11
Global
Height rank

TAIPEI 101

Taipei
Height
1
To Tip:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
508 m / 1,667 ft
2
Architectural:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
508 m / 1,667 ft
3
Occupied:
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
438 m / 1,437 ft
1 2 3 TAIPEI 101
  Floors
Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
101
Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
5
Height 508 m / 1,667 ft
Floors 101
Official Name
The current legal building name.

TAIPEI 101

Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.

Building

Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished

Completed

Completion

2004

Country/Region
Taiwan
City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.

Taipei

Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.

A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.

Office

Structural Material
All-Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered an “all-steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

All-Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars and/or steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.

All-Timber
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from timber. An all-timber structure may include the use of localized non-timber connections between timber elements. Note that a building of timber construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of timber beams is still considered an “all-timber” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.

Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. all-steel, all-concrete, all-timber), one on top of the other. For example, a Steel Over Concrete indicates an all-steel structural system located on top of an all-concrete structural system, with the opposite true of Concrete Over Steel.

Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used within a composite building’s primary structural elements.

Composite

Energy Label

LEED Platinum O+M: Existing Buildings

Official Website

Taipei 101

Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."

508 m / 1,667 ft

To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
508 m / 1,667 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
438 m / 1,437 ft
Observatory
391.8 m / 1,285 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).

101

Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.

5

# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.

1839

# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).

61

Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.

16.83 m/s

Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.

198,347 m² / 2,134,989 ft²

Rankings

#
11
Tallest in the World
#
8
Tallest in Asia
#
1
Tallest in Taiwan
#
1
Tallest in Taipei

Construction Schedule

1997

Proposed

1999

Construction Start

2004

Completed

2009

Retrofit Start

2011

Retrofit End

Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Project Manager

The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.

Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Building Monitoring
Damping
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Vertical Transportation
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Construction Hoists
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Architect
Design

Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Structural Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

MEP Engineer
Design

The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.

Continental Engineering Consultants, Inc.
Peer Review

The Peer Review Engineer traditionally comments on the information produced by another party, and to render second opinions, but not to initiate what the design looks like from the start.

Lehr Engineering
Project Manager

The CTBUH lists a project manager when a specific firm has been commissioned to oversee this aspect of a tall building’s design/construction. When the project management efforts are handled by the developer, main contract, or architect, this field will be omitted.

Contractor
Main Contractor

The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.

Kumagai Gumi; RSEA Engineering; Samsung C&T Corporation; Ta-You-Wei Construction; Taiwan Kumagai
Other Consultant

Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).

Acoustics
Shen Milsom Wilke, Inc.
Building Monitoring
Damping
Motioneering; ITT Enidine
Façade

These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.

Landscape
Genius Loci
LEED
EcoTech International; Siemens Building Technology; SL+A International Asia
Lighting
Theo Kondos
Marketing
Wordsearch
Sustainability
EcoTech International; Siemens Building Technology; SL+A International Asia
Vertical Transportation
Wind
Material Supplier

Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).

Construction Hoists
Elevator
Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC)
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Fire Proofing
Grace Construction Products
Flooring
CS Group Construction Specialties Company
HVAC
Carrier HVAC; York
Paint/Coating
Jotun
Steel
China Steel Corporation; Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Performance Award 2016 Winner

2016 CTBUH Awards

 

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH 10th World Congress: 50 Most Influential Buildings of the Last 50 Years

8 October 2019 - Conference Activity

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

22 August 2018 - CTBUH Research

Videos

03 November 2016 | Taipei

Building on Unprecedented Performance: TAIPEI 101

Perhaps what is most notable about the TAIPEI 101 performance upgrade is not its complexity, but rather that the tower was already relatively efficient. All...

Research

22 December 2023

Remembering Charles H. Thornton, 2012 Fazlur Khan Lifetime Achievement Awardee

Charles Thornton & Richard Tomasetti

This edition of Talking Tall is an interview from the CTBUH archives. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat would like to remember Charles...

Global News

30 July 2020

CTBUH In The Media: The Future of Skyscrapers: A Mile High, Slimmer Than Ever and Made from Wood

History does not want for dizzying fantasies of tall buildings. From the Tower of Babel onwards, humanity has dreamed of ever-more wondrous skyscrapers, whether we...

About TAIPEI 101

Standing in the Xinyi District of Taipei, an area known for its financial services and vibrant shopping malls, TAIPEI 101 represents a worldwide precedent for sustainable skyscraper development. It achieved a LEED Platinum certification for Operations and Maintenance in 2011, an impressive feat for a tower of its size and complexity.

The tower rises from its base in a series of eight-story modules that flare outward, evoking the form of a Chinese pagoda. The top of each module houses mechanical floors that accommodate garbage systems, ventilation equipment, water storage, and MEP services. Near the top, a smaller tower caps the structure, forming a pinnacle that has become a familiar sight for the city. The façade of the tower features double-paned green glass curtain walls that are highly reflective and block solar heat gain by 50 percent. Other sustainable features include energy efficient luminaries, custom lighting controls, low-flow water fixtures, and a smart Energy Management and Control System.

TAIPEI 101 contains a 728-ton tuned mass damper (TMD), a large spherical steel pendulum that offsets lateral movements caused by strong winds. The TMD is located in a large multi-story cavity near the top of the tower. This location is ideal for countering overturning forces, a necessary precaution in a typhoon-prone part of the world.

Nearly every aspect of the building’s design is steeped in symbolism. The number “100” symbolizes perfection and “100 plus 1” represents further breakthrough and innovation, and the new beginning. After completion, the building has become a central component of New Year’s celebrations in Taiwan. Every year, all of the tower’s lights are turned off and each of the stacked modules light up in sequential order, counting down the last eight seconds before the New Year, which is followed by a dazzling fireworks display.

CTBUH Awards & Distinctions

Performance Award 2016 Winner

2016 CTBUH Awards

Quick Facts

03 November 2016 | Taipei

Building on Unprecedented Performance: TAIPEI 101

Perhaps what is most notable about the TAIPEI 101 performance upgrade is not its complexity, but rather that the tower was already relatively efficient. All...

03 November 2016 | Taipei

Interview: TAIPEI 101

Joseph Chou and Freda Tsai, Taipei Financial Center Corporation, are interviewed by Chris Bentley regarding TAIPEI 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, the recipient of the 2016...

19 October 2016 | Taipei

From San Diego to Guangzhou: The Story of Marketing Tall Buildings

One of the keys to attracting buyers and tenants for a contemporary tall building is a succinct marketing strategy and a robust understanding of how...

17 October 2016 | Taipei

CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Joseph Chu, " TAIPEI 101’s Upgrade Recertification to LEED O+M v4"

Monday October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Joseph Chu, Taipei Financial Center Corporation, presents at the 2016 China Conference Session 3c: Building Operation. The sheer size...

17 October 2016 | Taipei

CTBUH 2016 China Conference - Session 3c: Building Operation Q&A

Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Tim Neal, Arcadis; Samuel So, JLL; Joseph Chou, Taipei Financial Center Corporation; Zhao Ming Wang, CCDI answer questions at...

17 October 2016 | Taipei

CTBUH Video Interview – Freda Tsai

Freda Tsai of Taipei Financial Center Corporation is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Freda discusses the retrofit and management strategy...

17 October 2016 | Taipei

Mega Size Mixed-Use Projects: Redefining Vertical Urbanism

Monday October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Dennis Poon of Thornton Tomasetti, presents at the 2016 China Conference Session 4c: Structural & Geotechnic Engineering. As the...

06 November 2014 | Taipei

Fazlur R. Khan Lifetime Achievement Award: Wind Engineering the World’s Tallest

Peter Irwin, one of the founding partners of Rowan Williams Davies and Irwin Inc. (RWDI), has led wind engineering on many of the world’s tallest...

16 September 2014 | Taipei

Interview: Cathy Yang

Cathy Yang of TAIPEI 101 interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2014 CTBUH Shanghai Conference at the Jin Mao Tower. Cathy discusses the future of...

16 September 2014 | Taipei

Taipei 101: Tall Building Operation Towards Sustainability

To take TAIPEI 101 TOWER as an example that will showcase the various aspects of managing a tall building, satisfying tenant requirements, stakeholders expectations, and...

22 December 2023

Remembering Charles H. Thornton, 2012 Fazlur Khan Lifetime Achievement Awardee

Charles Thornton & Richard Tomasetti

This edition of Talking Tall is an interview from the CTBUH archives. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat would like to remember Charles...

16 May 2023

The Economics of Record-Breaking Height

Jason Barr & Peter A. Weismantle

This paper reviews the development history of record-breaking skyscrapers to better understand their economics. Given how tall they are, the supposed reason for their construction...

20 March 2020

Interactive Study on The Tallest 20 in 2020: Then and Now

CTBUH Research

This research paper undertakes a review of the 2012 report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, “Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the...

28 October 2019

Aesthetics of Chinese Tall Buildings

Richard Lee, C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects/ Planners

While Western aesthetics dominate the world at this time, the rise of the East has led China to reexamine its Eurocentric view towards aesthetics. China...

11 October 2019

Tall Buildings in Numbers: 50 Years of Tall Building Evolution

CTBUH Research

The default image of the skyscraper for the past 50 years in the public imagination has likely been the extruded, rectilinear corporate “box,” derived from...

31 January 2019

Interactive Study on Tall Buildings in Numbers: 2018 Year in Review

CTBUH Research

In 2018, 143 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed. This is a slight decrease from 2017’s record-breaking total of 147, and it...

30 July 2018

World’s Tallest Buildings with Dampers

CTBUH Research

As tall buildings continue to be built in seismically-active and cyclone-prone areas, the need to augment the structures of these buildings with dynamic modification devices...

17 October 2016

A Perspective on TAIPEI 101’s Decision to Upgrade Recertification to LEED O+M v4

Freda Tsai & Joseph Chou, Taipei Financial Center Corporation

The sheer size and complexity of a building like TAIPEI 101, along with the international nature of the project and newness of LEED v4, can...

16 September 2014

Taipei 101: Tall Building Operation Towards Sustainability

Cathy Yang, Taipei Financial Center Corporation

To take TAIPEI 101 TOWER as an example that will showcase the various aspects of managing a tall building, satisfying tenant requirements, stakeholders expectations, and...

14 September 2014

Towards Sustainable Vertical Urbanism

Daniel Safarik, CTBUH

The survival of humanity on this planet relies on a radical repositioning of our cities. In the face of unprecedented global population growth, urbanization, pollution...

30 July 2020

CTBUH In The Media: The Future of Skyscrapers: A Mile High, Slimmer Than Ever and Made from Wood

History does not want for dizzying fantasies of tall buildings. From the Tower of Babel onwards, humanity has dreamed of ever-more wondrous skyscrapers, whether we...

09 August 2019

Taipei 101 Damper Experienced Record Movement Due to Earthquake

The tuned mass damper in the Taipei 101 skyscraper moved 15 centimeters due to an earthquake early Thursday, 8 August, according to the building management....

8 October 2019

CTBUH 10th World Congress: 50 Most Influential Buildings of the Last 50 Years

CTBUH has highlighted best practice examples of tall buildings that represented a significant change in thinking or technique.

22 August 2018

CTBUH Study Examines Tallest Buildings with Dampers

CTBUH has released a Tall Buildings in Numbers (TBIN) interactive data study on the world's tallest buildings with dampers.

28 June 2018

TAIPEI 101 Hosts "Global Tall: Trends, Drivers and Challenges"

TAIPEI 101 hosted an event called “Global Tall: Skyscraper Trends, Drivers and Challenges” to discuss the global trends of skyscraper construction, the forum saw valued guests from industry participants, government agencies and academia, including: CTBUH Advisory Board member Joseph Chou and CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood.

12 September 2017

Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration

CTBUH partnered with Guinness World Records to identify the commercial building with the fastest elevator speeds and longest vertical runs.

5 July 2017

Asia Pacific Seminar Series

CTBUH Singapore, in coordination with CTBUH Malaysia and CTBUH Thailand, hosted a multi-city seminar on sustainable design in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.

4 November 2016

CTBUH Names Shanghai Tower “2016 Best Tall Building Worldwide”

The CTBUH Awards Jury named Shanghai Tower, Shanghai as the “2016 Best Tall Building Worldwide” at the 15th Annual CTBUH Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

13 October 2016

Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings

The Council is pleased to announce the Top Company Rankings for numerous disciplines as derived from the list of projects appearing in 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings.

22 June 2016

CTBUH Names Tall Building Award Winners and Finalists

CTBUH is proud to announce the winners and finalists for the CTBUH 2016 Tall Building Awards, chosen from a pool of 132 submissions vying for recognition.

25 February 2016

CITAB-CTBUH Name 2016 China Tall Building Award Recipients

CITAB and CTBUH are pleased to announce the award recipients for the inaugural CITAB-CTBUH 2016 China Tall Building Awards.

13 January 2016

Performance and Behavior of Tall Buildings for Wind Loads

CTBUH YPC hosted an event on wind engineering and understanding its effects on tall buildings as well as to provide insight into the engineering efforts in design of shorter buildings.