To do well in 3D visualization (including interior and exterior rendering and 3D animation), 3D artists need to have extensive professional skills as well as to pay close attention to great buildings in our life. Let’s take a look at the stunning modern architecture--Jin Mao Tower. It combines western and Chinese traditional architectural elements.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

A Brief Introduction

Jin Mao Tower, also known as Jin Mao Building, is located in Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone by the Huangpu River in Pudong New District, China. With a height of 420.5 meters, it is the 3rd tallest skyscraper in Shanghai and the 10th tallest building in mainland China (as of 2015). 

The tower was started in 1994 and completed in 1998. There are 130 elevators and 555 guest rooms in the building. The total floor area of the building is 278,707 square meters, with 88 floors above ground, 93 floors including the minaret, and three floors below ground. It has become an architectural icon in Shanghai. It is a mixed-use skyscraper that integrates modern office buildings, five-star hotels, convention and exhibition centers, entertainment, shopping malls, and other facilities. Adrian Smith, the former design partner of SOM in Chicago, USA, designed the Jin Mao Tower.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Floor Layout

• The 3rd to 50th floors are offices (the 15th and 30th floors are fire shelters).

• The 51st and 52nd floors are mechanical and electronic equipment rooms(Closed)

• The 53rd to 87th floors are the hotel atrium, with a height of 152 meters and a diameter of 27 meters. The surrounding atrium is the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

• On the 56th floor, there is a restaurant and a hollow cafe, where people can look up all annular walkaways and 555 guest rooms of the 31-floor hotel atrium

• The 86th floor is the hotel members club. Only members are allowed to enter.

• The 87th floor is an open-air restaurant.

• The 88th floor is a viewing platform that can accommodate 1,000 people, with a floor height of 340.1 meters and an area of 1,520 square meters.

• The basement has three floors, a parking lot with 993 parking spaces, and a garage for 1000 bicycles.

Chinese Features in Jin Mao Tower

1. Number 8

The Chinese are fond of this auspicious number because 8 symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Hence, structural engineers at SOM incorporated number 8 into the tower's design. For example, the exterior walls of Jin Mao Tower are segmented based on the modulus of 8. In terms of structure, the building adopts the construction of 8 giant columns connecting the core tube, and the 8-sided shape based on the overlapping of double squares is the main plane of the building. Also, the total number of floors of the building is 88.

2. Chinese Pagodas

The design of the building draws on the shape of ancient Chinese pagodas, which creates a calm and restrained temperament with the indented structure of step-by-step retreats. The architectural appearance forms a rhythmic proportion based on conforming to the ancient aesthetics, which has become the model of designs for Chinese skyscrapers.

3. Chinese Calligraphy Art

The eight bronze frescoes in the front hall embody traditional Chinese calligraphy art. It reflects the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through the evolution of Chinese characters, from Oracle bone script, and Chinese bronze script to seal script, clerical script, regular script, and cursive script. The corridor leading to the banquet hall is an art gallery.

With innovative design ideas, the architect successfully designed the world-class architectural classics by combining the modern worldwide architectural trends with traditional Chinese architectural styles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Awards

In 1998, Jin Mao Tower gained Illinois World Architecture Award

In 1999, Shanghai Jinmao Tower won the first prize of the Shanghai Top Ten Classic Architecture Gold Award for the 50th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

In 2013, Jin Mao Tower passed LEED-EB certification.

In 2020, Jin Mao Building was selected as one of the top 10 New Landmarks in Shanghai, 2019.

Jin Mao Tower, a fusion of contemporary architectural technology and history, has become a symbol of the new century for Shanghai and even China. Since the 21st century, many skyscrapers have risen on the ground in China. Jin Mao Building is no longer the tallest building in China, but it has witnessed China's economic take-off and social prosperity in the past 20 years. There is no doubt that Jin Mao Tower is one of the most popular super-tall buildings in China.