I've been following the high-rise developments of the North Bund area since the early 2000's. From the original Carlos Ott design of White Magnolia Plaza...

to the final SOM building 15 years later:

So I was more than just a little bit excited when I heard news of an outdoor viewing deck perched on top of the existing – never used – helicopter landing pad. The Stage opened April 15 to the public, nearly a decade after the completion of what is now known as Sinar Mas Center, owned by that big Indonesian conglomerate. Open outdoor platforms are rather rare when it comes to skyscrapers in China, and I was not disappointed.

Tickets & Prices

Tickets are easy to purchase on Trip.com (English) or Dianping (Chinese). Full price tickets are 230rmb for adults. However, both platforms offered "early bird" discounts of 80rmb, bringing the entry price down to 150rmb even for same day purchases. Children below a height of 1 meter enjoy free entrance, it's 110rmb for kids between 100 cm and 140 cm in height.

It's easy to cancel without penalties. Six time slots are available throughout the day, the 16:30 to 19:30 seems to be the most popular and most likely to be sold out. I would strongly recommend buying tickets in advance, especially over the holidays.

The Experience

Sinar Mas Plaza's shopping center is a labyrinth, but it was still easy to find "The Stage" entrance on LG1. Walkways and elevators resemble a nightclub, once up on the roof it's extremely bright on a sunny day and the staff is handing out sunglasses.

The 65-storey skyscraper used to have a total height of 319.5 meters, the addition of The Stage probably added a few meters. This makes it Shanghai's sixth-tallest building. The view is truly spectacular, on clear days all the way from Pudong Airport to Baoshan and beyond, unobstructed in all directions. The most interesting sights are rather close, though. The new, literally up-and-coming king of Hongkou, KPF's North Bund Centre (480 meters) can be seen rising from the ground:

And a few city blocks further east, notorious Tilanqiao Prison, the "Alcatraz of the Orient", once the world's largest prison. It only fully relocated to Qingpu district last summer:

The real highlights are, however, magnificent views of the Huangpu, the Bund and the iconic Shanghai skyline:

Is it worth it?

Definitely. The simple fact that it's outdoors gives it an edge over other viewing decks in the city. Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower may boost much higher observation decks but the view from there is through – often reflective – window glass (except for the Jin Mao tower Skywalk of course). I would prefer those towers on very windy and rainy days though.

Another advantage is the view point: the Lujiazui Towers are perfectly lined up and the Bund is unobstructed as well. It's one of the few public viewpoints to enjoy both sides of the city.

Price wise, at 230rmb it's slightly more expansive than the competition across the river, with a discount actually slightly cheaper.

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Entrance to The Stage is at the B1/F, Sinar Mas Plaza, 501 Dongdaming Lu, near Xinjian Lu.

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All pictures by Thomas Jaehndel. ( thomas@chiarc.com)