[3] When the building first opened, it once housed a department store, indoor amusement park, five-star hotel, observatory, steakhouse and disco, VIP club and spa, and other amenities.

Lee & Partners and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, and has an unusual 'prong' design with two separate 39-floor sections, which merge into a single central tower rising to a spire.

The design was inspired by the Chinese character Gāo (高) meaning tall, and also part of the city's name.

The pyramid shaped crown is the equivalent of three stories high and is hence marketed as 83–85 to arrive at a round number.

The 85 Sky Tower Hotel (ceased operations) (Chinese: 君鴻國際酒店) occupies floors 37 to 85, and it owns the observation deck.