Queen Victoria Building

Best Historic Place Ever........

        The Queen Victoria Building is both a magnificent historical landmark and a shopping paradise. Affectionately referred to as the QVB, it has been described as the “most beautiful shopping centre in the world” by Pierre Cardin. It is a hub of activity and attracts hundreds of locals and tourists every day.

Exterior 

History Of The QVB

            The Queen Victoria Building was built on the site of the George Street Markets, Sydney’s produce markets in the 1800s. Architect George McRae submitted four separate designs for the building to the Sydney City Council, each with their own style. The styles were Renaissance, Gothic, Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne. Ultimately, the Romanesque Revival style was chosen. Construction began in 1893.

          Sydney was in the midst of a recession in 1893 and many people were out of work. The building project provided many job opportunities, especially for construction workers and artists and gave some much needed relief for many families.

Construction was completed in 1898 and the building was named after Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at the time. It originally featured coffee shops, showrooms, a business environment for various tradesmen and a concert hall. The concert hall has since become a library.

              Several alterations were made over the following years. For example, the original concept of a glass-roofed shopping street was lost when much of the building was converted into office space. Sadly, as time went on the building slowly deteriorated and in 1959, it was threatened with demolition.

Thankfully, the building was rescued and underwent extensive restorations and refurbishment. It was reopened in 1984 and although it is now home to over 200 modern shops, it still retains its turn-the-century charm.

The Architecture

              The architecture of the Queen Victoria Building is stunning both inside and out and offers a unique contrast to the surrounding modern structures. Even if you do not wish to shop, it is worth the time to have a look around.

From the outside you will notice the large central dome. It is 20 metres in diameter and is made up of an inner glass dome and an exterior copper-sheathed dome, topped by a domed cupola. Other smaller domes also feature prominently along the roof.

               At the main entrance is a statue of Queen Victoria by Irish sculptor, John Hughes. The statue once stood outside the Irish Houses of Parliament in Leinster House, Dublin but in 1947 it was given to the people of Sydney by the Government of the Republic of Ireland. It was placed here in 1987.

              The Royal Wishing Well stands nearby. It features a bronze sculpture of Islay, Queen Victoria’s favourite dog. A recorded message by radio personality, John Laws encourages passers-by to make a donation in the well, with all proceeds going to deaf and blind children.

Inside the Queen Victoria Building you will find beautiful wood panelling, sweeping staircases and stunning stained-glass windows, including a window featuring the original crest of arms of the city of Sydney. While you are there, make sure you look down at the tiles on the mosaic floor. Many are the originals.

             The upper levels of the building overlook the ground floor, creating a beautiful open space full of charming shops and cafes. If you have time, try one of the cafes on the upper levels and relax as you people-watch in exquisite surroundings.

Interior

Interior displays

            Two mechanical clocks, each one featuring dioramas and moving figures from moments in history, can be seen from the adjacent railed walkways. The Royal Clock activates on the hour and displays six scenes of English royalty (accompanied by a trumpet voluntary written by Jeremiah Clarke). The Great Australian Clock, designed and made by Chris Cook, weighs four tonnes and stands ten metres tall. It includes 33 scenes from Australian history, seen from both Aboriginal and European perspectives. An Aboriginal hunter circles the exterior of the clock continuously, representing the never-ending passage of time.

           The building also contains many memorials and historic displays. Of these, two large glass cases, removed in 2009-2010, stood out. The first display case contained an Imperial Chinese Bridal Carriage made entirely of jade and weighing over two tonnes, the only example found outside China. The second was a lifesize figure of Queen Victoria in a replica of her Coronation regalia, and surrounded by replicas of the British Crown Jewels. Her enthroned figure rotated slowly throughout the day, fixing the onlooker with her serene and youthful gaze.

          On the top level near the dome is displayed a sealed letter which is to be opened in 2085 by the future Lord Mayor of Sydney and read aloud to the People of Sydney. It is written by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986 and no one except her knows what is written

Designers

               George McRae was born in Edinburgh in 1858. He arrived in Sydney in 1884 and was appointed Assistant Architect in the City Architect’s office. He became City Architect and City Building Surveyor in 1889, a position he held until 1897 when he was appointed Principal Assistant Architect to Vernon in the Government Architect’s Branch. He succeeded Vernon as Government Architect in 1912 and held the office until his death in 1923.

Works undertaken by McRae during his term as Government Architect included the Education Dept Building 1912; Parcels Post Office 1913; Taronga Zoo lower entrance, top entrance, and Indian elephant house; additions to the Colonial Treasury Building in Bridge Street, and Cessnock Court House.

             From 1912 until 1937 the Government Architect’s Branch was housed in the “Tin Shed”, a temporary building on the site of the first Government House and demolished in 1970.

Zifeng Tower

 Zifeng Tower

Country: China

Height: 450 m (1,476 ft)

Floors: 89

          Zifeng Tower completely known as Greenland Square Zifeng Tower was completed in 2009 and is located in China. The Super Tall Skyscraper building includes place for hotels , offices and leisure rooms too available. It has 89 Floors with 5 basement floors too. Skidmore architectured this building too and its magnificent design and view appeals people towards it. The most amazing thing of the Zifeng Tower is that it has a public observatory at the top which gives a huge birds eye view of all the area around this giant building.

           Zifeng Tower (a.k.a. Greenland Center-Zifeng Tower or Greenland Square Zifeng Tower, formerly Nanjing Greenland Financial Center) is a 450-metre (1,480 ft) supertall skyscraper completed in 2009 in Nanjing, China. The 89-story building comprises retail and office space in the lower section, and restaurants, a hotel, and a public observatory near the top. The tower’s stepping is functional, helping separate these sections.

         Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the building led by Adrian Smith.

Status	Complete
Type	Mixed use
Location	Nanjing, China
Coordinates   32°03′44.9″N 118°46′4
Construction started	2005
Completed	2009
Opening	18 December 2010
Height
Architectural	450 m (1,480 ft)
Roof	381 m (1,250 ft)
Top floor	316.6 m (1,039 ft)
Observatory	271.8 m (892 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	66 (+5 basement floors)
Elevators	54
Design and construction
Architect	Adrian Smith at SOM
Structural engineer	Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

International Commerce Centre

 ICC Tower

Country: Hong Kong

Height: 484 m (1,588 ft)

Floors: 118

       International Commerce Center built and completed in 2010 is also a huge skyscraper and comprises of 118 floors with a total height of 1588 feet. The building is located in Hong Kong and is the Fifth Tallest building on earth. It comprises a vast 5 star luxury hotel , some offices , a big clear Ozone Swimming Pool located on 118th floor. There are other shopping malls located on different portions of the Building. One night stay at the luxury hotel costs hundreds and thousands of dollars.

       The International Commerce Centre  (abbr. ICC Tower) is a 118 floor, 484 m (1,588 ft) skyscraper completed in 2010 in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is a part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station. The development is owned and jointly developed by MTR Corporation Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong's metro operator and largest property developer respectively. It is currently the world's fourth tallest building by height, world's second tallest building by floors, as well as the tallest building in Hong Kong.

          Known in development as Union Square Phase 7, its current name was officially announced in 2005. International Commerce Centre was completed in phases from 2007 to 2010. The tower opened in 2011, with the Ritz-Carlton opening in late March and the observatory in early April.

Sun Hung Kai Properties also developed, along with another major Hong Kong developer, Henderson Land, the second-tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, the 2 International Finance Centre, which is located directly across Victoria Harbour in Central, Hong Kong Island.

Development

       The height had been scaled back from earlier plans due to regulations that didn't allow buildings to be taller than the surrounding mountains. The original proposal for this building was called Kowloon Station Phase 7 and it was designed to be 574 m (1,883 ft) tall with 102 floors.[4][5] It would have risen 162 m (531 ft) over the then current tallest in Hong Kong, 2 International Finance Centre.

The tower was designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) in association with Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd..

Floor directory

          A five-star hotel, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong occupies floors 102 to 118. The world's highest swimming pool and bar (OZONE) can be found on the top 118th floor. The 2,800 m2/30,000 sq ft Presidential Suite, which costs 100,000 HKD per night, is on the 117th floor. The hotel's arrival lobby is on the 9th floor where guest are greeted by receptionists and taken to express elevators. The express elevators take guests 425 m (1,394 ft) above the ground in 50 seconds to the main lobby on the 103rd floor. Guest keycards are required to use the hotel elevators to access the hotel rooms on floors 104-117 and the swimming pool and gym on floor 118. An exclusive Club lounge for guests staying in club rooms and suites is located on floor 116 along with the spa. Three restaurants, Tosca an Italian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant and the main restaurant are all located one floor below reception on floor 102. The hotel is targeting a 60% occupancy rate.

         The building also contains an observation deck on the 100th floor called Sky100 which opened to the public in April 2011. The 101st floor is leased to a number of five-star restaurants.

The rest of the building, except the lobby, contains "Grade A" office space. Current anchor tenants include investment banks Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse.

Construction

           At its basement is the Elements shopping mall, which opened in October 2007. Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse moved into ICC and occupy 16 and 12 floors respectively, Deutsche Bank occupies 12 floors with the option to expand to 18 floors.

Construction work was temporarily halted on 13 September 2009 due to an elevator shaft accident which killed six workers.

Top floor	118
Observatory	387.8 m (1,272.3 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	108
Floor area	274,064 m2 (2,950,000 sq ft)
Elevators	30 passenger lifts 14 shuttle lifts 2 VIP lifts

Shanghai World Financial Center

Nothing short of genius.......

Country: China

Height: 492 m (1,614 ft)

Floors: 101

         Shanghai World Financial Center is a super tall skyscraper in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls on the ground floors. On 14 September 2007 the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 feet) and became the second tallest building in the world; as well as the tallest structure on mainland China, including Hong Kong.

           The ground floor of Shanghai World Financial Center is a shopping mall and an elevator lobby with gyrating kaleidoscopes on the ceiling. On the upper floors are offices, conference rooms, hotel rooms, and observation decks. The building's most distinctive architectural feature is the aperture at the building peak, which has a trapezoidal shape resembling a bottle opener. It was originally a circular shape but was changed after the government of China objected, stating that the circular hole resembled the rising sun on the Japanese flag.

          The Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is a supertall skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, consisting of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and ground-floor shopping malls. Park Hyatt Shanghai is the hotel component, containing 174 rooms and suites. Occupying the 79th to the 93rd floors, it is the second-highest hotel in the world, surpassing the Grand Hyatt Shanghai on the 53rd to 87th floors of the neighboring Jin Mao Tower.

               On 14 September 2007, the skyscraper was topped out at 492.0 meters (1,614.2 ft), making it, at the time, the second-tallest building in the world and the tallest structure in Mainland China. It also had the highest occupied floor and the highest height to roof, two categories used to determine the title of "world’s tallest building". The SWFC opened on 28 August 2008, with its observation deck opening on 30 August. This observation deck, the world's tallest at the time of its completion, offers views from 474 m (1,555 ft) above ground level.

               The SWFC has been lauded for its design, and in 2008 it was named by architects as the year's best completed skyscraper. The SWFC will be exceeded in height by the adjacent Shanghai Tower, which is due for completion.


Constuction

 The tower's foundation stone was laid on 27 August 1997. In the late 1990s, the Pierre de Smet Building Corporation suffered a funding shortage caused by the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, which halted the project after the foundations were completed. On 13 February 2003, the Mori Group increased the building's height to 492 m (1,614 ft) and 101 stories, from the initial plans for a 460-metre (1,509 ft), 94-story building. The new building used the foundations of the original design, and construction work was resumed on 16 November 2003.

               A fire broke out in the incomplete SWFC on 14 August 2007. The fire was first noticed on the 40th floor, around 16:30 (GMT +8), and soon the smoke was clearly seen outside the building. By 17:45, the fire had been extinguished. The damage was reported to be slight and nobody was injured in the accident. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but according to some sources the preliminary investigation suggested workers' electric weldings caused the fire.

               The building reached its total height of 492 m (1,614 ft) on 14 September 2007 after the installation of the final steel girder.The final cladding panels were installed in mid-June 2008, and elevator installation was finished in mid-July. The Shanghai World Financial Center was completed on 17 July 2008, and was officially opened on 28 August. On 30 August 2008, the tower's observation floors were opened to the public.

Interior

          The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is a trapezoid aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, 46 m (151 ft) in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square and the sky with a circle". It also resembled a Chinese moon gate due to its circular form in Chinese architecture. However, this initial design began facing protests from some Chinese, including the mayor of Shanghai, Chen Liangyu, who considered it too similar to the rising sun design of the Japanese flag. Pedersen then suggested that a bridge be placed at the bottom of the aperture to make it less circular. On 18 October 2005, KPF submitted an alternative design to Mori Building and a trapezoidal hole replaced the circle at the top of the tower, which in addition to changing the controversial design, would also be cheaper and easier to implement according to the architects. In the eyes of some, the building resembles a giant bottle opener, as does the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh. In fact, metal replicas of the building that function as actual bottle openers are sold in the observation deck gift shop.

          There are three observation decks in Shanghai World Financial Center. The height of the lowest observation deck  is 423 m (1,388 ft), on the 94th floor, the second is 439 m (1,440 ft) high, on the 97th floor, named "Observatory Bridge" and the highest is 474 m (1,555 ft) high, on the 100th floor.[19] Admission fees range from RMB100 (US$15.40) for the 94th floor only, to RMB150 (US$23.10) for all three observation decks.

Awards

          Shanghai World Financial Center was named by architects as the best skyscraper completed in 2008 receiving both the Best Tall Building Overall and Asia & Australasia awards from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). CTBUH's Carol Willis, head of New York's Skyscraper Museum, states: "The simplicity of its form as well as its size dramatizes the idea of the skyscraper." Architect Tim Johnson noted its innovative structural design: "Steel trusses gird against the forces of wind and earthquake and made the building lighter, made it use less steel, and contributed to its sustainability." Johnson described the SWFC's structure as "nothing short of genius."

Taipei 101

 World Financial Center

           Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world.[6] Taipei 101 was designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening, and received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award.[7] Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.

        Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition (see Symbolism). Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.

           Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center 

Features

           Taipei 101 is designed to withstand the typhoon winds and earthquake tremors common in its area of the Asia-Pacific. Planners aimed for a structure that could withstand gale winds of 60 m/s (197 ft/s, 216 km/h, 134 mph) and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.Skyscrapers must be flexible in strong winds yet remain rigid enough to prevent large sideways movement (lateral drift). Flexibility prevents structural damage while resistance ensures comfort for the occupants and protection of glass, curtain walls and other features. Most designs achieve the necessary strength by enlarging critical structural elements such as bracing. The extraordinary height of Taipei 101 combined with the demands of its environment called for additional innovations. The design achieves both strength and flexibility for the tower through the use of high-performance steel construction. Thirty-six columns support Taipei 101, including eight "mega-columns" packed with 10,000 psi (69 MPa) concrete. Every eight floors, outrigger trusses connect the columns in the building's core to those on the exterior.

Interior

          Taipei 101 is the first record-setting skyscraper to be constructed in the 21st century. Appropriately it exhibits a number of technologically advanced features as it provides a center for business and recreation.

The original 2004 fiber-optic and satellite Internet connections permitted transfer speeds up to a gigabyte per second.

           The double-deck elevators built by the Japanese Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corporation (TELC) set a new record in 2004 with top ascending speeds of 16.83 m (55.22 ft) per second (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h). This speed is 34.7 percent faster than the previous record holders of the Yokohama Landmark Tower elevator, Yokohama, Japan, which reaches speeds of 12.5 m (41 ft) per second (45.0 km/h, 28.0 mi/h). Taipei 101's elevators sweep visitors from the fifth floor to the 89th-floor observatory in only 37 seconds. Each elevator features an aerodynamic body, full pressurization, state-of-the art emergency braking systems, and the world's first triple-stage anti-overshooting system. The cost for each elevator is NT$80 million (US$2.4 million).

            A 660-metric-ton (728 short ton) tuned mass damper stabilizes the tower against movements caused by high winds. The damper can reduce up to 40% of the tower's movements

               The observatories are located in the 91st and 89th floors.

          Two restaurants have opened on the 85th floor: Diamond Tony's, which offers European-style seafood and steak, and Shin Yeh 101 , which offers Taiwanese-style cuisine. Occupying all of the 86th floor is Taiwanese restaurant Ding Xian 101.

             The multi-story retail mall adjoining the tower is home to hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, clubs and other attractions. The mall's interior is modern in design even as it makes use of traditional elements. The curled ruyi symbol is a recurring motif inside the mall. Many features of the interior also observe feng shui traditions.

Floor Directory

101st floor	Summit 101 (Private VIP Club)
92nd – 100st floor	Communication Floors
91st floor	Outdoor Observatory Deck
88th – 89th floor	Indoor Observatory Deck
85th – 86th floor	Observatory Restaurant
59th – 84th floor	High Zone Office Floor
59th – 60th floor	Sky lobbies Floors
35th – 58th floor	Mid Zone Office Floor
36th floor	Taipei 101 Conference Center
35th – 36th floor	Sky lobbies Floors
35th floor	Amenities Floor
9th – 34th floor	Low Zone Office Center
B1 - 5F (1st Basement – 5th floor)	Shopping Mall
1st – 2nd floor	Grand Lobby
B2 – B5 (2nd Basement – 5th Basement floor)	Basement Car Parking

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