85 Sky Tower

85 Sky Tower, formerly known as the T & C Tower or Tuntex Sky Tower (Chinese: 高雄85大樓; pinyin: Gāoxióng 85 Dàlóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko-hiông 85 Tōa-lâu), is an 85-story skyscraper in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high. An antenna increases the pinnacle height to 378 m (1,240 ft). Constructed from 1994 to 1997, it is the tallest skyscraper in Kaohsiung, and was the tallest in Taiwan until the completion of Taipei 101 in 2004.

85 Sky Tower
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Mixed Use (Office building, Hotel, Shopping mall)
Location	Lingya, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Coordinates	22°36′42″N 120°18′00″E
Construction started	1994
Completed	1997
Cost	NT$ 5 billion
Height
Architectural	347.5 m (1,140 ft)[1]
Tip	378.0 m (1,240 ft)
Antenna spire	378.0 m (1,240 ft)
Roof	347.5 m (1,140 ft)
Top floor	341.0 m (1,119 ft)[1]
Observatory	341.0 m (1,119 ft)[1]
Technical details
Floor count	85 (+5 basement floors)[1]
Floor area	306,337 m^2 (3,297,384 sq ft)[1]
Lifts/elevators	54[1]
Design and construction
Architect	C.Y. Lee[1]
Structural engineer	Evergreen Consulting Engineering[1]
Website
http://www.85sky-tower.com/
References
[1][2]

There is no 44th floor in the building (see Tetraphobia); the 43rd floor connects directly to the 45th floor. The pyramid shaped crown is the equivalent of three stories high and is hence marketed as 83-85 to arrive at a round number. There is no elevator access to floors above 80.

The building was designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, and has an unusual 'prong' design with two separate 39-floor sections, which merge into a single central tower rising to a spire. This unique design leaves a substantial space below the central part of the tower. The design was inspired by the first Chinese character of the city's name. John W. Milton was Project Director on behalf of Turner International Inc. (New York), a subsidiary of Turner Construction.

The building was owned by the now defunct Tuntex Group, and is mainly offices, but includes residential space, and a department store; and the 85 Sky Tower Hotel (ceased operations) occupies the 38th to 70th floors. An observation deck on the 74th floor offers views over Kaohsiung City, the Love River and Kaohsiung Harbor; it is accessed by high speed elevators that are capable of speeds of 10.17 m/s.

Occupancy

Floor 34 and 35 are currently leased by Look Hotel Group (Chinese: 樂活商旅租). The 85 Sky Tower Hotel (ceased operations) (Chinese: 君鴻國際酒店) occupies floors 37 to 85, and it owns the observation deck. Office space and studio apartments occupy each side of the lower floors.[3]

Atrium

There is an Atrium that extends from Level 45's Shimmer Ballroom (as of 2015 the entire floor is dark and unoccupied) to Level 83; it is one of the highest continuous atriums in the world.

Gallery

• 
  Viewed from Kaohsiung Harbor.
• 
  85 Sky Tower next to the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.
• 
  85 Sky Tower viewed at night.
• 
  85 Sky Tower dominating Kaohsiung's skyline.
• 
  85 Sky Tower illuminated at night
• 
  View of Kaohsiung's streets from 85 Sky Tower's observation deck
• 
  View of Kaohsiung's streets from 85 Sky Tower's observation deck
• 
  View of Kaohsiung's streets from 85 Sky Tower's observation deck
• 
  85 Sky Tower viewed from below
• 
  85 Sky Tower viewed from below
• 
  85 Sky Tower Observation Deck
• 
  85 Sky Tower at sunset

Floor Directory

• 80-85: Mechanical / Communication Facility
• 76-79: Restaurants / Spa (Private Club) (ceased operations)
• 74-75: Observatory (ceased operations)
• 46-70: Guest Rooms (ceased operations)
• 43-45: Meeting Rooms and Ballrooms (no 44th floor) (ceased operations)
• 38-42: Hotel Facilities (ceased operations)
• 13-35: Office Residential
• 12: Nikko Plaza
• 8-11: Chien-Tai Indoor Amusement Park
• 2-7: Chien-Tai Daimaru Department Store
• 1: Lobby

Transportation

The building is accessible within five blocks walking distance west of Sanduo Shopping District Station of the Kaohsiung MRT.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Taiwan
• List of tallest buildings in Kaohsiung
• List of tallest buildings
• List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
• List of tallest freestanding steel structures

References

1. "Tuntex Sky Tower - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
2. 85 Sky Tower at Emporis
3. DeAeth, Duncan (26 December 2018). "Kaohsiung's 85 Sky Tower Hotel to go up for auction in January". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2 January 2019.

External links

• Tuntex Sky Tower on CTBUH Skyscraper Center
• Emporis
• Tuntex & Chien-Tai Tower at Structurae
• Geographic data related to 85 Sky Tower at OpenStreetMap

Preceded by Shin Kong Life Tower

Tallest building in Taiwan 1997 – 2004

Succeeded by Taipei 101