Chinese hoist manufacturer Baoda is to supply 14 hoists for the construction of the massive Shanghai Center high-rise building in Shanghai's Pudong district.

Work on the foundations of the 632 m tall building, designed by architect Gensler, has been underway for over a year and the hoists will start to be delivered to the site in December this year. The hoists will be on site for around three years, rented by Baoda to contractor Shanghai Construction Group (SCG).

The tower, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014, will be one of the highest buildings in the world and will comprise one part of a trio of high-rise towers in Pudong alongside the existing Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center.

The Shanghai Center is organised as nine cylindrical buildings stacked on top of each other. The US$2.2 billion structure will have 128 floors and will comprise office, hotel, retain and entertainment space.

Although the Shanghai Center is a massive project for Baoda, the Shanghai-based manufacturer is looking to China's smaller and mid-sized cities for growth in the future.

See the July-August issue of Access International for an interview with Baoda's general manager, Mr Wu Guo Hua.