For February’s Documentary Group, we will be screening an episode of the documentary Super Skyscrapers about the Shanghai Tower, as well as another episode to compare and contrast.

As urban space shrinks, we build higher and faster than ever before, creating a new generation of skyscrapers. Super skyscrapers are pushing the limits of engineering, technology and design to become greener, stronger, smarter and more luxurious than their predecessors. This four-part series follows the creation of four extraordinary buildings, showcasing how they will revolutionise the way we live, work and protect ourselves from potential threats.

Shanghai Tower isn’t just a skyscraper — it’s a vertical city, a collection of businesses, services and hotels all in one place, fitting a population the size of Monaco into a footprint the size of a football field. Within its walls, residents can literally work, rest, play and relax in public parks, looking up through 12 stories of clear space. Not just one, however, but eight of them, stacked on top of each other, all the way to the 120th floor. When complete, the structure will dominate Shanghai’s skyline, towering over its neighbors as a testament to China’s economic success and the ambitions of the city’s wealthy elite.

Limited space. For reservations email bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org

ENTRANCE:  Members 20 RMB - Non Members 50 RMB. The venue requests that participants buy a drink to cover their costs.

BOOKINGS: bookings@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn

WEBSITE:  www.royalasiaticsociety.org.cn

MEMBERSHIP: Membership renewals and applications will be available at the front desk