上海在縮短與國(guó)際大都市硬件上的時(shí)差的成績(jī)還體現(xiàn)在城市天際線的高度上。1932年，24層的上海國(guó)際飯店建成，當(dāng)時(shí)號(hào)稱遠(yuǎn)東第一高樓，并在50年內(nèi)保持著上海第一高樓的身份，直到——深圳超過(guò)了它，北京超過(guò)了它，上海自身以幾千座摩天建筑超過(guò)了它。任何一座最高建筑最多只能“各領(lǐng)高度三五年”，然后被更高的建筑取代，這種建筑的宿命與城市努力縮短國(guó)際時(shí)差的動(dòng)機(jī)是一致的�！渡虾�時(shí)差》

　　譯文：Shanghai’s progress in shorten the distance in infrastructures with the other metropolis can also be displayed in its high building. Shanghai International Hotel, a 24-stored-building ranking 1st in height in the Far East at that time, remained the highest building in Shanghai for 50 years. Later, it was surpassed by those high buildings in Shenzhen and Beijing, and similarly by the thousands of skyscrapers in Shanghai. Today, any building can only enjoy its fame of being the highest one for about 3-5 years, and then will be replaced by some other higher as the highest ones. Consequently, that fact makes endless the efforts made by the city to reduce its differences with the other cities.