The Taipei 101 office building laid claim to the title of the world's tallest skyscraper following a ceremony yesterday to position a 60m spire on top of the structure.
With the addition of the spire, the building boasts of a full height of 508m, eclipsing Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers, a company executive said yesterday.
"We believe that Taipei 101 will bring a fresh taste to Taipei's skyline," said Lin Hong-ming (
PHOTO: REUTERS
Lin hopes the landmark, though still under construction, will attract more tenants in the Hsinyi district.
Though the leasing of office space is still in its initial stages, Lin expects about 80 percent of the 60,000 ping at Taipei 101 will be leased within 18 months.
"What concerns our potential tenants is how to earn more money after moving into Taipei 101 [with around-the-clock services] rather than saving money through lower rentals," Lin said.
Jones Lang LaSalle Taiwan, the primary leasing agent for the Taipei 101 tower, is not sure about the leasing prospects, however.
"We're seeking the right price and right tenants, who will have long-term occupancies. We're not in a rush," Matthew Shaw, director of Jones Lang LaSalle Taiwan, told the Taipei Times.
Property-market watchers said that slow corporate spending, a lukewarm office market, an increasing supply of office space and high rental rates charged by the Taipei Financial Center could dash the company's hopes.
"Eighty-percent occupancy is an aggressive target. I doubt many potential tenants are available now as big international companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co and IBM Corp just signed new lease contracts for new offices in the area," said Derek Huang (
Though Taiwan's economy is showing signs of recovery, the resilience has not extended to the office market, Huang added.
Carol Su (
For the moment, corporate CEOs are unlikely to rent luxury offices, Su said.
Another factor that could slow Taipei 101's leasing progress is the impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the twin towers in New York. Su said the attacks appear to have dampened multinational corporations' interest in skyscrapers.
A growing supply of office space in the Neihu and Nankang districts also put the leasing plan in trouble as those offices are attractive to companies looking for lower rental rates, Huang said.
Rents are about NT$1,100 per ping per month and NT$600 per ping per month in the Neihu and Nankang areas, respectively, according to Huang.
The rents will range from NT$3,000 to NT$4,000 per ping for tenants of Taipei 101, an official at the Taiwan Stock Exchange, one of the skyscraper's major shareholders and future tenants, said last month.
The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) new Yunlin patrol vessel would enhance maritime patrol capabilities in the south, President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday told a commissioning ceremony in Kaohsiung for the 4,000-tonne vessel. The Yunlin, one of four Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels ordered from shipbuilder CSBC Corp, Taiwan (台灣國際造船), would join the coast guard’s Southern Sector Flotilla based in Kaohsiung, bolstering the unit’s ability to conduct patrols along with searches and rescues, Lai said. The ship is equipped with three high-pressure water cannons with a range of 120m for dispersal tasks, the Ocean Affairs Council said. In his speech, Lai said that the government’s
FREEDOM SEEKER? While the intruder, identified as an ex-Chinese navy captain, looked different from previous ‘defectors,’ it could be China testing Taiwan’s limits, an official said Taiwan has stepped up national security measures, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday, after a former Chinese navy captain was arrested for illegally entering the nation on a motorboat. “National security cannot be neglected for a minute,” he said, adding that security units had been instructed to “immediately strengthen protective measures.” Coast guard personnel arrested the man, surnamed Ruan (阮), on Sunday after his boat collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal on the Tamsui River (淡水河) in the north. Before that, he reportedly sailed the vessel into a harbor near the mouth of the river. Ruan is a retired member of
‘SAFER TAIWAN’: The president told ‘Time’ magazine that the new government under his administration ‘is willing to assist China and advance peace and prosperity’ A prosperous Taiwan can bring about progress in China, and Taipei seeks peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait, President William Lai (賴清德) told Time magazine in an exclusive interview published yesterday, his first since becoming president. Taiwan wishes for a stable and prosperous China, as it would help maintain peace and stability in the region, he said. “I have always believed that a stable China leads to a safer Taiwan. A prosperous Taiwan can also bring about progress in China,” he was quoted as saying, while asked if China’s problematic economy could be an opportunity for further engagement across strait.
HU GE NEWS: The actor visited Taipei and was on the same flight as an official Shanghai delegation, leading to accusations Taipei City was doing ‘united front’ work Taiwan is open to healthy interactions with China, but Beijing should not engage in “united front” campaigns, a Cabinet official said yesterday following a report that China is paying influencers to produce content it approves of. YouTuber Potter King (波特王) said that the Chinese government has been paying Taiwanese content creators to travel to China and produce videos favorable to Beijing. Cabinet spokesman Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said that the government welcomes healthy and sustainable interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but China should not use “united front” tactics in the culture and entertainment sphere to target young Taiwanese. Potter King