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Coordinates: 25°2′45.40″N 121°30′55.21″E / 25.0459444°N 121.5153361°E / 25.0459444; 121.5153361
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{{Short description|Skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan}}
{{Infobox building
{{Infobox building
|name = Shin Kong Life Tower<br>新光人壽保險摩天大樓
|name = Shin Kong Life Tower<br>新光人壽保險摩天大樓
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|caption =
|caption =
|location = 66 Zhongxiao West Road<br/>[[Zhongzheng District]],<br /> [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]
|location = 66 Zhongxiao West Road<br/>[[Zhongzheng District]],<br /> [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]
|coordinates = {{coord|25|2|45.40|N|121|30|55.21|E|display=inline,title}}
|latd = 25| latm = 2| lats = 45.40| latNS = N
|longd = 121| longm = 30| longs = 55.21| longEW = E
|iso_region =
|coordinates_display= title
|roof =
|roof =
|antenna_spire = {{convert|245|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|antenna_spire = {{convert|245|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|floor_count = 51
|floor_count = 51
|building_type = Mixed
|building_type = Mixed
|completion_date = 1993
|completion_date = December 21st, 1993
|floor_area =
|floor_area =
|architect = [[Kaku Morin]]
|architect = [[Kaku Morin]]
}}
}}


'''Shin Kong Life Tower''' ({{zh|c=新光人壽保險摩天大樓|p=Xīnguāng Rénshòu Bǎoxiǎn Mótiān Dàlóu}}) is the third tallest building in [[Taiwan]] at 51 storeys {{convert|245|m|ft|1}}. The rose-coloured skyscraper topped by a pyramid stands in [[Zhongzheng District]], [[Taipei City|Taipei]]. Its first twelve floors and two underground floors house a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store; the remaining floors provide office space and serve as headquarters for the Shin Kong Life Insurance Company. The tower stands across Zhongxiao Road from Taipei Main Station near the Asiaworld Department Store.<ref>{{cite book|title=Culture and Customs of Taiwan |author1=Barbara Edith Reed |author2=Gary Marvin Davison |year=1998|publisher=Greenwood Press| pages=138|isbn=0313302987|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=G3lY-2OSNh8C&pg=PA138&ots=KkX7bazJ3V&dq=%22Shin+Kong+Life+Tower%22&as_brr=3&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=CreRFLOxYrjeL97uAZgOCBXSx1I}}</ref><ref>[http://www.skl.com.tw/en1033/ **Welcome to Shin Kong Life**<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
'''Shin Kong Life Tower''' ({{zh|t=新光人壽保險摩天大樓|p=Xīnguāng Rénshòu Bǎoxiǎn Mótiān Dàlóu}}), at 51 stories and a height of {{convert|245|m|ft|1|sp=us}}, is one of [[Taiwan]]'s earliest [[skyscraper]]s. The rose-colored tower topped by a pyramid stands in [[Zhongzheng District]], [[Taipei City|Taipei]], and dates from 1993. Its first twelve floors and two underground floors house a [[Shin Kong Mitsukoshi]] Department Store; the remaining floors provide office space and serve as headquarters for the [[Shin Kong Group|Shin Kong Life]] insurance company. The building stands across Zhongxiao Road from [[Taipei Main Station]] near the Asiaworld Department Store.<ref>{{cite book|title=Culture and Customs of Taiwan |author1=Barbara Edith Reed |author2=Gary Marvin Davison |year=1998|publisher=Greenwood Press| pages=[https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00davi_0/page/138 138]|isbn=0313302987|url=https://archive.org/details/culturecustomsof00davi_0|url-access=registration |quote=Shin Kong Life Tower. }}</ref><ref>[http://www.skl.com.tw/en1033/ **Welcome to Shin Kong Life**<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


The Shin Kong Life Tower was Taiwan's tallest building when it opened in 1993. In 1997 it was surpassed by the [[Tuntex Sky Tower|Tuntex 85 Sky Tower]] in the city of [[Kaohsiung]]. Both were overtaken in height by [[Taipei 101]] in 2004.
The Shin Kong Life Tower was Taiwan's tallest building when it opened in 1993. The twin towers of the nearby [[Far Eastern Plaza]], built at the same time, approached it in height. In 1997, the [[Tuntex Sky Tower|Tuntex 85 Sky Tower]] in the city of [[Kaohsiung]] became Taiwan's tallest. New height records were then set by [[Taipei 101]] in 2004.


==Design and construction==
==Design and construction==
The site currently occupied by the Shin Kong Life Tower was home to the luxurious Taiwan Railway Hotel from 1908 to 1945 when it was destroyed by allied bombing. The hotel was the most luxurious in Taiwan and mostly served a Japanese and foreign clientele.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cheung |first1=Han |title=Taiwan in Time: State-sponsored luxury |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/10/17/2003766246 |website=www.taipeitimes.com |date=17 October 2021 |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=26 October 2021}}</ref>
The 10,000-square-metre plot of land across from Taipei Main Station was owned by four companies in 1981 when discussions began about ways to develop the site. Agreement on a plan was never reached and ownership of the land passed to two companies in 1985. The company that held the eastern half, Asiaworld International Group, built the Asiaworld Department Store on its parcel; the store opened in 1990. The company that held the western half, Shin Kong Life Insurance Company, hired Kaku Morin Group (KMG) Architects and Engineers of [[Japan]] to build a dual-use tower that would house offices and a major department store.<ref name="cheng">{{cite news|title=Above the Crowd|publisher=Jessie Cheng|url=http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/fp.asp?xItem=84&CtNode=119|date=1995-01-04|accessdate=2007-08-25}}</ref>


The 10,000-square-meter plot of land across from Taipei Main Station was owned by four companies in 1981 when discussions began about ways to develop the site. Agreement on a plan was never reached and ownership of the land passed to two companies in 1985. The company that held the eastern half, Asiaworld International Group, built the Asiaworld Department Store on its parcel; the store opened in 1990. The company that held the western half, Shin Kong Life Insurance Company, hired Kaku Morin Group (KMG) Architects and Engineers of [[Japan]] to build a dual-use tower that would house offices and a major department store.<ref name="cheng">{{cite news|title=Above the Crowd|publisher=Jessie Cheng|url=http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/fp.asp?xItem=84&CtNode=119|date=1995-01-04|accessdate=2007-08-25}}</ref>
Space limitations and heavy traffic at the site made the task a challenge. KMG created a 1,170-square-metre plaza around the tower by setting the front of the building 31 m back from the street and setting other sides back to allow wide pedestrian walkways. Inspectors from [[National Taiwan University]] were consulted to help ensure the building's stability in earthquakes. The design featured an observatory level at the 46th floor. Separate elevators were installed to serve department store customers, office workers, and visitors to the observatory. Mindful of Taiwan's typhoons and tropical sun, designers used [[aluminium]] for the exterior so it would weather well. The rose colour chosen for the exterior was inspired by the national flowers of Taiwan and Japan, the [[plum blossom]] and [[cherry blossom]].<ref name="cheng"/>


Space limitations and heavy traffic at the site made the task a challenge. KMG created a 1,170-square-meter plaza around the tower by setting the front of the building 31 m back from the street and setting other sides back to allow wide pedestrian walkways. Inspectors from [[National Taiwan University]] were consulted to help ensure the building's stability in earthquakes. The design featured an observatory level at the 46th floor. Separate elevators were installed to serve department store customers, office workers, and visitors to the observatory. Mindful of Taiwan's typhoons and tropical sun, designers used [[aluminum]] for the exterior so it would weather well. The rose color chosen for the exterior was inspired by the national flowers of both Taiwan and Japan, the [[plum blossom]] and [[cherry blossom]], respectively.<ref name="cheng"/>
Construction of the Shin Kong Life Tower began in 1989. The building was completed at a cost of US$270 million and opened in December 1993.<ref name="cheng"/>

Construction of the Shin Kong Life Tower began in 1989. The building was completed at a cost of US$270 million and opened in December 21st, 1993.<ref name="cheng"/>


As a [[architecture|design]] the Shin Kong Life Tower drew a shrug from [[architect]]s in and beyond Taiwan. It was generally regarded as a rather plain and old-fashioned design with only height to offer as a distinguishing characteristic. Some saw a design flaw in the placement of retail and office entrances on the same side of the building. Architect Kaku Morin conceded that his design made no novel architectural statement but expressed satisfaction in producing a "healthy" structure. "Construction is as important as design," he told the ''Taiwan Review'' in 1995. "A building is like a human body--if it is not healthy, it is nothing no matter how beautiful it is."<ref name="cheng"/>
As a [[architecture|design]] the Shin Kong Life Tower drew a shrug from [[architect]]s in and beyond Taiwan. It was generally regarded as a rather plain and old-fashioned design with only height to offer as a distinguishing characteristic. Some saw a design flaw in the placement of retail and office entrances on the same side of the building. Architect Kaku Morin conceded that his design made no novel architectural statement but expressed satisfaction in producing a "healthy" structure. "Construction is as important as design," he told the ''Taiwan Review'' in 1995. "A building is like a human body--if it is not healthy, it is nothing no matter how beautiful it is."<ref name="cheng"/>


==Today==
==Today==
The Shin Kong Life Tower lived an especially bustling life in the decade after it opened. Its 46th-floor observatory, the highest in Taiwan at the time, opened to the public in 1994 under the management of TopView Taipei Observatory. Over the next twelve years the observatory hosted over four million visitors. The number of guests dropped dramatically after [[Taipei 101]] opened a new observatory at nearly twice the height in January 2005, however, and TopView closed when the company's lease expired in December 2006.<ref>http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlines/index.jsp?print=1&categid=10&recordid=89324 Taiwan Headlines. Retrieved 2007-08-25.</ref> Now the 46th-floor observatory is occupied by Naturally-Plus as their headquarters for Taiwan operation and the entrance is free of charge for their members.
The Shin Kong Life Tower lived an especially bustling life in the decade after it opened. Its 46th-floor observatory, the highest in Taiwan at the time, opened to the public in 1994 under the management of TopView Taipei Observatory. Over the next twelve years the observatory hosted over four million visitors. The number of guests dropped dramatically after [[Taipei 101]] opened a new observatory at nearly twice the height in January 2005, however, and TopView closed when the company's lease expired in December 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlines/index.jsp?print=1&categid=10&recordid=89324 |title=TaiwanHeadlines - Society - Shin Kong to close its observation deck |accessdate=2007-08-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929130902/http://english.www.gov.tw/TaiwanHeadlines/index.jsp?print=1&categid=10&recordid=89324 |archivedate=2007-09-29 }} Taiwan Headlines. Retrieved 2007-08-25.</ref> Now the 46th-floor observatory is occupied by Naturally-Plus as their headquarters for Taiwan operation and the entrance is free of charge for their members.{{Cn|date=October 2021}}


Other retailers in the building continue to maintain a busy existence. The location of the tower across from Taipei Main Station ensures heavy pedestrian traffic along the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Asiaworld storefronts. Weekdays find the streets filled with students attending '[[cram schools]]' in the area. Weekends find Taipei residents enjoying outdoor concerts in the plaza or on the grounds of the nearby station.
Other retailers in the building continue to maintain a busy existence. The location of the tower across from Taipei Main Station ensures heavy pedestrian traffic along the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Asiaworld storefronts. Weekdays find the streets filled with students attending '[[cram schools]]' in the area. Weekends find Taipei residents enjoying outdoor concerts in the plaza or on the grounds of the nearby station.{{Cn|date=October 2021}}


==Nomenclature==
==Nomenclature==
English speakers in Taipei often mistakenly refer to the Shin Kong Life Tower as the "Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Building" because the store's name appears on the tower's exterior and many Metro signs. Identifying the building too closely with the store invites confusion, though, as the store operates in more than one location. Taipei 101 has its own Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store as well as a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Square.
English speakers sometimes refer to the Shin Kong Life Tower as the "Mitsukoshi Building" because that store's name appears on the tower's exterior. This invites confusion, though, as the store operates in more than one location. Taipei 101 has its own Shin Kong Mitsukoshi outlet facing Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Square.{{Cn|date=October 2021}}


==Transportation==
==Transportation==
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of tallest buildings in Taiwan]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in Taiwan]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in Taipei]]


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=122278 Emporis.com - Shin Kong Life Tower]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040415130658/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=122278 Emporis.com - Shin Kong Life Tower]}}
* [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=192 SkycraperPage.com – Shin Kong Life Tower]
* [http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=192 SkycraperPage.com – Shin Kong Life Tower]
* [http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/taiwan/taiwan-tourist-attractions/shin-kong-life-tower-taiwan.html Information about Shin Kong Life Tower]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724063831/http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/taiwan/taiwan-tourist-attractions/shin-kong-life-tower-taiwan.html Information about Shin Kong Life Tower]


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
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{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


{{Commons category|Shin Kong Life Tower}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Skyscrapers in Taiwan}}


[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1993]]
[[Category:Skyscrapers in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Taipei]]
[[Category:Skyscrapers between 200 and 249 meters]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in Taiwan]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1993]]
[[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Taipei]]
[[Category:Shin Kong Group]]

Latest revision as of 15:42, 21 December 2024

Shin Kong Life Tower
新光人壽保險摩天大樓
Map
General information
TypeMixed
Location66 Zhongxiao West Road
Zhongzheng District,
Taipei, Taiwan
Coordinates25°2′45.40″N 121°30′55.21″E / 25.0459444°N 121.5153361°E / 25.0459444; 121.5153361
CompletedDecember 21st, 1993
Height
Antenna spire245 m (804 ft)
Technical details
Floor count51
Design and construction
Architect(s)Kaku Morin

Shin Kong Life Tower (Chinese: 新光人壽保險摩天大樓; pinyin: Xīnguāng Rénshòu Bǎoxiǎn Mótiān Dàlóu), at 51 stories and a height of 245 meters (803.8 ft), is one of Taiwan's earliest skyscrapers. The rose-colored tower topped by a pyramid stands in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, and dates from 1993. Its first twelve floors and two underground floors house a Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store; the remaining floors provide office space and serve as headquarters for the Shin Kong Life insurance company. The building stands across Zhongxiao Road from Taipei Main Station near the Asiaworld Department Store.[1][2]

The Shin Kong Life Tower was Taiwan's tallest building when it opened in 1993. The twin towers of the nearby Far Eastern Plaza, built at the same time, approached it in height. In 1997, the Tuntex 85 Sky Tower in the city of Kaohsiung became Taiwan's tallest. New height records were then set by Taipei 101 in 2004.

Design and construction

[edit]

The site currently occupied by the Shin Kong Life Tower was home to the luxurious Taiwan Railway Hotel from 1908 to 1945 when it was destroyed by allied bombing. The hotel was the most luxurious in Taiwan and mostly served a Japanese and foreign clientele.[3]

The 10,000-square-meter plot of land across from Taipei Main Station was owned by four companies in 1981 when discussions began about ways to develop the site. Agreement on a plan was never reached and ownership of the land passed to two companies in 1985. The company that held the eastern half, Asiaworld International Group, built the Asiaworld Department Store on its parcel; the store opened in 1990. The company that held the western half, Shin Kong Life Insurance Company, hired Kaku Morin Group (KMG) Architects and Engineers of Japan to build a dual-use tower that would house offices and a major department store.[4]

Space limitations and heavy traffic at the site made the task a challenge. KMG created a 1,170-square-meter plaza around the tower by setting the front of the building 31 m back from the street and setting other sides back to allow wide pedestrian walkways. Inspectors from National Taiwan University were consulted to help ensure the building's stability in earthquakes. The design featured an observatory level at the 46th floor. Separate elevators were installed to serve department store customers, office workers, and visitors to the observatory. Mindful of Taiwan's typhoons and tropical sun, designers used aluminum for the exterior so it would weather well. The rose color chosen for the exterior was inspired by the national flowers of both Taiwan and Japan, the plum blossom and cherry blossom, respectively.[4]

Construction of the Shin Kong Life Tower began in 1989. The building was completed at a cost of US$270 million and opened in December 21st, 1993.[4]

As a design the Shin Kong Life Tower drew a shrug from architects in and beyond Taiwan. It was generally regarded as a rather plain and old-fashioned design with only height to offer as a distinguishing characteristic. Some saw a design flaw in the placement of retail and office entrances on the same side of the building. Architect Kaku Morin conceded that his design made no novel architectural statement but expressed satisfaction in producing a "healthy" structure. "Construction is as important as design," he told the Taiwan Review in 1995. "A building is like a human body--if it is not healthy, it is nothing no matter how beautiful it is."[4]

Today

[edit]

The Shin Kong Life Tower lived an especially bustling life in the decade after it opened. Its 46th-floor observatory, the highest in Taiwan at the time, opened to the public in 1994 under the management of TopView Taipei Observatory. Over the next twelve years the observatory hosted over four million visitors. The number of guests dropped dramatically after Taipei 101 opened a new observatory at nearly twice the height in January 2005, however, and TopView closed when the company's lease expired in December 2006.[5] Now the 46th-floor observatory is occupied by Naturally-Plus as their headquarters for Taiwan operation and the entrance is free of charge for their members.[citation needed]

Other retailers in the building continue to maintain a busy existence. The location of the tower across from Taipei Main Station ensures heavy pedestrian traffic along the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi and Asiaworld storefronts. Weekdays find the streets filled with students attending 'cram schools' in the area. Weekends find Taipei residents enjoying outdoor concerts in the plaza or on the grounds of the nearby station.[citation needed]

Nomenclature

[edit]

English speakers sometimes refer to the Shin Kong Life Tower as the "Mitsukoshi Building" because that store's name appears on the tower's exterior. This invites confusion, though, as the store operates in more than one location. Taipei 101 has its own Shin Kong Mitsukoshi outlet facing Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Square.[citation needed]

Transportation

[edit]

The tower is accessible within walking distance south west of Taipei Railway Station.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Barbara Edith Reed; Gary Marvin Davison (1998). Culture and Customs of Taiwan. Greenwood Press. pp. 138. ISBN 0313302987. Shin Kong Life Tower.
  2. ^ **Welcome to Shin Kong Life**
  3. ^ Cheung, Han (17 October 2021). "Taiwan in Time: State-sponsored luxury". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Above the Crowd". Jessie Cheng. 1995-01-04. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  5. ^ "TaiwanHeadlines - Society - Shin Kong to close its observation deck". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-25. Taiwan Headlines. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
[edit]
Preceded by Tallest building in Taiwan
1993–1997
Succeeded by