Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC)

Today in Shanghai. I went with my friend Julie to the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center, which has the honor of having the tallest observation platform in the world. They know they can keep that distinction for about another 6 months before a building in Dubai is completed. These workers were on this platform suspended from the side of the building. I think they were really just there for photo opportunities since we could see them do nothing the entire time! This is looking out east over the Pudong area. We live on the west side of the river in Puxi - Pu meaning river, Xi meaning west. Pudong is Pu = river, dong = east. Pudong is the much newer section with compounds abounding and new buildings where rice patties were just 10 years ago.



This is the view looking toward Puxi. The Pearl Tower is the needle/bulbous tower to the right of "workers" on the other side of the building.

This is in the elevator, giving constant height information. We went up to 550 meters, I believe, before we stopped the first time. It takes three elevators to get to the top, so of course you must pay for three elevators!
The whole entrance felt a bit like a futuristic Disney ride, and we saw a light show in a small room before entering the elevators. The light show has a brochure just describing it and the artist. It seems like every major event has a mascot, and this building has a flying cartoon like bird, and the lights show had funny little fish and bird like figures swimming around the light. Then, enter into the elevator where there is a 70's disco strobe light thing happening on three walls and the ceiling while you climb to the 96th floor. A little disconcerting.
More Pudong views. There are housing complexes with roof tops all the same color, such as this red roof top division. There were blue roofs, orange roofs, red and one other color, escaping me right now.
From the 100th floor, we could look down through a glass floor. We are looking at traffic and a park.
More roof tops.
My friend, Julie, from Minneapolis. She has been here for about two years and has given me so many helpful hints and places to go. The tough bargaining gal!
A lovely random piece of plywood just hanging around at 550 meters in the sky! And workers for show.
This is a huge, beautiful building we are looking down on. The intracasy of the steel and glass work can't really be seen well, but it was stunning.
The top floor.
The building from the ground. The hole at the top of the building is not seen from here, but it looks like a bottle opening. The story goes that this building was begun over 8 years ago and the original design was a circle opening at the top. It started looking too much like the rising Japanese sun, so they were asked to change it. It took 7 or 8 years to get through that request, and finally it was finished just last week.
We had lunch looking back toward Puxi at an Italian restaurant called The Kitchen. Delicious and a beautiful view of the river and all the traffic making its way down. A cruise ship dock will be opening soon, bringing a whole new set of tourists to the city.
M