Tom's Journey

Taipei 101 has 101 stories above ground, hence the name. Many people don't know it also has 5 stories underground. So it's actually Taipei 106.

The building holds the records for:

• Ground to structural top: 508 m (1667 ft), a record formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers at 452 m (1483ft).
• Ground to roof: 448 m (1470 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower (442 m = 1454ft)
• Ground to highest occupied floor: 438 m (1437 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower.

Taipei 101 is certainly making Taiwanese very proud. 信义区 （Xinyi district） has quickly become one of the fastest growing district in Taipei, and of course, the most expensive one too.

Taipei 101 does look very very impressive, not only because it's the world's tallest building, not only because it's built on an island known for frequent earthquakes, but also because there were literally not many high-rises around it, it feels much higher than what it is.

• There is a fault line just 660 feet from this tower, but the designers aren’t worried about it, saying it hasn’t been active in 45,000 years.
• The building’s spire is 60 feet tall.
• Like many buildings its size, Taipei 101 has a tuned mass dampener to counteract swaying caused by earthquakes, wind, typhoons, and other causes. It is a massive solid steel ball about 60 feet tall, hanging from cables on the 87th floor of the building.
• The foundation of the building is more than 250 feet deep.
• September, 2002 – Five people are killed when an earthquake shakes two cranes loose from the building.
• 18 October, 2003 – The spire is raised into place, making this the tallest building in the world.
• 21 November, 2003 – Pieces of metal fall from the roof of the skyscraper, hitting two people walking below, smashing car windshields, and littering an elementary school playground.
• 25 December, 2004 - The daredevil known as "Spiderman" climbs the outside of the building. Alain Robert scaled the building as a publicity stunt during the building's official opening week. He normally is arrested for doing such stunts illegally, but this time he was recruited. He also normally doesn't have any safety gear. This time he had a rope.