While it is obvious that the Zifeng Tower is the tallest building in Nanjing, slightly less well known is the fact that, upon its completion, it was the second tallest building on the Chinese mainland, behind the Shanghai World Financial Centre.
虽然很明显，紫峰大厦是南京最高的建筑，但不太为人所知的是，建成后，它是中国大陆第二高的建筑，仅次于上海世界金融中心。
Now of course, its position has slipped. At time of writing, Zifeng is the 10th tallest building in China, 14th in Asia and 19th in the world.
当然，现在它的位置已经下滑了。 在撰写本文时，紫峰是中国第10高建筑，亚洲第14高，世界第19高。
Formerly known as Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre, Zifeng stands 450 metres tall, of which 316.6 metres are occupied.
紫峰以前被称为南京格陵兰金融中心，高450米，占地316.6米。
After 6 years of construction, Zifeng was completed in January of 2010, but it would take almost another year’s work on the interior of the now-iconic, 89-floor building before it opened to the public.
经过6年的建设，紫风于2010年1月完工，但这座现在标志性的89层建筑的内部工程几乎又需要一年的时间才能向公众开放。
Zifeng draws as its influences three central elements key to Nanjing’s rich history. There’s the Yangtze River for one, and the green garden landscapes, together with the dragon and column elements that are central to traditional Chinese architecture.
紫风以其影响南京丰富历史的关键三个核心要素。 这里有长江，还有绿色的花园景观，以及中国传统建筑的核心龙柱元素。
The columns speak for themselves. To achieve the former, the tower’s two main interlocking forms were intended as dancing dragons, while Zifeng’s upper façades were to feature staggered, angled panes of glass to suggest the scales of a fish.
这些专栏不言自明。 为了实现前者，塔的两个主要互锁形式旨在作为跳舞的龙，而子峰的上立面则以交错、有角度的玻璃板为特色，以暗示鱼的鳞片。
But none of these are the most interesting aspect of this building. Neither are they what makes it special.
但这些都不是这座建筑最有趣的方面。 他们也不是让它变得特别的原因。
That is in fact to be found nearer ground level. Or more specifically, the first batch of floors that comprise offices, conference rooms and that part of the retail and restaurant space and that is above ground.
事实上，它位于离地面更近的地面。 或者更具体地说，第一批楼层包括办公室、会议室以及零售和餐厅空间的一部分，这些楼层位于地面上。
The building’s plot almost necessitated it be a wedge. Architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, took this to extremes. They made the vertice razor sharp and then pointed it at the very centre of the Gulou roundabout that sits adjacent to the traditional Gulou, or the drum tower that was the centre of many a Chinese city, situated on high ground from where signals could be beaten out far and wide.
建筑物的地块几乎需要楔形。 建筑师Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP将此推向了极端。 他们使顶点变得锐利，然后将其指向与传统古楼相邻的鼓楼环形交叉路口的中心，或作为许多中国城市的中心的鼓楼，位于高地上，信号可以被打得很远很远。
When all things considered, it was little wonder that in 2012, Zifeng scooped up an award from the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (USA), for “Best International Project Over $150 Million”.
考虑到所有因素，在2012年，Zifeng获得了伊利诺伊州（美国）结构工程师协会颁发的“超过1.5亿美元的最佳国际项目”奖，这不足为奇。
But the sun is sinking on Zifeng’s empire. Eclipsing it in a few years shall be the 499.8-metre tall Jinmao International Financial Centre. As another Greenland project, at least Nanjing’s tallest building will be keeping it in the family.
但太阳正在紫峰的帝国上下山。 几年后，高达499.8米的金茂国际金融中心将让它变得不可用。 作为另一个格陵兰岛项目，至少南京最高的建筑将保留在家族中。