Taipei 101

Taipei 101 is an office and retail tower in Xinyi District, Taiwan, rising 508 meters with 101 floors above ground and five basement levels. The facade consists of double-paned blue-green glass panels distributed across eight stacked segments, each containing eight stories, while bronze-toned lattice elements frame the corners of each section and give the building its recognizable shape.

Construction started in 1999 and took five years until the building opened in 2004 as the tallest tower in the world. This record held until 2010 when Burj Khalifa surpassed it, while the construction process survived multiple typhoons and earthquakes that tested the engineering solutions.

On New Year's Eve, fireworks shoot from multiple stories and draw crowds from across the city who gather to celebrate together. The architecture repeats groups of eight floors, reflecting local beliefs about fortune and making the tower a familiar landmark in everyday life.

Observation platforms sit on the 89th and 91st floors, with the upper level offering an outdoor area, and high-speed elevators take visitors up in under a minute. Advance tickets purchased online help reduce waiting times on weekends and holidays, while the basement level connects to the metro station through an underground passage.

A 730-ton steel damper hangs between floors 87 and 92 and swings visibly during strong winds, reducing building movement by up to 40 percent. Visitors can watch this mechanism from the observation platforms, which is uncommon for skyscrapers where such systems usually remain hidden behind closed mechanical floors.

Location: Xicun Village

Inception: December 31, 2005

Architects: C. Y. Lee

Official opening: November 14, 2005

Architectural style: postmodern architecture

Floors above the ground: 101

Floors below the ground: 5

Elevators: 61

Height: 2 m

Website: http://taipei-101.com.tw

GPS coordinates: 25.03361,121.56472

Latest update: December 12, 2025 16:37