area. The URO can provide information about how to apply.

Ping An Finance Center Completed

Ping An Finance Center is officially complete, according to the criteria established by CTBUH. CTBUH stated that at 599 m, it is the tallest building in Shenzhen, China; the second-tallest in the country; and the fourth-tallest in the world, behind only the Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower and Makkah Royal Clock Tower.

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and developed by Ping An Finance Center Construction & Development, the tower rises from a prominent location in the heart of the city’s Futian District. A large public atrium at its base creates a new destination for the district with stores, restaurants and transit connections. The shape of the tower is that of a taut steel cable, outstretched by the sky and the ground at once. At its top, the façade (the largest stainless-steel façade in the world) tapers to form a pyramid, giving the tower a prismatic aesthetic. Aside from being visually appealing, this design is also practical: the streamlined shape improves both structural and wind performance, reducing baseline wind loads by 35%.