Shanghai Tower
Project Type: Mixed-Use skyscraper
Location: Shanghai, China
Project Size: 4,520,000 SQ FT
The Shanghai Tower is a landmark of contemporary supertall architecture, rising 632 meters (2,073 feet) above the Lujiazui district in Shanghai. As the tallest building in China and one of the tallest in the world, it redefines the city’s skyline with its elegant, spiraling form and high-performance sustainable design.
Designed by Gensler, the tower is defined by a 120-degree twist that reduces wind loads, enhances structural efficiency, and creates its iconic silhouette. Its innovative double-skin glass façade wraps a transparent outer layer around the inner tower, forming multi-story sky atriums that act as thermal buffers while fostering vertical community spaces.
Organized into nine stacked vertical zones, the building functions as interconnected neighborhoods, integrating offices, retail, hospitality, and observation areas. The tapered crown reinforces the tower’s aerodynamic performance and sculptural presence. Elijah Jordan, while based in Shanghai, was a member of the Gensler team contributing to the project’s development and construction site administration of this globally recognized symbol of innovation and urban progress.
