85 Sky Tower
85 Sky Tower (Chinese: 高雄85大樓; pinyin: Gāoxióng 85 Dàlóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko-hiông 85 Tōa-lâu), formerly known as the T & C Tower or Tuntex Sky Tower, 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 by the now-defunct Tuntex Group, it is the tallest building in Kaohsiung, and the 2nd tallest in Taiwan after the Taipei 101.
| 85 Sky Tower | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Observatory | 341.0 m (1,119 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 85 (+5 basement floors) |
| Floor area | 306,337 m2 (3,297,384 sq ft) |
| Lifts/elevators | 54 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | C.Y. Lee |
| Structural engineer | Evergreen Consulting Engineering |
| Website | |
| http://www.85sky-tower.com/ | |
| References | |
As of 2023, the building is almost entirely unoccupied except for a few condominiums (some subleased as short-term rentals) and offices between the 12th to 35th floors. Many floors have not been used in decades, and their conditions have become dirty and run-down. When the building first opened, it once housed a department store, indoor amusement park, five-star hotel, observatory, steakhouse and disco, VIP club and spa, and other amenities.
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 Chinese character KAO (高) meaning tall, and also part of the city's name. John W. Milton was Project Director on behalf of Turner International Inc. (New York), a subsidiary of Turner Construction.
There is no 44th floor in the building due to Tetraphobia), so the 43rd floor connects directly to the 45th floor; the 57th floor, a mechanical floor, is numbered 57A. 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.