Jin Mao Tower
Name of Building
Jin Mao Tower
Town or City, Country where the building was originally established
Shanghai, China
Date the building was designed and/or first built
1996 - Design finished.
1999 - Construction completed.
Name of Architect, Builder, or Primary Patron Responsible
Architect - Adrian Smith
Developer - China Jin Mao Group
Engineer - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Geo-Location
31.23579271764544, 121.50572763836887
Materials
Steel
Concrete
Glass
Size and/or Scale of Building
Height - 420 meters, 88-stories
Architectural Type
Commercial
Formal Style
Neo-Futurism
Building Description
A modern-day pagoda standing at 420.5 meters tall in Shanghai. Jin Mao Tower is a commercial skyscraper built by architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building, constructed primarily of steel, concrete, and glass, is a contemporary play on Chinese culture.
Jin Mao Tower's structure relies heavily on the number eight, with 88 floors, eight steel columns, etc. The number eight in Chinese numerology is often associated with prosperity. These structural elements are not limited to cultural heritage, however. They also prevent natural disasters. The pagoda structure allows the building to withstand typhoons and earthquakes, similar to other contemporary skyscrapers.
Jin Mao Tower's structure relies heavily on the number eight, with 88 floors, eight steel columns, etc. The number eight in Chinese numerology is often associated with prosperity. These structural elements are not limited to cultural heritage, however. They also prevent natural disasters. The pagoda structure allows the building to withstand typhoons and earthquakes, similar to other contemporary skyscrapers.
Image source
Image 1 - JinMaoBuilding
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/JinMaoBuilding.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/JinMaoBuilding.jpg
Image 2 - 20191114_Jin_Mao_Tower-3 (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/20191114_Jin_Mao_Tower-3.jpg)
Creative Commons or other copyright information
Image 1 - Creative Commons
Image 2 - Creative Commons
Student First and Last Name
Moanna Dixson
Bibliographic references for the item
https://www.som.com/projects/jin-mao-tower/
https://www.permasteelisagroup.com/historic-project/jin-mao-tower/#:~:text=The%20concept,LEED%20Platinum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Mao_Tower
Files
Citation
Architect - Adrian Smith, Developer - China Jin Mao Group, and Engineer - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, “Jin Mao Tower,” World Architecture, accessed June 28, 2026, https://worldarchitecture.artinterp2.org/items/show/144.
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