The official opening and dedication ceremony of Beijing’s tallest building, China World Tower, was held at the China World Summit Wing on 30 August.
The tower was the third phase of the China World Trade Centre (CWTC) complex at the core of the city’s Central Business District. The ceremony also marks the 20th anniversary of CWTC and the twin milestones were celebrated by invited guests, government officials, and representatives from the design and construction teams including Arup engineers.
At 330m, the 74-storey tower is the latest addition to Beijing’s increasingly impressive skyline. The development houses state-of the-art offices, a five-star hotel, retail spaces and entertainment venues, yielding a gross floor area of 300,000m2.
As the building rises, it tapers, yet the visible columns remain evenly spaced around the perimeter. The tapering form makes it necessary to reduce the number of perimeter columns at the middle and high zones of the tower, which forms a distinctive pattern on the façade.
“The greatest concern and challenge was earthquakes, We developed an innovative structural design and used multiple new techniques to conduct rigorous analyses and tests. Such comprehensive studies were unprecedented in China. Goman Ho, Director, Arup
The structure is made of concrete and steel, striking a balance between the two materials’ respective stiffness and ductility. To withstand seismic movements, Arup introduced a new system to China by adopting a ‘composite steel plate shear wall’ at the base of the tower to cope with stress placed on it during an earthquake.
As the centrepiece of the developing Central Business District, China World Tower has become one of the buildings representing the modern Beijing City.