Kaohsiung Tuntex Building

The Tuntex Sky Tower (so called because the building is owned by the Tuntex Group) or 85 Skytower (高雄85大樓 because it has 85 floors) was the tallest building in Taiwan from 1997 until 2004 — when Taipei 101 was completed.

Tuntex Skytower (85 Tower), Kaohsiung, Taiwan

I vaguely remember it being built — a huge dark mass rising out of the city which prompted a friend to call it the Dark Star. My wife’s sister helped build it. Apparently there were many Aboriginal laborers because it was dangerous work. She saw her co-worker, a Paiwan Tribesman, fall to his death.

Splendor Kaohsiung Bellhop

I’ve been to the observation deck on 75th floor when I was working for Monocle but there were no views to be had that day. The PR woman showed me that the streets were numbered: Jiuru (9), Bade (8), Qixian (7), Liuhe (6), Wufu (5), Siwei (4), Sanduo (3), Ersheng (2), Yixin (1). I’d never realized it until I saw them laid out in a grid from way up on the 75th floor.