Taipei 101 Tower – Discover the Taipei Skyscraper

The Taipei 101 Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, but it did once hold the record for the tallest building. It has since been replaced several times over. However, the Taipei 101 Tower is still worth examining, and we will discuss the architecture of this famous Taiwanese skyscraper, the height and green status of the building, the stunning fireworks displays that are still put on every year, and the overall history of the building. Keep reading if you want to learn more about the Taipei 101 Tower and what makes it stand out in its city.

A Look at the Taipei 101 Tower

Once upon a time, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world. It is still a tall building, but it has been supplanted many times over and hasn’t held any kind of a record for decades at this point.

Taipei 101, the world’s tallest skyscraper between 2004 – 2009; AnthonySantiago101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The reason this is worth mentioning is that the Taipei 101 Tower was once the tallest building in the world, and it held on to this record from 2004 until 2009, but it has now officially slipped out of the top ten. It is now the eleventh-tallest building in the world and that simply isn’t as impressive any longer. However, regardless of its reduced status as one of the tallest buildings, it is still a supertall building and the tallest Taipei skyscraper. It is still far larger than practically everything else that has ever been constructed. So, let’s have a bit of a closer look at this Taipei tower to learn a bit more about it.

The History of the Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 Tower started its life with a far less unique name. When it was first planned out, the structure was known as the Taipei World Financial Center. It had this name for some time as it was designed under the purview of the Taipei Financial Center Corporation. The plans for the building started back in 1997, and there were various talks about how best to implement this proposed building. The ultimate plan was for the building to be 66 stories in height, and it would be part of a new commercial development plan in the city’s financial district. So, construction started in 1999 and progressed well for several years. However, there was one major incident that occurred during construction.

Things came to a halt when a large earthquake rocked the city in 2002 and destroyed a crane on the 56^th floor.

This disaster led to the deaths of five people, but there was ultimately no structural damage to the building and so construction resumed only a week after the accident happened. Construction continued without a hitch thereafter. By this period, the mall had been constructed and leases had been attained. By July 2003, the roof was completed and so the building was topped out. The pinnacle was placed a few months later, and shortly thereafter, the mall opened for business. The building was officially completed but was not yet open to the public (other than the mall).

Taipei 101 standing next to the Taipei Nan Shan Plaza; Heeheemalu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The building was only opened to the public at the end of the following year on New Year’s Eve, and then on New Year’s Day, the very first Taipei 101 Tower fireworks display went off for all to see. The building was officially complete, the ribbon was cut, and the building was finally open for business. The Taipei 101 Tower does not have a long and complex history, and other than the construction accident, the building’s planning and construction went off without a hitch. The building became the tallest in the world and it would hold that title for several years before it finally lost it. However, the Taipei 101 Tower remains the tallest building in the city and serves as a central landmark that can be seen for miles in every direction.

It is a gorgeous, tinted structure that rises high into the sky, and it will likely remain an integral part of the Taipei skyline for decades to come.

The Architecture of the Taipei 101

The Taipei 101 Tower is a structure unlike anything else in Taipei. It rises high above the skyline and makes use of a Postmodern design that emulates, in some ways, the aesthetics of a more vernacular form of Asian architecture. The general design is somewhat reminiscent of a traditional pagoda design, but instead of being made out of wood and stone, it is made from glass and steel. The tinted glass gives off the impression of a bamboo aesthetic, which is common in the region, and each of the major sections rises in segments in a pagoda style. The glass itself, while tinted a blue-green color, is also glazed and double-paned, which allows it to reduce the overall amount of incoming heat (as will be further explored in the section about the Taipei 101 Tower’s status as a green building).

The building is also mixed-use in its general design, and it incorporates an array of offices, shops, observatories, and restaurants throughout its many floors.

It even includes a massive shopping mall that contains a ruyi symbol on the exterior, and it is the largest of its kind. So, this building is a blend of architectural necessity and artistic expression. However, while the Taipei 101 Tower is a gorgeous piece of Postmodern art and architecture that makes strong use of local elements in a modernizing way, the building itself is also an immensely sturdy structure. The region in which Taipei is located is known as the Pacific Ring of Death, and it can experience intense storms and earthquakes. So, the Taipei 101 Tower needed to be constructed with this in mind. It needed to ensure that it would not crumble as soon as it experienced a few bad days.

Tuned mass damper on display in Taipei 101; Armand du Plessis, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The building is designed to withstand typhoon winds and earthquakes, and the use of a more flexible design allows it to absorb those kinds of shocks that might otherwise decimate other structures, especially on this site. The way in which this was achieved was through the use of mega-columns packed with concrete and high-performance steel. There are also trusses that connect the columns to the building’s core. So, the building is both immensely flexible and structurally sound, and as the tower is close to a fault line, this is a very necessary part of the overall design. Thanks to this commitment to a more stable structure, the Taipei 101 Tower is considered to be one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. It needed to be if it wanted to maintain its height in a region that constantly experiences earthquakes and high winds without collapsing.

Other than these structural elements, the Taipei 101 Tower includes stunning restaurants, a mall filled with international retail chains, and an interior that makes use of traditional elements while adapting them through a postmodern lens to create something far more contemporary.

To further supplement the artistic side of this famous Taiwanese skyscraper, the building is also resplendently decorated, on both the inside and the outside, with various works of art. These artworks are not entirely Taiwanese in origin and some international artists have contributed to the design, such as German, French, and British artists. These artworks include sculptures, paintings, and photography, and they adorn the building to give it a contemporary air about it. The building has also hosted many art exhibits over the course of its history.

Diagram of the Tuned Mass Damper in Taipei 101; Someformofhuman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Height of the Taipei 101

We have looked at the architecture of this massive Taipei tower, and it truly is a fantastically tall and gorgeously constructed building, but just how tall is Taipei 101? The Taipei 101 Tower sits at 508.2 m (or 1,667 ft) in height, and this allowed it to easily surpass the record-holder for the tallest building at the time. Another of the interesting facts about the Taipei 101 Tower is that it was the first building in the world to surpass a height of half a kilometer, and this also comfortably made it the tallest building in Taiwan, a record it holds to this day. When the Taipei 101 Tower was completed, it surpassed the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur as the tallest skyscraper in the world, and the Petronas Towers had held that position from 1998 until 2003. 

However, while this Taipei skyscraper managed to surpass those towers as the tallest in the world, it would also eventually be beaten out by something far larger.

In 2009, the Burj Khalifa finished construction, and this led to it becoming the tallest building in the world seeing as its height of 829.8 m (or 2.722 ft) is particularly gargantuan and puts everything else to this day to shame. Nothing has yet surpassed it, and the Taipei 101 Tower slowly started to fall the ranks of the tallest buildings in the world until it reached its current position as the eleventh tallest at the time of writing.

View from the base of the Taipei 101 Tower, looking up; Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A rather cute aspect of the Taipei 101 Tower’s incredible height is that it decided to be named after its floor count. The building has 101 stories in total, and so if you’re ever confused about how many floors the Taipei 101 happens to have, just read that convenient number. This also works well when asking: where is the Taipei 101 located? The number of floors and the location in which the skyscraper is situated are right beside one another. Other than once holding the record for the tallest building in the world, this Taipei skyscraper also held two other height-based records. It has the world’s tallest sundial and countdown clock for New Year’s celebrations.

These are perhaps more tertiary records in comparison to the most famous one which is pure architectural height, but it does still indicate the incredible height of the Taipei 101 Tower.

In addition to this, upon the completion of this Taipei tower, the elevators set records for their incredible speed, but that has also, of course, been surpassed in recent years. This has not stopped the building from remaining an incredibly important building in Taipei, and the two observation decks it offers are still incredibly popular. The Taipei 101 Tower includes indoor and outdoor observation decks. The indoor one is situated at 384.4 m (or 1,258 ft) in height and gives gorgeous panoramic views of the city. It is also a rather luxurious spot as one can relax, have some food and drinks, and check out the view.

Skyline of Taipei, Taiwan viewed from Mount Elephant; 毛貓大少爺, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The outdoor observation decks (as there are two), on the other hand, stand at 391.8 m (or 1,285 ft) and 449.2 m (or 1,474 ft). These outdoor observation decks are quite different from the indoor version as they require that you book well in advance and then go out while wearing safety equipment. It isn’t a sweet little lounge with windows, it entails a belt secured to a railing so that you don’t fall off.

For those who want to seek a few thrills, this may be the perfect place to be far too high in the sky while getting both the wind against your face and a stunning panoramic view.

The Taipei 101 as a Green Building

The Taipei 101 Tower, upon its completion, was considered to be the tallest green building in the world. The building made use of a double-pane window design that ensured that up to 50% of the heat buildup could be blocked, and it also made use of recycled water to compensate for about a fifth to a third of the total water needs for the skyscraper. In addition, the general use of electrics, lighting, and so on was constructed around green energy solutions that, in the long term, saved them a significant amount of money. This energy efficiency led to the Taipei 101 Tower receiving a LEED platinum certificate, a certificate system awarded for sustainable development and thereby cemented its place as the tallest green building in the world. It has since been surpassed.

For instance, the current third-tallest building in the world, the Shanghai Tower, is considered to be the current tallest green structure with a similar LEED platinum certificate.

However, even though the Taipei 101 Tower has been replaced as the tallest green building, it is still a green building. Its incredible height and more sustainable overall approach have influenced other skyscrapers to follow in similar paths to create a more sustainable form of architecture going forward, and it is rather common to find that modern structures are built along more sustainable lines than practically everything else that had come in the past.

The Taipei 101’s Fireworks Displays

The Taipei 101 Tower is notable for one rather wonderful thing, and that is that the tower has been used on many occasions for intricate fireworks displays. These fireworks displays are often performed annually, and ever since 2007, the building has finalized the way in which it does fireworks. The fireworks start from the lower levels and rise upwards to create a specific sequential image of fireworks erupting in a vertical line that shoots upwards. These displays have become immensely popular in Taipei, and it has become a spot for crowds to gather whenever a show is put on. 

Taipei Tower on New Year’s Eve; Sinchen.Lin, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

We have come to the end of our discussion about the Taipei 101 Tower. We have examined the architecture of this massive Taipei skyscraper, its extraordinary height and the history of that height, the famous displays that the building has become so well-known for, the green status of the structure, and the general history of the building as a whole. Hopefully, you have learned a good deal about the Taipei 101 Tower, and all that’s left for us is to wish you a spectacular day ahead full of metaphorical (or literal) fireworks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Taipei 101 Tower?

The Taipei 101 Tower is a massive skyscraper that was once considered to be the tallest in the world. In addition, it is a green skyscraper and so it makes strong use of sustainable elements in its general design and construction, and it has become a notable site in Taipei, especially when it makes use of fireworks to light up the night sky.

How Tall Is Taipei 101?

The Taipei 101 Tower is a gigantic skyscraper. It was the first building in the world to surpass half a kilometer in height, and while it has been supplanted as the tallest building in the world (a record it held from 2004 to 2009), it is still a massive structure. It sits at 508.m (or 1,667 ft) in height. In addition, it lives up to its name, because it has 101 floors too.

Where Is Taipei 101 Located?

The Taipei 101 Tower is located, as one might expect, in Taipei (officially known as Taipei City). This is the capital city of Taiwan. The Taipei 101 Tower is the tallest building in the city and practically the most recognizable landmark within it too.

Justin van Huyssteen( Writer, Academic, Educator )

Justin van Huyssteen is a writer, academic, and educator from Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Theory of Literature. His primary focus in this field is the analysis of artistic objects through a number of theoretical lenses. His predominant theoretical areas of interest include narratology and critical theory in general, with a particular focus on animal studies. Other than academia, he is a novelist, game reviewer, and freelance writer. Justin’s preferred architectural movements include the more modern and postmodern types of architecture, such as Bauhaus, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Brutalist, and Futurist varieties like sustainable architecture. Justin is working for artfilemagazine as an author and content writer since 2022. He is responsible for all blog posts about architecture.

Learn more about Justin van Huyssteen and about us.