09/09/06

This page provides some information on the capital city of Taipei, our time spent living there in 2003 and our adventures in and around Taipei. There is a section on Taipei 101 building - now the world's tallest building, and how it was constructed, just across from Ian's Taipei office. A shortlist of links to these topics is given below;

• About Taipei

  Taipei is the center of Taiwanese government and society. Not so long ago, it was barely more than a sleepy town, but not anymore. Today, Taipei can be counted among the cities that never sleep. Read more about Taipei by clicking the button above.

• Taipei 101

  Did you know that the Tallest Building in the World is now in Taipei? - click the button above.

Taipei is the center of Taiwanese government and society. Not so long ago, it was barely more than a sleepy town, home to a small group of rice and vegetable farmers, but growth was extremely rapid after WWII. Today, Taipei can be counted among the cities that never sleep. Life is busy and fast, and the people here work very hard. About 6 million people live in and around Taiwan's capital, lured by the excitement of a bustling city on the move.

Located at the very top of Taiwan Island, just a missile's throw across the Formosa Strait to the Chinese mainland, Taipei is a huge expanse of a city. Now a huge metropolis, Taipei is divided into twelve urban districts that aid in navigation. Like New York's Broadway, Chungshan Rd bisects the city into east and west, with roads labelled depending on which side they're on. Chunghsiao and Pateh Roads serve the same function, splitting the city into a north and south section; thus, you could be directed to an address on the corner of Mintsu W Rd and Chungching N Rd.

The city is situated in a basin in the north of Taiwan that was originally inhabited by aboriginal peoples until settlers from China moved into the area about 300 years ago. The first settlements were in present day Wanhua and Tatung. These two western districts, being the first permanent settlements of Chinese migrants, retain many of the old customs, as evidenced in the architecture, sculptures, and ceremonial activities that take place in the old streets and temples.

A more recent cultural focal point in the city is the National Palace Museum, which houses hundreds of thousands of Chinese antiques and art works. The museum is located in the north of the city and is a must see for lovers of ancient Chinese culture.

The eastern section of the city was largely underused fields until the 1970s when the city began to develop the area as a financial and commercial district. This area reveals the modern face of Taipei with its glass and steel skyscrapers, wide boulevards and the World Trade Center.

Although Taipei is somewhat like a large Western city with its go-go attitude, its very different in other ways. For one thing, it's much more crowded than what you are probably used to. People who are used to a lot of personal space might find it challenging to adjust to Taipei's smaller confines. For another, there is much less violent crime. Visible crime is very rare, although there are parts of the city which should be avoided after midnight, but aside from those areas you can walk at any time without feeling threatened. We would consider that Taipei is the safest city in Asia that we have lived in so far.

Because Taipei has grown so quickly, it is an interesting combination of old and new. Glitzy new department stores stand next to night markets and push-cart vendors. Taipei is the most expensive city in Taiwan. The surrounding districts are cheaper and sometimes even livelier and more densely populated. For those who prefer a quiet, more tranquil areas, the districts north of Taipei, such as Tien Mu, are greener and more spacious. The majority of ex-patriates reside here, along with most of the International Schools.

Being sub-tropical, Taipei experiences two seasons rather than four. From November to April the temperatures are cool - even chilly - with the locals reverting to fashionable winter clothing. There is a brief spell around March-April that could be called Spring, with visits to Yangmingshan Area being popular to take in the blossom trees and flowers. These past few years, rainfall has been fairly limited, however during the summer, the rain comes in short, torrential bursts, usually followed by bright sunshine. The combination is just enough to keep things hot and sticky for months, during May to September.

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History

Taipei is the ancestral homeland of the Kaidagelan, who settled in the area before Chinese migrants first arrived at the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). During the early 17th century, the Spanish began occupied parts of Taiwan and were followed by both the Dutch and Ming loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung (Koxinga). Until the Ching dynasty, the area was wild and undeveloped and was considered to be uninhabitable.

Taipei's development first began in 1709, when Chen Lai-chang, a native of Chuanchou, Fujian Province, applied for permission from the government to develop the region starting with Mengchia (present-day Wanhua District). Due to its convenient access to water and a natural harbor, Mengchia became the trading center of the Taipei Basin.

In 1895, after China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan was ceded to Japan and became a colony. The city was torn down and redesigned three times by the Japanese during this time before eventually taking on the proportions of a large city.

Following its retrocession to China in 1945, Taiwan was re-established as a province. Four years later, the Republic of China government retreated from China and relocated to Taiwan. The city gradually prospered to become the political, economic, educational, cultural, and transportation hub of the country. Forty years and two administrative reorganizations later, the city now proudly stands as one of East Asia's most important cities.

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Geography / Population

Taipei is nestled in a basin with mountains on all sides and covers an area of 271.77 square kilometers (27,177 hectares). The city is divided into 12 districts.

The population has reached to 2,640,303 (Jan 2003), making it one of the most crowded cities in the world.

Two beautiful peaks, Mt. Tatun and Mt. Chihsing, both over 1,000m high form a dramatic backdrop in the northeast of the city. The conical slopes of these former volcanoes contrast with the harsh, jagged peaks in the south of the island and now make up Yangmingshan National Park.

To the southeast of Taipei lies the Sungshan Hill and Chingshui Ravine, which form a natural protective barrier of lush woods. The Dakekan and Shintien rivers are located to the southwest, while the Keelung River runs to the northeast. The three rivers converge at the Tanshui River and flow into the Taiwan Strait.

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Climate

Taipei has a subtropical climate, with an average temperature of 22⁰C(72⁰F). Summer lasts from May until September and is typically hot and humid. July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 29⁰C(84⁰F). Autumn, from October to November, is probably the most pleasant time to visit Taipei, with average temperatures of 23⁰C(73⁰F). Winter lasts from December to February. January average temperatures are about 15⁰C(59⁰F), but there is often a strong wind and rain, which can make the weather seem quite chilly. The rainy season lasts from April to May, but sometimes extends into September. In the spring, Taipei blooms with dazzling azaleas and temperatures around 20⁰C(68⁰F).

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Yes, the World's Tallest building has now been competed in Taipei's new Business District, right across from Ian's High Speed Rail Office. The building is officially named Taipei 101 Tower and has 101 floors, a major shopping complex at ground level, several world-class hotels in the higher floors and a convention centre that supports the adjacent Taipei World Trade Centre building.

Photos of the building during construction, and after opening are shown in the Photo Gallery - click here.

Some News articles on the building are given below - click here. But first, a few details about the building and construction.

About the Building

The 101-storey Taipei 101, with a shopping mall, office tower and observation deck, costs NT$58 billion (S$3 billion) and became taller than the previous world No 1, the 452-m Petronas Towers in Malaysia. Divided into eight canted sections like a piece of bamboo, its external walls are also embellished with a ruyi, a traditional Chinese symbol of fulfilment and content. Its shopping mall opened in October 2003, and its office tower a year later.

Taipei 101 is a large scale multiple purpose development on a site area of 30,278 sq. meters, and it is an unusually large and square parcel of prime real estate in the middle of CBD. Major usage of the land is zoned to be for financial industry. In order to provide open space for the public, the construction line has recessed 35 meters to allow for a total of 15,197 sq. meters of open space around the building. Site coverage ratio is only 49.8 %.

The main building of the development is an 101 story super high-rise building, average floor plate is 1,391~2,375 sq. meters, and the principal usage is offices for financial institutions,

To alleviate wind pressure and to provide the best safety measures and efficient services, a mechanical floor is created with every eight floors of office, totaling 11 mechanical floors in the building. Top of the building is a communication tower that is to provide the best communication facilities.

The building structure is based on steel with reinforced concrete, exterior wall is to be glass curtain wall with double glazed heat reduction clear glass, and the base of the building is using granite.

There are a total of five basement levels excavated to the construction line, floor plate is as sizable as 24,221 sq. meters. In the foundation lays the ice storage tank to provide for efficient and cost saving air-conditioning system.

Podium has five stories with floor plate of 14,480 sq. meters, and will become the Taipei 101 Shopping Mall. The podium is enclosed by a 42 meter high glass dome that covers a indoor square of 2,865 sq. meters, which will be one of the world's largest, and certainly Taipei's largest indoor public space.

The tower superstructure is a steel frame with H shape steel beams acting composite with the floor slab through shear studs, and floor concrete acting composite with metal deck.

Gravity load is carried vertically by a variety of columns. Within the core, sixteen columns are located at the crossing points of four lines of bracing in each direction. The columns are boxes of steel plate, filled with concrete for added stiffness at lower levels.

On the perimeter, up to the 26th floor, each of the four building faces has two 'super-columns,' two 'sub-super-columns,' and two corner columns. The 'super-columns' and 'sub-super-columns' are steel boxes, filled with 10,000psi concrete on lower floors for stiffness up to 62nd floor. Their width (measured parallel to the facade) is limited, to work with facade panel widths established as a standard on this project. Their depth (into the floor space) varies. It is minimized on upper floors, but is permitted to increase as the floor plan grows at lower floors, to enhance overturning stiffness without impacting floor layout flexibility.

Each face of the perimeter above the 26th floor has the two 'super-columns' continue upward. The balance of perimeter framing is a sloping Special Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF), a rigidly-connected grid of deep, stiff beams and columns which follows the tower's exterior wall slope down each 8 story module. At each setback level, gravity load is transferred to 'super-columns' through a story-high diagonalized truss in the plane of the SMRF.

The topmost section of the building above 91st floor is much smaller in plan. Its loadings transfer to the core columns directly.

Lateral (Wind and Seismic) Systems
Lateral forces will be resisted through a combination of braced frames in the core, outriggers from core to perimeter, 'super-columns' and moment resisting frames in the perimeter and other selected locations.

By relative stiffness, the core bracing and outriggers carry most of the wind force and seismic force. Tower lateral systems are sized to limit tower story drift under the 50 years design wind load to an inter-story drift of h/200. Because of the severe wind load condition, stress requirements based on 100 years design wind load appear to govern the sizes of most

lateral system bracing components, including the designs of some core and perimeter columns.

Within the core, bays between core columns are stiffened by diagonal braces. On outer faces, middle bays have 'chevron' braces (inverted Vs) through which the elevator lobby entrance passes. Side bays have single diagonals, eccentric only where required to clear minimum doorway requirements. On inner faces, middle bays are non-braced (special moment frames are provided) at office floors, to keep elevator lobbies open and spacious. Side bays have diagonal braces.

For additional core stiffness, the lowest floors from basement to 8th floor have concrete shear walls cast between core columns in addition to diagonal braces. From core to perimeter, outrigger trusses occur at 11 locations in elevation. Outriggers at 6 locations are one story high, fitting in mechanical floors. The other 5 locations are double-height, working with architectural requirements. In plan, 16 outriggers occur on each such floor.

For the dual seismic system, an independent Special Moment Resisting Frame (SMRF) is provided on each building face. From basement to the 26th floor, the SMRF consists of ductile steel beams framing between 'strong' columns - the exterior super-columns, exterior sub-super columns, and corner columns. Above 26th Floor, only two exterior super columns continue to rise up to 91st floor, so the SMRF consists of 600mm deep steel wideflange beams and columns, with columns sized to be significantly stronger than beams for stability in the event of beam yielding. Each 7-story of SMRF is carried by a story high truss to transfer gravity and outrigger forces to the super-columns, and to handle the greater story stiffness of the core at outrigger floors.

Damping Systems

In an effort to reduce building lateral accelerations and to satisfy the vibration and comfort level requirement for the tower, a TMD system (Tuned Mass Damper) is designed and installed at the top of the building. The TMD system is to employ a mass consisted of built-up steel plate, suspended by cable as simple pendulum from the 92nd floor to give the Damper appropriate natural period of vibration. This simple passive system (TMD) is more reliable, requires minimum maintenance and is usually more economical, than an active TMD system.  

Project Name

Taipei Financial Center Project

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