One of the most famous skyscrapers in the world is the Shanghai World Financial Center. Its length is 492 meters. It is the second-tallest building in the city. Besides, it remains one of the ten tallest buildings in China and Asia, as well as one of the twenty tallest buildings in the world.

The Shanghai World Financial Center is located in the Pudong district next to two other famous skyscrapers: the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai Tower. Visit each of them, compare them with each other, and make a personal ranking of favorites among local architectural giants.

The Shanghai World Financial Center stands out among its multi-story neighbors because of its appearance. If the Jin Mao Tower resembles a pagoda, and the Shanghai Tower looks like a spiral, the Shanghai World Financial Center building is very similar to a huge glass opener. By the way, this comparison gave the skyscraper a second popular name, which naturalized among locals and tourists: «Do you want to visit the heart of Pudong? Keep heading for «the bottle opener»!».

During the construction process, which lasted for 10 years, many changes were made to the project of the Shanghai World Financial Center. Perhaps the most significant of them was the transformation of the upper floors of the skyscraper, thanks to which the famous «opener» appeared. However, this change was not decorative, but functional: the new shape of the top of the building allowed to reduce air resistance.

There were also offered other design options for the last floors. For example, they could be made not in the form of a trapeze that adorns a skyscraper today, but in the form of a circle as a mythological image of the sky in China. However, this form caused protests from residents of Shanghai, because it was more like a symbol of Japan - the rising sun, and it was difficult to implement it in life. So this idea was quickly abandoned.

The Shanghai World Financial Center provides its visitors with a lot of opportunities for entertainment and recreation. This includes several observation platforms, one of which was the highest in the world at the time of the building's opening. There is also a huge shopping center that occupies the first five floors of the skyscraper. And fancy restaurants where you can meet local celebrities. And numerous halls for exhibitions, conferences, and banquets. And even a luxury hotel.