SKYSCRAPERS IN CHINA | Facts and Details

CHINA'S SKYSCRAPER OBSESSION

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Pudong in Beijing In 2016, a total of 128 skyscrapers over 200 meters tall were completed around the world: 84 of them were in China. According to the South China Morning Post: in the early 2000s there were barely any high-rises in China.” by 2017, “seven of the 20 tallest buildings in the world are on mainland Chinese soil. With the rapid development of the economy, high-rises have shot up on land once occupied by bungalows and a so-called International Financial Centre or World Trade Centre can be found in every corner of the country. The construction boom shows no sign of slowing down. Analysts cite two main reasons behind the trend; the acceleration of China’s urbanisation and a desire to improve the national image with modern construction.[Source: South China Morning Post, February 14, 2017]

“For the ninth year running, the world’s second largest economy ranked No 1 in the world for having the largest number of new skyscrapers 200 meters or taller, according to a report by the US-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). “China’s determination to rapidly urbanise virtually commands that tall buildings are part of the equation,” said Daniel Safarik, China director for CTBUH.

“More than 30 Chinese cities had at least one 200-meter or taller building completed last year and more than 200 are in the pipeline for the next few years. Many people around the world have learned about little-known Chinese cities because of the construction of a major skyscraper, said Safarik, adding that skyscrapers can serve as a symbol of “economic success” for a city.

“David Ji, the head of research for China at property consultancy Knight Frank, said as more and more Chinese enterprises are going overseas, owning a landmark building is the best way to promote their brand in the international community. As an example, China’s financial conglomerate Ping An completed the 600-meter, 115-storey Ping An International Finance Centre in Shenzhen’s central business district in January 2017, which surpassed One World Trade Center in New York City to rank as the world’s 4th tallest.

Websites and Sources: Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; Asian Historical Architecture orientalarchitecture.com. Edited by professors and graduate students from Columbia, Yale, and the University of Virginia, this site offers thousands of photographic images of Asia's diverse architectural heritage at hundreds of sites in 17 countries. Modern Architecture in China: Gluckman.com gluckman.com ; New York Times Interactive New York Times Beijing: Bird’s Nest Stadium Wikipedia Wikipedia Water Cube Wikipedia ; National Center for Performing Arts Websites China National Center for Performing Arts Official Site China National Center for Performing Arts ; Wikipedia Wikipedia ; Guardian Slide Show Guardian Slideshow ; Terminal 3 at the Beijing Airport Blog Report naseba08 ; Beijing Airport Beijing Airport site ; Wikipedia , Wikipedia ; CCTV Headquarters Websites < OMA Oma ; Wikipedia Wikipedia ; Shanghai: Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; Travel China Guide Travel China Guide ; Jin Mao Building in Shanghai Skyscraper Page Skyscraper Page ; Wikipedia Wikipedia ; Jin Mao Group Jin Mao Group ; Shanghai World Financial Center Wikipedia Wikipedia ; Shanghai World Financial Center official site Shanghai World Financial Center official site ; Skyscraper Page Skyscraper Page

World’s Tallest Buildings (as of 2020)

1) Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is 828 meters (2,717 feet) tall and has 163 floors. It was completed in 2010. [Source: Wikipedia
2) Shanghai Tower in Shanghai is 632 meters (2,073 feet) and has 128 floors. It was completed in 2015. It is the tallest twisted building..
3) Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower in Mecca in Saudi Arabia is 601 meters (1,971 feet) and has (120 floors. It was completed in 2012 feet) and is the tallest building with a clock face.
4) Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, China. is 599 meters (1,965 feet) and has 115 floors. It was completed in 2017 It shares the record of the highest observation deck with Shanghai Tower (No. 2) at 562 meters.
5) Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin is 596.6 meters (1,957 feet) and has 128 floors. It was completed in 2019.
6) Lotte World Tower Lotte in Seoul South Korea is 554.5 meters (1,819 feet) and has 123 floors. It was completed in 2016.
7) One World Trade Center in New York City United States is 7 541.3 meters (1,776 feet) and has 104 floors. It was completed in 2014.

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Shanghai World Financial Center 8) Guangzhou CTF Finance Center Canton in Guangzhou, China is 530 meters (1,739 feet) and has 111 floors. It was completed in 2016.
9) Tianjin CTF Finance Center Tianjin in Tianjin is 530 meters (1,739 feet) and has 98 floors. It was completed in 2018.
10) Zun China in Beijing is 528 meters (1,732 feet) and has 108 floors.
11) Taipei 101 in Taiwan is508 meters (1,667 feet) and has 101 floors. It was completed in 2004 The world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010.
12) Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, China is 492 meters (1,614 feet) and has 101 floors. It was completed in 2008 Was the tallest building in China. It is until the completion of the adjacent Shanghai Tower.
13) International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is 484 meters (1,588 feet) and has 118 floors. It was completed in 2010.
14) Wuhan Greenland Center in Wuhan is 475.6 meters (1,560 feet) and has 97 floors. It was completed in 2019.

15) Central Park Tower in New York City United States is 472 meters (1,550 feet) and has 98 floors. It was completed in 2020 Tallest residential building in the world. (as of 2020). Topped out in September 2019.
16) Lakhta Center Das Lachta Zentr in Saint Petersburg Russia is 462 meters (1,516 feet) and has 86 floors. It was completed in 2018 Tallest building in Europe since 2018.
17) Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam is 461.2 meters (1,513 feet) and has 81 floors. It was completed in 2018.
18) Changsha IFS Tower T1 in Changsha, China is 452.1 meters (1,483 feet) and has 88 floors. It was completed in 2017.
19) Petronas Tower 1 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia is 451.9 meters (1,483 feet) and has 88 floors. It was completed in 1998 Tallest twin towers in the world; were the world's tallest buildings upon completion in 1998, and the first tallest building since 1908 outside of the United States.

21) Zifeng Tower Zifeng Tower in Nanjing, China is 450 meters (1,476 feet) and has 89 floors. It was completed in 2010.
Suzhou IFS in Suzhou is 92 floors. It was completed in 2017.
23The Exchange 106 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia is 445.1 meters (1,460 feet) and has 97 floors. It was completed in 2018.
24) Willis Tower in Chicago United States is 442.1 meters (1,450 feet) and has 108 floors. It was completed in 1974 Formerly known, and still commonly referred to, as the Sears Tower. It was the tallest building in the world from 1974 until 1998.
25) KK100 “ 100” in Shenzhen, China is 442 meters (1,449 feet) and has 100 floors. It was completed in 2011.
26) Guangzhou International Finance Center GZIFC. in Guangzhou is 440 meters (1,440 feet) and has 103 floors. It was completed in 2010.
27) Wuhan Center in Wuhan is the 27th is 438 meters (1,437 feet) and has 88 floors. It was completed in 2016.
28) 111 West 57th Street in New York City United States is 435.3 meters (1,428 feet) and has 82 floors. It was completed in 2019.
29) One Vanderbilt is the 29th is in 427 meters (1,401 feet) and has 67 floors. It was completed in 2020.
30) Dongguan International Trade Center 1 in Dongguan, China is the 30th is 426.9 meters (1,401 feet) and has 88 floors. It was completed in 2019.

Does China Need So Many Skyscrapers?

According to the South China Morning Post: “From 1990 to 2016, China’s urbanisation ratio grew from 21 to 57 per cent. The State Council has set a target to have 60 per cent of the population living in urban areas by 2020 and wants to help 100 million migrant workers obtain status as urban residents in the same timeframe. “In order to accommodate the great influx of urban population, China has invested more than 1 trillion yuan annually in redeveloping shantytowns in the cities — and building a landmark tower is unquestionably the best way to showcase the results of urbanisation. [Source: South China Morning Post, February 14, 2017]

“However, as skyscrapers are mostly for office use — not for living — the obvious question is whether China needs so many tall office buildings and whether they are being built in the right places. Safarik said some skyscrapers in China are commissioned without a strict market-based plan because of the heavy involvement of local government and national state-owned enterprises. There is a resources mismatch. “We hear of housing shortages in the first-tier cities, we also hear about empty buildings,” he said.

“The southern city of Shenzhen, the country’s most expensive housing market, saw eleven 200-meter-plus towers built last year, surpassing the number built in the entire US, despite a serious land shortage for residential housing. The problem is more serious in less developed cities as high-rises are sprouting up in these mid- and small sized cities. More than 10 such cities — including Suzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Nanning and Dalian — will see 300-meter-plus mega towers in the pipeline this year. In the latest move, Nanjing, a second-tier city near Shanghai, sold a land parcel to state-owned developer China Jinmao Holdings in 2017. The government requires the buyer to build a 500-meter-plus office building, which would surpass the 450-meter Zifeng Tower, as the tallest in the city.

“Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou province in southwest China, one of nation’s poorest provinces, will have two 335-meter, 74-storey towers completed in 2017. “It will be hard for a city like Guiyang to find quality tenants to fill the space,” Knight Frank’s Ji said. And there is “certainly waste” amid the construction boom because of the disconnect between supply and demand, he added.

China’s Problems with Having So Many Skyscrapers

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Jin Mao Tower According to the South China Morning Post: “ If all skyscrapers in the pipeline materialise “it is quite likely we will see an increased number of construction delays, postponements and possibly some structures may be mothballed”, said James Shepherd, DTZ/Cushman & Wakefield’s managing director for Greater China research. Also, if some of the tall buildings are empty and over time are neglected, they will serve as a symbol of failure rather than success, Safarik said. [Source: South China Morning Post, February 14, 2017]

“Greenland Group’s setback could be a warning. A number of mega towers under development by the state-owned property giant have reportedly stalled without completion, including the 85-storey Dalian Greenland Centre, which was planned to be the tallest building in China’s north east region. Greenland purchased the land in 2010 but hasn’t topped out after seven years. There are also risks in the ability of management to keep up with the speed of construction. For example, the 632-meter Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest and the world’s second tallest, which was completed in 2015, still has many unoccupied floors due to unsolved technical problems related to fire prevention.

“CBRE forecasts the supply of office space in China will peak by the end of 2017. It said the cumulative vacancy area of office space in 17 mainland cities will increase 3.3 percentage points to 23.5 per cent, or 19 million square meters.

Raffles City: Chongqing’s Horizontal Skyscraper

Raffles City Chongqing project has been described as “'horizontal skyscraper” attraction nears completion. Designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and opened in 2019, it embraces a stunning 1.12-million-square-meters and consists of a collection of eight towers and a gigantic connecting 250-meter-long skybridge, named Crystal, said to be one of the world's highest. Among other things it has a viewing gallery, sky gardens, an infinity pool, various restaurants, a 230,000-square-meter shopping mall, 1,400 residential apartments, a luxury hotel and 160,000 square meters of lavish office space. At night the skybridge transforms into a giant light beam, filling the sky with an awesome light show. [Source: Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN, February 27, 2019]

Raffles City Chongqing cost $3.8 billion and its design was inspired by traditional Chinese sailing vessels, a nod to Chongqing's past as a trading center. Tamara Hardingham-Gill of CNN, wrote: “The ambitious development is located in the center of the southwestern Chinese city, facing the intersection of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers." The main force behind the project is Developer CapitaLand, one of Asia's largest real estate companies. Raffles City Chongqing is CapitaLand's eighth Raffles City development in China. The others are in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Shanghai, which has two.

Is China's Skyscraper Age Is Over?

Adam Minter wrote in Bloomberg: “At more than 2,000 feet, Shanghai Tower is the world's second-tallest building. It looms over its neighbors — the world's ninth and 19th tallest buildings — in a supercluster of supertall structures unlike any other in the world. The only problem? Finding people to work there: Only 60 percent of Shanghai Tower is rented out, and only a third of current tenants have actually occupied their leased space. In this sense, Shanghai Tower signifies the end of an era. Its plight suggests some major changes are afoot in the real-estate market — and, more significantly, in how the professional class lives and works in China. [Source: Adam Minter, Bloomberg, June 13, 2017]

“For two decades, Shanghai's skyline has symbolized China's economic renaissance and modernization. That's by intention. In 1991, the local government held a competition to design a signature business district on the riverfront. The winning proposal included three supertall buildings intended to represent the rise of Shanghai's financial district — and of China more broadly.

“If Shanghai wanted a private developer to take on such a project today, it wouldn't be able to find one. The city's commercial real-estate market couldn't justify the investment. According to CBRE Group Inc., a leasing agent for Shanghai Tower, more than 600,000 square meters of new office space went on the city's market in the first quarter of this year, with an additional 850,000 coming soon — even as rents are trending downward and vacancies are up.

“That's common in many of China's biggest cities. Some 46 percent of the 500-foot-plus buildings under construction in the world are in China, partly spurred by local governments keen to emulate Shanghai's skyline (just as the Shanghai government once hoped). In recent years, seemingly every aspirational Chinese city has followed the same model of highly concentrated downtowns topped by massive towers.

“Yet for all its symbolic value, that model is almost certainly obsolete — and the Chinese cities of the future are likely to look very different. One reason is that China's breakneck urbanization is creating cities that sprawl further than ever, leading to long commutes, reduced well-being and economic inefficiency. In 2014, the average one-way commute in Beijing and Shanghai exceeded 50 minutes — longer than in New York — while six-hour round-trip commutes are not unknown. Surveys consistently show that long hours, including commutes, are a source of rising dissatisfaction among China's white-collar workers. For employers, meanwhile, increased sprawl makes it harder and more expensive to connect with available labor.

“Perhaps more significantly, workplace habits are changing. Older generations were raised to appreciate lifetime employment and the stability of a large organization — precisely the sort of companies that tend to occupy tall office buildings. But millennials in China, as elsewhere, are embracing gig work, part-time opportunities and entrepreneurialism. Co-working spaces are booming. Luring young, less wealthy workers — who typically have to live far from pricey downtowns — is a growing challenge for big companies. Likewise, creating the kind of novel workspaces that might appeal to them is difficult in a traditional office tower.

“The government's solution to these problems is to cap the populations of the biggest cities, and encourage development of so-called urban clusters surrounding the traditional city centers. Those clusters will in theory be differentiated by function (manufacturing, services, government) and less densely populated. They'll be connected by high-speed commuter rail (roughly four times quicker than a subway) that can avoid a crowded central hub. With pressure on downtowns reduced, the need to build taller and denser will decline, too.

“In April, President Xi Jinping announced that the government would build a new city designed to siphon people and businesses from Beijing's crowded center and serve as a model for urban development for the next thousand years. Notably, supertall buildings aren't part of the plan. Shanghai Tower doesn't need to worry about being topped.

Skyscrapers in Shanghai

Shanghai Tower in Shanghai is the second tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 632 meters (2,073 feet) tall. It has 128 floors and was completed in 2015 The tallest twisted building. See Separate Article PUDONG AND SKYSCRAPERS AND FAST ELEVATORS IN SHANGHAI factsanddetails.com

Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, China is the 12th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 492 meters (1,614 feet) tall. It has 101 floors and was completed in 2008 Was the tallest building in China. It is until the completion of the adjacent Shanghai Tower. [Source: Wikipedia]

Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, China is the 34th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It was the sixth tallest in 2008. It is 421 meters (1,380 feet) tall. It has 88 floors and was completed in 1999.

Zifeng Tower Zifeng Tower in Nanjing, China is the 21st tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 450 meters (1,476 feet) tall. It has 89 floors and was completed in 2010. Golden Eagle Tiandi Tower A in Nanjing is the 59th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 368.1 meters (1,208 feet) tall. It has 76 floors and was completed in 2018. See Separate Article NANJING factsanddetails.com

Suzhou IFS in Suzhou is the 22nd tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 92 floors and was completed in 2017.

Skyscrapers in Shenzhen

Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, China. is the forth tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 599 meters (1,965 feet) tall. It has 115 floors and was completed in 2017 Shares the record of the highest observation deck with Shanghai Tower (#2) at 562 meters. See Separate Article SHENZHEN: SKYSCRAPERS, MINIATURE CITIES AND CHINA’S FASTEST-GROWING AND WEALTHIEST CITY factsanddetails.com

KK100 in Shenzhen, China is the 25th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 442 meters (1,449 feet) tall. It has 100 floors and was completed in 2011. [Source: Wikipedia]

Dongguan International Trade Center 1 in Dongguan, China is the 30th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 426.9 meters (1,401 feet) tall. It has 88 floors and was completed in 2019.

Resources Headquarters China in Shenzhen is the 41st tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is meters (392.5 feet) tall. It has 1,288 67 floors and was completed in 2017.

Shum Yip Upperhills Tower 1 Shenzhen is the 44th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 388.1 meters (1,273 feet) tall. It has 80 floors and was completed in 2017.

Shun Hing Square Diwang Dasha in Shenzhen, China is the 47th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 384 meters (1,260 feet) tall. It has 69 floors and was completed in 1996.

Shenzhen Center Shenzhen, China is the 53rd tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 375.6 meters (1,232 feet) tall. It has floors and was completed in 2019.

Hanking Center in Shenzhen, China is the 64th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 358.9 meters (1,177 feet) tall. It has 65 floors and was completed in 2017.

Skyscrapers in Guangzhou

Guangzhou CTF Finance Center Canton in Guangzhou, China is the 8th tallest building in the world.. It is 530 meters (1,739 feet) tall. It has 111 floors and was completed in 2016. See Separate Article SIGHTS IN GUANGZHOU factsanddetails.com

Guangzhou International Finance Center GZIFC. in Guangzhou is the 26th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 440 meters (1,440 feet) tall. It has 103 floors and was completed in 2010. [Source: Wikipedia]

CITIC Plaza Guangzhou in Guangzhou, China is the 43rd tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 390.2 meters (1,280 feet) tall. It has 80 floors and was completed in 1996.

The Pinnacle The Pinnacle (Guangzhou, China) in Guangzhou is the 74th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 350.3 meters (1,149 feet) tall. It has 60 floors and was completed in 2012.

Skyscrapers in Tianjin and Beijing

Goldin Finance 117 in Tianjin is the 5th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). 596.6 meters (1,957 feet) tall. It has 128 floors and was completed in 2019. See Separate Article TIANJIN factsanddetails.com

Tianjin CTF Finance Center Tianjin in Tianjin is the 9th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 530 meters (1,739 feet) tall. It has 98 floors and was completed in 2018. [Source: Wikipedia]

Zun China in Beijing is the 10th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 528 meters (1,732 feet) tall. It has 108 floors. See Separate Article MODERN ARCHITECTURE IN BEIJING factsanddetails.com

Skyscrapers in Hong Kong

International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is the 13th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 484 meters (1,588 feet) tall. It has 118 floors and was completed in 2010. [Source: Wikipedia]

International Finance Centre IFC, Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, China is the 37th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 412 meters (1,352 feet) tall. It has 88 floors and was completed in 2003.

Central Plaza in Hong Kong is the 54th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 373.9 meters (1,226 feet) tall. It has 78 floors and was completed in 1992.

Bank of China is the 60th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is Tower HK Bank of China. in Hong Kong 367 meters (1,205 feet) tall. It has 70 floors and was completed in 1990.

Skyscrapers in Other Chinese Cities

Wuhan Greenland Center in Wuhan is the 14th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 475.6 meters (1,560 feet) tall. It has 97 floors and was completed in 2019. Wuhan Center in Wuhan is the 27th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 438 meters (1,437 feet) tall. It has 88 floors and was completed in 2016.

Changsha IFS Tower T1 in Changsha, China is the 18th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 452.1 meters (1,483 feet) tall. It has 88 floors and was completed in 2017.

Resources Tower in Nanning, China is the 39th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 402.7 meters (1,321 feet) tall. It has 85 floors and was completed in 2018. Logan Century Center 1 Nanning is the 49th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 381.3 meters (1,251 feet) tall. It has 82 floors and was completed in 2017.

Guiyang Financial Center Tower 1 Guiyang is the 40th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 401 meters (1,316 feet) tall and has 79 floors and was completed in 2019.

Eton Place Dalian Tower in Dalian is the 48th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 383 meters (1,257 feet) tall. It has 81 floors and was completed in 2015. Dalian International Trade Center in Dalian, China is the 56th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 370.2 meters (1,214 feet) tall. It has 86 floors and was completed in 2018.

Haitian Center Tower 2 Qingdao, China is the 58th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 369 meters (1,211 feet) tall. It has 72 floors and was completed in 2020.

Raffles City Chongqing in Chongqing, China is the 69th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 354.5 meters (79 floors and was completed in 2018.

Forum 66 Tower 1 Forum 66, Shenyang, in Shenyang, China is the 73rd tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 350.6 meters (1,150 feet) tall. It has 68 floors and was completed in 2015.

Xi An Glory International Financial Center in Xi'an is the 75th tallest building in the world. (as of 2020). It is 350 meters (1,148 feet) tall. It has 75 floors and was completed in 2017.

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Last updated November 2021