Taipei 101

Name of Building

Taipei 101

Town or City, Country where the building was originally established

Xinyi District, Taipei. Taiwan

Date the building was designed and/or first built

July 1999: Construction begins.
November 2003 : Mall is completed and opened
December 2004: Tower completed, building opens.

Name of Architect, Builder, or Primary Patron Responsible

Architect: C.Y. Lee
Architect: C.P. Wang

Culturally Specific Time Period

Contemporary- 21st century

Geo-Location

25.033964, 121.564468.

Materials

Steel
Concrete
Glass

Size and/or Scale of Building

Height: 508.0 m

Architectural Type

Commercial

Formal Style

Postmodern Skyscraper

Building Description

Taipei 101 is a skyscraper which serves both as a distribution center and a financial hub for various companies. Floors B1-6F are public areas with a shopping mall, gym, food court, etc. Floors 7-84F act as private office spaces for companies. There are observatories open to the public on floors 88-91, with an additional private observatory on the top floor, 101.

The building's exterior is primarily glass, suited for energy control. LED lights and other electrical control measures are implemented throughout. It has a wind damper as support during inclement weather. Additionally, the building's base consists of eight steel pillars, further strengthening the structure. Taipei 101 was built with the climate in mind, both in withstanding weathering and promoting climate change initiatives.

Drawing from traditional Chinese architecture, the structure resembles a strong bamboo stalk and a pagoda, a building for Buddhist practices. The number eight found in its base is said to be lucky in Chinese numerology. The building is modern in its design and function—sitting in the heart of the bustling city—but it does not erase the works of architects past, instead building on them. Taipei 101 is a major feat of contemporary architecture, implementing modern techniques to its advantage while remaining true to its Chinese background.

Image source

Image 1: Taipei Taiwan Taipei-City-Hall-01.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Taipei_Taiwan_Taipei-City-Hall-01.jpg)
Image 2: Taipei 101 under construction 20031024 night.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Taipei_101_under_construction_20031024_night.jpg)
Image 3: Lobby of Taipei 101 01. 20241202.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Lobby_of_Taipei_101_01._20241202.jpg)
Image 4 - Taipei 101 Food Court.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Taipei_101_Food_Court.jpg)
Image 5 - Taipei 101 Observatory 89F 2019.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Taipei_101_Observatory_89F_2019.jpg)
Image 6 - Taipei 101 Tuned Mass Damper 2010.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Taipei_101_Tuned_Mass_Damper_2010.jpg)
Image 7 - Taipei 101 view from below amk.jpg
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Taipei_101_view_from_below_amk.jpg)

Creative Commons or other copyright information

Image 1: Creative Commons
Image 2: Creative Commons
Image 3: Creative Commons
Image 4 - Creative Commons
Image 5 - Creative Commons
Image 6 - Creative Commons
Image 7 - Creative Commons

Student First and Last Name

Moanna Dixson

Bibliographic references for the item

https://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/concept
1: https://www.britannica.com/place/Taipei-101
https://www.viracon.com/projects/view/id/27/
https://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/explore/floor
1: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101

In Process Notes on the building history and notable architectural details

1: The building was originally named the Taipei World Financial Center, and from 2003 to 2007 was the world’s tallest building, succeeded by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. (Moanna Dixson)

Files

Taipei_Taiwan_Taipei-City-Hall-01.jpg
Taipei_101_under_construction_20031024_night.jpg
Lobby_of_Taipei_101_01._20241202.jpg
Taipei_101_Food_Court.jpg
Taipei_101_Observatory_89F_2019.jpg
Taipei_101_Tuned_Mass_Damper_2010.jpg
Taipei_101_view_from_below_amk.jpg

Citation

Architect: C.Y. Lee and Architect: C.P. Wang , “Taipei 101,” World Architecture, accessed June 28, 2026, https://worldarchitecture.artinterp2.org/items/show/59.

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