Taiwan’s capital city has good reason to be proud: the highest skyscraper in the world now stands tall in the heart of the city. Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei Financial Centre, was inaugurated on November 13th, 2003. Standing at 508 meters (1676 feet) tall, the structure robbed Kuala Lumpur’s 452 meter (1491 feet) high Petronas Towers of this coveted title.

Inspired by Chinese architecture, the building is divided into eight sections of eight floors each, the number 8 traditionally representing luck, prosperity and progress for the Taiwanese. Despite this, and hopes that the business centre housed there will help Taiwan’s economic growth blossom, Taipei 101’s architects left nothing to chance! The building is designed to withstand the most extreme natural disasters, from earthquakes to typhoons or hurricanes. The most notable of its innovative features is without a doubt the 800 tonne steel sphere suspended from the 88th floor. This huge metal ball, which can move up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) from side to side, reduces the level of movement in the structure itself, thus ensuring greater comfort and safety for the tower’s occupants.

The dramatic 101 floor skyscraper which has a surface area of 357,721 square meters (1,180,479 square feet) can occupy up to 12,000 people. As well as office space, the tower houses a huge shopping mall and two panoramic viewpoints, on 89th and 91st floors, which offer stunning views of the Tumsui River and the mountains which surround the city.

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