Taipei 101
Taipei 101 is a 508-metre, 101-storey supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan, and the tallest building in Taiwan as of 2026. Completed in 2004 and opened on 31 December of that year, it was the world’s tallest building until surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in 2009. The tower’s distinctive segmented bamboo-inspired form has made it the defining symbol of modern Taipei and one of the most recognisable skyscrapers in the world.
- Type
- Supertall office and observation skyscraper
- Period
- Construction 1999–2004; opened 31 December 2004
- Style
- Postmodern; traditional East Asian architectural motifs
- Location
- No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Coordinates
- 25.0351° N, 121.5626° E
- Current use
- Office tower, observation decks, shopping mall
At a glance
- Type
- Supertall office and observation skyscraper
- Period
- Construction 1999–2004; opened 31 December 2004
- Style
- Postmodern with traditional East Asian motifs
- Location
- Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
Overview
Taipei 101 rises 508 metres to its structural top and 509.2 metres to the tip of its spire, making it the tallest building in Taiwan and the eleventh tallest in the world as of 2026. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation, it stands in the Xinyi business district, the financial and commercial heart of Taipei. The tower gained LEED Platinum certification in 2011, becoming the tallest and largest green building certified at that level at the time.
History
Construction began in 1999 and the building was officially classified as the world’s tallest when it opened on 31 December 2004, breaking the record held by the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The project was developed by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation with a mandate to establish Taipei as a global financial centre and provide a landmark visible from across the metropolitan basin. The tower held the world height record for five years until the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was completed in January 2010. Taipei 101 achieved LEED Platinum certification in 2011, a milestone for sustainable design in supertall construction.
What you see
The tower’s profile is composed of eight stacked barrel-shaped sections, each of eight storeys, evoking the form of a bamboo stalk or a traditional Chinese pagoda — the number eight is auspicious in Chinese culture. Each section flares outward at its cornice with upswept decorative elements referencing classical Chinese roof forms. Inside, a massive 660-tonne steel damper ball is suspended between floors 87 and 92; visible to observatory visitors, it acts as a tuned mass damper to reduce sway from typhoon winds and earthquakes in this seismically active region. The indoor and outdoor observation decks on floors 89 and 91 offer panoramic views across Taipei and on clear days to the surrounding mountains.
Cultural significance
Taipei 101 is the primary architectural symbol of Taiwan’s economic emergence and technological ambition in the twenty-first century, functioning as a landmark of national pride that is visible from virtually anywhere in the Taipei basin. Its integration of traditional East Asian visual culture into a cutting-edge engineering achievement was influential in establishing a vocabulary for Asian supertalls that move beyond Western modernist abstraction. The building remains a focal point of Taipei’s annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display, one of the most watched in Asia.
Practical information
- Address
- No. 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City 110, Taiwan
- Observatory
- Indoor observatory floor 89; outdoor observatory floor 91; open daily
- Hours
- Check official website for current observation deck hours and ticket prices
Getting there
Taipei 101/World Trade Center station on the Taipei Metro Red Line (BR) is directly connected to the tower’s basement shopping mall, making access straightforward from anywhere on the metro network. From Taipei Main Station, the journey takes approximately ten minutes. The Xinyi District is also served by multiple bus routes.