A Mayoral Visit to Shanghai Tower
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti visited the Shanghai Tower on November 19, as part of a 12-day trade mission to three Asian countries.
Garcetti is leading a delegation of four Los Angeles City Council members and 20 other officials on the tour of China, South Korea and Japan. The visit is part of the Mayor’s effort to build upon Los Angeles’ strong economic ties with Asia in order to increase investment, trade and tourism. China is Los Angeles’ top trading partner, with $164.38 billion in trade in 2013, according to the mayor’s office.
As part of the Mayor’s reception, more than 120 guests toured the 118th floor of the Shanghai Tower and attended a signing ceremony between the Mayor and CBRE. In his speech, Mayor Garcetti praised Gensler and the tower’s design innovations. Gensler Regional Managing Principal Rob Jernigan welcomed the mayor and thanked Gensler’s client partners at the Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Company and CBRE.
“This tower has been described as a symbol of ‘China’s boundless future,’” Jernigan said. “I believe that it is also a symbol of collaboration. No endeavor of this scale is accomplished by a few. This building represents the tireless dedication of thousands of individuals, working together over many years toward a common goal.”
Jun Xia, the project's lead designer, gave an in-person tour to the Mayor, explaining the design features as they walked through the building. When complete, the tower will be a true vertical city, combining office, hotel, retail and cultural amenities across its 121 floors. It will also set new standards for building performance, and will achieve both LEED® Gold Certification and a China Green Building 3-Star Rating.
Encouraging trade and tourism
During his China trip, Garcetti spoke at the grand opening of a clinical laboratory jointly owned by UCLA and the Chinese firm Centre Testing International (CTI). He also met with Zhang Guofa, president of China Shipping, to encourage trade and tourism and to promote Los Angeles as a tourist destination.
"The Chinese economy is booming, and I want to make sure we put L.A. companies in the best possible position to win business and create jobs back at home," Garcetti said. “In our global economy, international trade cannot be left solely to national governments. Global cities like Los Angeles must engage with other major cities to attract investment and create jobs.”
Los Angeles Daily News, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Daily Breeze, Santa Monica Mirror and My News LA reported on the event. Other journalists attended from major media outlets, including the Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Sinovision, CBN Weekly, Inhabitat and more.