An artist's impression of the Shanghai Tower, which with the Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center will complete a trio of super-tall buildings in the city's financial district. Construction of the 632 meter building is expected to complete in 2014. Photo Ogilvy Public Relations.

Groundbreaking ceremonies held today marked the start of construction of the Shanghai Tower, the city's latest super-tall building.

The 632-meter building, which as things stand will be China's tallest, was designed by global architecture firm Gensler who say they have used sustainable design strategies and have given prominence to public spaces.

The project's developer is the Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Company. Thornton Tomasetti are the structural engineers. The development is planned to complete in 2014.

The Shanghai Tower will join the Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center – nicknamed the bottle opener - to complete a trio of towers in the Luijiazui Finance and Trade Zone, an area of Shanghai that was farmland eighteen years ago.

(China.org.cn by John Sexton, November 28, 2008)