Shanghai Tower (Liverpool)
Encyclopedia
Shanghai Tower is the name of a proposed 60-storey skyscraper, to be built as part of the multi-billion pound Liverpool Waters
development in the English
city of Liverpool
. The proposal pays homage to the Chinese
city of Shanghai
, a sister city of Liverpool.
as a centrepiece for the ambitious Liverpool Waters development. Peel Group commissioned four architect firms (AFL
, Broadway Malyan
, Chapman Taylor
and Benoy
) to each create a design for the tower which was to be sixty storeys tall and located on an 'island' by Princes Half Tide Dock
. It is hoped that Shanghai Tower will be the first major part of Liverpool Waters to be constructed, decades ahead of the completion of Liverpool Waters as a whole.
population in Europe with many of the first immigrants being sailors from the port of Shanghai. Chinese are the single largest visible ethnic minority group in Liverpool and since 1999 the strong relationship between Liverpool and Shanghai has been cemented by the twinning of the two cities. Peel Group have also stated that the Liverpool Waters development was inspired by the impressive Shanghai waterfront
. The Shanghai Municipal Government
have showed their support for the project and envisage it boosting the relationship between the two cities even further and establish Liverpool as the leading gateway into the UK and Europe for Chinese business. There was a pavilion representing the city of Liverpool at the Expo 2010
in Shanghai which encouraged potential clients to invest into the Shanghai Tower development.
Liverpool's Shanghai Tower should not be confused with the Chinese supertall skyscraper of the same name, which is a 632-metre (2,073-foot) tower under construction in Shanghai itself.
The exact height of the proposed building is yet to be revealed, although it will be at least 200 metres (656 ft) tall and contain 60 storeys. If built it will become the tallest building in the United Kingdom outside of London
as no under-construction, approved or even proposed buildings in other British cities exceed a height of 60 storeys (in London Shard London Bridge
, Bishopsgate Tower
, The Three Houses, Columbus Tower and The Pride all consist of at least 60 storeys). Shanghai Tower is proposed to be a mixed use skyscraper, it will contain 93,000 sq metres (1,001,043 sq feet) of mixed use floor space, Liverpool's first five star hotel as well as countless apartments, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Also within the design is a rooftop helipad
alongside an underwater basement car park.
Liverpool Waters
Liverpool Waters is a large scale £5.5bn development that has been proposed by the company Peel Holdings in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The development will make use of a series of presently derelict dock spaces at Central Docks, with much of the docks in a World Heritage...
development in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
city of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The proposal pays homage to the Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
city of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, a sister city of Liverpool.
Development
Plans to build the Shanghai Tower first emerged in 2007 when Peel Group pledged to build the tallest tower in North West EnglandNorth West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
as a centrepiece for the ambitious Liverpool Waters development. Peel Group commissioned four architect firms (AFL
AFL (architects)
-Notable projects:*Finch Farm - Everton F.C's training complex*Melwood - Liverpool F.C's training complex*Carrington - Manchester United's training complex*DW Stadium - Home of Wigan Athletic F.C.*City of Salford Stadium - Home venue of Salford Reds...
, Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan is an international architecture, urbanism and design practice with fifteen offices worldwide. Established in 1958, the company has been ranked as one of the top 25 architectural practices in the world....
, Chapman Taylor
James Walter Chapman-Taylor
James Walter Chapman-Taylor born London, England, Was known as one of New Zealandʼs most important domestic architects of his time bringing the Arts and Crafts Movement to New Zealand houses...
and Benoy
Benoy
Benoy is an international firm of architects, masterplanners, retail auditors, visualisers, interior and graphic designers working from design studios in the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore...
) to each create a design for the tower which was to be sixty storeys tall and located on an 'island' by Princes Half Tide Dock
Princes Half Tide Dock
Princes Half Tide Dock on the River Mersey, England, is a half tide dock and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Vauxhall, connected to East Waterloo Dock and West Waterloo Dock to the north and Princes Dock to the south. The dock opened in 1810 and...
. It is hoped that Shanghai Tower will be the first major part of Liverpool Waters to be constructed, decades ahead of the completion of Liverpool Waters as a whole.
Significance of name
Peel Group's director Lindsey Ashworth and Chairman John Whittaker are responsible for the naming of Shanghai Tower. Liverpool as a city is home to the oldest ethnic ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
population in Europe with many of the first immigrants being sailors from the port of Shanghai. Chinese are the single largest visible ethnic minority group in Liverpool and since 1999 the strong relationship between Liverpool and Shanghai has been cemented by the twinning of the two cities. Peel Group have also stated that the Liverpool Waters development was inspired by the impressive Shanghai waterfront
Pudong
Pudong |Bank]]") is an area of Shanghai, China, located along the east side of the Huangpu River, across from the historic city center of Shanghai in Puxi. Formerly a little-developed agricultural area linked only by ferries, Pudong has grown rapidly since the 1990s and emerged as China's financial...
. The Shanghai Municipal Government
Politics of Shanghai
The Politics of Shanghai is structured in a dual party-government system like all other governing institutions in the mainland of the People's Republic of China . In the last few decades the city has produced many of the country's eventual senior leaders...
have showed their support for the project and envisage it boosting the relationship between the two cities even further and establish Liverpool as the leading gateway into the UK and Europe for Chinese business. There was a pavilion representing the city of Liverpool at the Expo 2010
Expo 2010
Expo 2010, officially Expo 2010 Shanghai China was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in the city of Shanghai, China, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was a major World Expo in the tradition of international fairs and expositions, the first since 1992...
in Shanghai which encouraged potential clients to invest into the Shanghai Tower development.
Liverpool's Shanghai Tower should not be confused with the Chinese supertall skyscraper of the same name, which is a 632-metre (2,073-foot) tower under construction in Shanghai itself.
Description of building
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as no under-construction, approved or even proposed buildings in other British cities exceed a height of 60 storeys (in London Shard London Bridge
Shard London Bridge
Shard London Bridge is a skyscraper under construction in Southwark, London. When completed in May 2012, it will be the tallest building in the European Union and the 45th-tallest building in the world, standing tall...
, Bishopsgate Tower
Bishopsgate Tower
The Pinnacle, also known as The Bishopsgate Tower and The Helter-Skelter, is a , 63-storey skyscraper under construction in the centre of London's main financial district, the City of London. It is one of four major towers under construction in London, others being Shard London Bridge, 122...
, The Three Houses, Columbus Tower and The Pride all consist of at least 60 storeys). Shanghai Tower is proposed to be a mixed use skyscraper, it will contain 93,000 sq metres (1,001,043 sq feet) of mixed use floor space, Liverpool's first five star hotel as well as countless apartments, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Also within the design is a rooftop helipad
Helipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
alongside an underwater basement car park.
Status
The fate of Shanghai Tower lies within the fate of Liverpool Waters itself. Although Liverpool Waters has changed form numerous times, Shanghai Tower has always been a key element within the proposed development. An outline planning application for the whole of Liverpool Waters was submitted in March 2010 with Peel Group having already found a significant amount of funding. As of June 2010, the decision is still pending; if permission is granted, Shanghai Tower is expected to be completed in 2025.See also
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Liverpool
- Shanghai Tower, a Chinese supertall skyscraper with the same name