Spatial
01. Structural Design
Foundation
Taipei 101 tower is built on 380 concrete piles, each 1.5 metres in diameter, sunk 80 metres into the ground.
To address the challenge of constructing a 21-meter-deep basement on a site with soft rock beneath layers of clay and soil, initially, a thick slurry wall was constructed to encircle both the tower and its base, extending deep enough to block groundwater and provide support for the excavation depth required.
Additionally, another slurry wall was specifically built around the tower footprint, reinforced with steel supports to ensure safe excavation to the necessary depth.
Source:
Binder, G. (2008). Taipei 101. Images Publishing.
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Structure
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The 101-story tower's structural system is mainly based on a mega frame with cross-shaped giant frames.
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The core comprises 16 box columns (grey column in figure) in four lines, which are generally braced between floors.
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Eight mega columns (red columns in figure) provide vertical support.
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The columns are filled with high-strength reinforced concrete to form a strong framework
Source:
Binder, G. (2008). Taipei 101. Images Publishing.
Square-cornered model .
‘sawtooth’ plans with two corners
‘sawtooth’ plans with four corners
Source:
Poon, D., Shieh, S. S., Joseph, L. M., & Chang, C. (2004, October). Structural design of Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building. In Proceedings of the CTBUH 2004 Seoul Conference, Seoul, Korea (pp. 271-278). sn.
Source:
Tamboli, Akbar, et al. "Tall buildings: sustainable design opportunities." Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, CTBUH 8 th World Conference, Dubai, March. 2008.
Taipei 101 cooperate structural design of incorporating “saw-tooth corners” into its perimeter design as exhibited in Figure.
Wind tunnel testing at RWDI, Guelph, Ontario, Canada was concluded and the result showed that these “saw-toothed corners”can dramatically reduce vortex shedding that generates wind sway. This, in turn, reduces the acceleration and inter-story drifts of the building.
02. Internal Design
Take Taipei 101 35F sky park as an example
Source: awrd.com
According to statistics, approximately 13,000 employees enter and leave Taipei 101 every day. In order to provide the occupants with better services and convenience while reducing energy use, 35F of the building was planned as Sky Park.
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Natural Light Utilization
Functional areas such as the sky office and sky room are all placed near the window to utilise natural lighting, potentially reducing electricity usage during daylight hours.
In-House Amenities for Sustainability
Sky Service: By including services like storage, dry cleaning, and telecom facilities within the building, it reduces the occupants’ need to travel, lowering transportation emissions.
Space Utilization
Provide communal and mixed-function spaces that encourage interaction, which can be designed to maximize the use of daylight and foster a sense of community.
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03. Interior Facilities
35F of the Taipei 101 building displayed how a circular economy would work in a vertical community.
On previous working days, employees in the Taipei 101 building must leave to complete their daily routine (for example, buy a coffee). To reduce the time spent by employees and the commuting emissions consumed (scope 3 emission), amenities were brought into 35F of the Taipei 101 building to reduce time and energy-consuming trips outside.
04. External spatial design
Taipei 101 is surrounded by a landscape of thoughtfully designed gardens and green areas that have both aesthetic and environmental value. These green spaces are intended to alleviate urban heat islands, enhance air quality, and lessen urban heat island effects.
Green Spaces
Walkways and Public Spaces
The external landscape design places a strong emphasis on public areas and pedestrian-friendly routes that promote foot activity and make it easier to approach the building. These spaces are made cosy and welcoming for people to congregate by the addition of seating, lighting, and landscaping.
Taipei 101's landscape is connected to neighboring parks, parking lots, and public transportation hubs. By lowering dependency on cars and improving the general quality of urban life, this integration contributes to the development of a more walkable and linked city.
Integration with Urban Environment
Quantitative data
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The high-ceiling and spacious shopping experience subverts the traditional crowded shopping environment. The high-ceiling and spacious space of Taipei 101 will bring consumers an unprecedented shopping experience.
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Each floor is nearly 5 meters high, and the indoor ceiling from the fourth floor to the podium roof is high.
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The Metropolis Plaza on the 4th floor has a perfect space design and planning, covering an area of ​​more than 500 square meters and with a height of 40 meters. Hence, dining here will provide visitors with a unique visual and spatial experience in Taiwan.
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Taipei 101 allows large store areas ranging from 165 to 231 square meters to be rented by merchants to provide visitors with a satisfying shopping experience.
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The 91st story of Taipei 101 is an observation deck that allows visitors to overlook the entire Taipei City from an altitude of 388 meters. The observation deck, with an area of ​​approximately 761 square meters, provided a large spatial area for people to enjoy the view.