China likes to do things big, like New Year’s celebrations, pollution and monuments — take the recent gargantuan statue of Mao for example. Buildings here are no exception, and 2016 is set to be an industrious year with a number of skycrapers opening across the country.
The country is quickly fashioning a reputation as the global home of these super-structures. Skyscrapers already dominate China’s ever-changing skylines, including the Shanghai Tower (632 meters tall), the Canton Tower (600 meters) and the Shanghai World Financial Center (492 meters), to name a few.
The aptly titled Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which monitors skyscrapers under construction around the world, recently announced that out of the 10 tallest buildings to be completed globally in 2016, six will be piercing China’s cityscapes. Here’s a look at those six, all slated to complete construction later this year.
6. Dalian International Trade Center, Dalian (370 meters, or 1214 feet)
This modest entry in the Top 10 is expected to rise 370 meters above the city’s center. Started in 2013, the Dalian International Trade Center will rank among the first super-tall buildings in the historic port city. Built in a rectangular shape, the tower will be coated with 73,000 square meters of glass and aluminum. Upon completion, it will house six stories of retail stores and 46 floors of luxury apartments, as well as providing ample office space on the remaining floors. The jewel on this enormous crown will be the building’s clubhouse and – of course – the accompanying rooftop helipad (because you can’t have a clubhouse without a helipad).
5. Eton Place, Dalian Tower 1, Dalian (383 meters, 1257 feet)
At the center of Dalian's quickly growing central business district, the Eton Place Dalian Tower 1, a hotel and office tower, began its monumental climb in 2008. Also named 'Supertower One, it is built in line with China’s drive for environmental sustainability. The tower will provide green space and open communal areas; anticipate all the square dancing you can imagine. The high-rise will also contain the Eton Hotel, which will host approximately 600 rooms, as well as a five-star suite hotel with approximately 200 rooms.
4. Wuhan Center Tower, Wuhan (438 meters, 1437 feet)
Built on the banks of Mengze Lake, the Wuhan Center Tower is designed to resemble a boat without rigging. Considered by its creators to be the flagship of the Yangtze River, the building aims to be environmentally efficient and sustainable. Aside from creating the appearance of a skyscraper sailing into the sunset, the sprawling tower will be occupied by a hotel, retail, office and residential spaces.
3. CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou (530 meters, 1738 feet)
Found just across the way from its rival the Canton Tower, this 111-floor monolith began its upward climb in 2010, with environmental sustainability at the forefront of its design. The tower uses terracotta in its structure, a widely available material in China that is becoming popular because of its ability to self-clean. As well as boasting the fastest elevators in the world (they average a respectable 45 miles per hour, though can't quite reaching the dazzling speed of Mr. Wonka’s glass elevator), an observation deck will provide a breathtaking and likely rather windy view. Equipped with a hotel, conference center, offices and the all-important shopping center, the structure will be connected to public transport, in the hope it can become a focal point in the city.
2. Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin (597 meters, 1958 feet)
Close to topping China’s lofty ceiling and set to cost over USD800 million, the Goldin Finance Center (nicknamed “the Walking Stick”) will stand as the tallest structure in the city. Local government officials have slapped it with stringent building controls to make it a little less wobbly, especially as it has been built on soft ground in a highly seismic area. Just last August, a series of deadly explosions in a chemical warehouse blast rocked the city’s Binhai New Area. This potentially dangerous combination has been counteracted by new safety efforts, including deep foundations and four super-columns rising up along the building's sides. The building will also house the world’s highest indoor swimming pool at 564 meters.
1. Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen (599 meters, 1965 feet)
Knocking on heaven’s door, this list-topping structure, soon to be the fourth largest skyscraper in the world, will definitely stand out in the city’s skyline. Located in Shenzhen’s Futian District, this skyscraper is exceptionally tall. Back in 2007, developers had hoped to reach 660 meters, but they were forced to shave off 60 meters from the plan due to the proximity of local flight paths. Equally of note is the building’s exterior facade that, upon completion, will be the largest stainless steel facade in the world to date. Consisting of 1,700 tons of 316L stainless steel, this material was chosen specifically to endure Shenzhen’s coastal climate and to stand out in the city's skyline. Russian Daredevils Vitaly Raskalov and Vadim Makhorov infamously climbed the Ping An tower earlier last year — the footage was terrifying.
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