Still under construction, Shanghai Tower is the world's second tallest skyscraper; designed by Gensler, the 632 meter tall tower is eclipsed only by the Burj Khalifa in height. So it takes serious skill, and cojones, to free climb not only the mammoth structure itself, but also the crane jib atop it, reaching a dizzying height of 650 meters (2,133 feet). That's exactly what Russian duo Raskalov Vitaliy and Vadim Makhorov have done to capture these amazing photographs, as well as a video that definitely isn't for the feint of heart.
Vitaliy and Makhorov travel the globe capturing spectacular images from vantage points that few of us would venture to, and they do all this without the use of safety gear. They’re presently in the middle of a month-long trip to China, and took advantage of the Chinese New Year celebrations—when the nation and all construction workers—had a vacation, to sneak into Shanghai Tower.
Writing on his blog, Makhorov explains that it took around two hours for the duo to scale the tower’s 120 stories. Once they reached the top floor, they found themselves above the clouds looking down a the city’s illuminated spires peeking through the cover. And then they stayed there, for a long time. Makhorov continues: “in the morning clouds were still there. From one side, the view was amazing, like from the airplane window, but from the other side, we couldn’t see the city and there was no sense of height at all. So we decided to wait until the clouds will be gone.” It wasn’t until 3pm that day that they scaled the crane jib atop the tower.
The intrepid pair were fortunate enough to experience low winds and unseasonably warm temperatures, which aided in their efforts. By the time they captured all their photos and videos and safely descended the tower, they had spent a total of “around 18 hours” free climbing the structure, which actually boasts a suite of sustainable features.
Via Design Taxi
All images © Vadim Makhorov
