Shanghai World Financial Center & Johnson Controls Set New Standards for Commercial Building Complexes in China
One of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, the Shanghai World Financial Center offers a mix of office, hospitality, meeting and conference space to multiple tenants
The Story
Everything about the Shanghai World Financial Center in Pudong Shanghai, China challenges the limits of high-rise building construction. Located at Shanghai Lujiazui, in the burgeoning Pudong district, the building has already achieved more than 30 world-class certifications, and has become not just a local landmark, but an international sensation.
At 492 meters and 104 storeys high, the 380,000 sqm building boasts the world’s highest observatory at 474 meters and the fastest double deck elevators, capable of speeds up to 10 meters per second. It also houses the world’s highest hotel – the Shanghai Park Hyatt Hotel - located on the 79th - 93rd floors.
Johnson Controls was selected to design, install and implement the Technology Contracting model to create a single converged network that supports all business and building systems. The comprehensive solution included YORK® 10kV centrifugal chillers, packaged VAV terminals, integrated wireless network coverage, extra low voltage (ELV) systems and its flagship Metasys® building management system. They all carry Johnson Controls’ hallmark qualities of in-depth design, exceptional engineering construction, adjustment and system testing, regular systems maintenance, operation management and are scalable over the lifecycle of the building.
High standards for the world’s highest hotel
The Shanghai Park Hyatt hotel, decorated in the delicate style of a classic Chinese luxury residence, is designed to provide high-end services to an affluent clientele.
Starting from the design phase, Johnson Controls worked closely with the property owner to determine how best to deploy the advanced building controls systems during the construction of the building whilst meeting the needs of the Shanghai Financial Center, its management, and the standards of the Park Hyatt Management Group.
The requirements of the conferences and meetings market brought more challenges and the need for real-time control systems that offer flexibility and scalability for future developments.
One-stop solution in action
Johnson Controls recommended its Technology Contracting™ solution, which included YORK® 10kV centrifugal chillers, VAV terminals, integrated wireless network coverage, a Metasys® system, and installation and integration of 23 extra low voltage systems. The new Metasys® platform is network-based and integrates all of the building’s operational management – including all electromechanical systems – into a single platform.
During the project phase, Johnson Controls further analyzed the actual needs of the property owner and its management to compile a model of operating requirements and user habits. This enabled Johnson Controls to optimize system control procedures, modify preferences and settings, and to design the most appropriate graphical user interface for their systems.
The Metasys® system constantly monitors the building, collects data, controls the systems and provides building management staff with the information they need to efficiently manage and maintain the building’s systems and equipment. This ensures a comfortable, healthy and safe environment for occupants and guests.
Maximizing space utilization
Maximizing space utilization can present a major challenge for properties such as the Shanghai World Financial Center, especially when it comes to ensuring that all systems function properly.
Johnson Controls provided a solution in the form of an integrated wireless infrastructure that follows a unique “Five Shared” model. That means shared cables, antennas, machine rooms, decoration and air-conditioners, which reduced the space needed to support the system. The result is a significant increase in the building’s usable area. At the same time, the system is compatible with current needs and future technologies, supporting wireless devices that operate in the 400 MHz to 2500 MHz frequency bands.
Tackling the challenge of ultra high-rise building standards and regulations
There is no single standard or code governing the construction of high-rise buildings in China. Moreover, the existing regulations lag behind latest industry developments, which makes it difficult for contractors to meet legal obligations while building the most modern and efficient structures possible. During the construction of the Shanghai World Financial Center however, Johnson Controls met the challenges head-on and managed to resolve all major concerns quickly by drawing on its experience in international engineering to develop bespoke solutions while meeting local construction standards and building codes.
After discussing the current industry landscape with manufacturers, Johnson Controls prepared a practical technology and standards plan which was submitted to the design institute and government offices for their review. The approved plan formed the basis for the project and was distributed in technical documentation to all parties.
This approach proved successful by aligning the latest technologies with an evolving building code.
A robust and flexible security system
The Shanghai World Financial Center is a unique high-rise building with multiple tenants, each with special security requirements for emergency situations. Traditional security systems simply cannot offer the combination of speed, convenience and flexibility that such a complex mix of users demand.
To meet this challenge, Johnson Controls proposed an innovative approach using smart cards with split data storage capability so that with a single card, users can gain access to both the public and office areas.
Johnson Controls also developed a network-based visitor management system with remote login capabilities. This enabled visitors to log in remotely using the Internet to register and a badge created for them upon arrival.
System redundancy
Like any world-class business center, the Shanghai World Financial Center puts special emphasis on system stability. However, the sheer scale of the facility and its high-rise nature added an extra degree of complexity to handling accidents and emergencies. Once again, Johnson Controls provided the solution with a breakthrough in traditional ELV system design and space management that radically strengthened the stability and reliability of building systems.
The design provided physical redundancy by using cables in different ELV wells for total protection. Reserved fibers in the multi-mode cabling are dedicated to different applications, such as mainframe back-ups, enhancing the stability, reliability and damage resistance of the system.
In addition, the configuration of the main disaster center and sub-disaster centers are designed to back each other up. A sub-control center can also perform surveillance, systems management and alarm monitoring without affecting the main center’s overall surveillance and management of the building.
Managing contract complexity
The Shanghai World Financial Center was designed as a “vertical city garden,” fulfilling a variety of roles, such as office, hospitality, meetings and conferences as well as retail and sightseeing. This diversity complicated the contracting process with a variety of bid sections necessary for selecting a number of different vendors.
While there were five companies responsible for electromechanical systems and nine for decoration, Johnson Controls served as the sole source for 23 ELV systems. Johnson Controls also worked directly with the general contractor on seven bid sections and sub-contracted three sections to electromechanical contractors. Additionally, Johnson Controls was involved in over 200 sub-contracts and purchase contracts with more than 50 sub-contractors, material and equipment providers. During the construction phase, Johnson Controls oversaw sub-contractor activity to ensure that every system was integrated into the overall hotel infrastructure.
Teamwork guarantees customer satisfaction
Johnson Controls’ ability to provide the necessary human resources was critical to taking the Shanghai World Financial Center project from a plan on paper to one of the world’s most advanced and recognizable buildings. As the number of contracts grew, the size of the site team expanded accordingly, from a few members at the very beginning to over 40 members in six different project units at the height of the project.
Although the organizational structure and duties of the team kept changing – from initial design to managing site construction, to installation and debugging, and finally to routine and daily maintenance – the core members remained unchanged.
The commitment and motivation of this team also stayed high, from the most junior to the most senior – winning the trust of the customer and enhancing the reputation of Johnson Controls locally, regionally and globally.