Shanghai Tower, China

The Shanghai Tower is a 632-metre (2,073 ft), 128 story megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. It is the world's second tallest building by height to architectural top and it shares the record of having the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure at 562 m. It had the world's second fastest elevators at a top speed of 20.5 metres per second (74 km/h) until 2017, when it was surpassed by the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, with a top speed of 21 metres per second (76 km/h). Designed by international design firm Gensler and owned by the Shanghai city government, it is the tallest of the world's first triple adjacent supertall buildings in Pudong, the other two being the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Centre. Its tiered construction, designed for high energy efficiency, provides nine separate zones divided between office, retail and leisure use.

Construction work on the tower began in November 2008 and topped out on 3 August 2013. The exterior was completed in summer 2015, and work was considered complete in September 2015. Although the building was originally scheduled to open to the public in November 2014, the actual public-use date slipped considerably. The observation deck was opened to visitors in July 2016; the period from July through September 2016 was termed a test run or commissioning period. Since April 26, 2017, the sightseeing deck on the 118th floor has been open to the public.

Shanghai Tower is the winner of Tien-yow Jeme Civil Engineering Prize of 2018. The Shanghai Tower was designed by the American architectural firm Gensler, with Shanghainese architect Jun Xia leading the design team.

The tower takes the form of nine cylindrical buildings stacked atop each other, totalling 128 floors, all enclosed by the inner layer of the glass facade. Between that and the outer layer, which twists as it rises, nine indoor zones provide public space for visitors. Each of these nine areas has its own atrium, featuring gardens, cafes, restaurants and retail space, and providing panoramic views of the city.

Both layers of the façade are transparent, and retail and event spaces are provided at the tower's base. The transparent façade is a unique design feature, because most buildings have only a single façade using highly reflective glass to reduce heat absorption, but the Shanghai Tower's double layer of glass eliminates the need for either layer to be opaqued. The tower is able to accommodate as many as 16,000 people on a daily basis.

The Shanghai Tower joins the Jin Mao Tower and SWFC to form the world's first adjacent grouping of three supertall buildings. Its 258 room hotel, located between the 84th and 110th floors, is to be operated by Jin Jiang International Hotels as the Shanghai Tower J-Hotel, and at the time of its completion it will be the highest hotel in the world. The tower will also incorporate a museum. The tower's sub-levels provide parking spaces for 1,800 vehicles.