Fire stops work at SWFC

A fire at the Mori Building Co.'s 101 storey Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) has stopped work on what will be the world's second-tallest skyscraper once completed in 2008.

The blaze started on the 26th floor of the building in Shanghai's financial district at about 4:30 pm on Wednesday 14 July.

Mori Building is investing YEN 105 billion (US$ 888 million) constructing China's tallest building.

Construction was halted in 1997 because of the Asian financial crisis and in 2005 political tensions led to the removal of a circular hole from the building's design amid concerns it resembled the Japanese flag.

The 377300 m2 tower is being built by a consortium of China State Construction Engineering and Shanghai General Construction Group.

Kohn Pedersen Fox is design architect and Leslie E. Robertson Associates is the structural designer.