Goldin Finance 117

Goldin Finance 117, also known as China 117 Tower (Chinese: 中国117大厦), is an unfinished skyscraper in Xiqing District, Tianjin, China. The tower was topped out in 2015 at a height of 597 m (1,959 ft). It has 128 storeys above ground, with 117 of them housing, hotel, and commercial space, which provides the source of the building’s name.^[2] Construction began in 2008 but was twice halted. As of March 2023^[update], it remains unfinished and unoccupied.

Goldin Finance 117
中国117大厦
Goldin Finance 117
Alternative names	Walking Stick
General information
Status	On-hold
Location	Xiqing District, Tianjin, China
Construction started	16 August 2008
Topped-out	8 September 2015
Estimated completion	Unknown as TBA
Owner	Goldin Financial Holdings Ltd.
Height
Architectural	597 m (1,959 ft)
Top floor	584.1 m (1,916 ft)
Observatory	578.7 m (1,899 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	128
Floor area	370,000 m^2 (4,000,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators	89
References
^[1]

Goldin Finance 117 and other failed skyscraper projects in China were responsible for the government banning construction of buildings over 500 metres (1,640 feet).^[3] If ever completed, Goldin Finance 117 will be China's last 500m+ tower for the foreseeable future.^[4][5]

Construction history

Construction of the skyscraper began in 2008 and was scheduled for completion in 2014. However, work was suspended in January 2010 due to the fallout of the Great Recession and eventually resumed in 2011 with the new estimated completion of 2018–2019. The building was topped out on 8 September 2015, making it the fifth-tallest building in the world at the time.^[6]

It was originally meant to be the centerpiece in the Goldin Metropolitan Scheme, a mixed-use luxury development on the outskirts of Tianjin catering to the super-rich, although the economic viability of the project was questionable. The building's owner, Goldin Properties (a subsidiary of Goldin Financial Holdings Ltd.), ran into financial difficulties in the aftermath of the June 2015 Chinese stock market crash and was forced to suspend construction in December 2015.^[7]

As of March 2023^[update], the building remains unfinished and unoccupied. China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the contractor of the project, removed all on-site workers and left it unfinished.^[8] It is currently certified by Guinness World Records as the World's Tallest Unoccupied Building.^[9]

Design

Goldin Finance 117 is designed to resemble a walking stick, and has that as its nickname.^[10] Earlier designs resembled the shape of a fin and a diamond. Goldin Finance 117 is planned to be the main tower of Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan, a Central Business District funded by Goldin Properties, and would be built nearby the Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club.^[11]

Urban exploration

In 2015, two Russian and Chinese urban explorers climbed the tower and the construction crane.^[12]

In 2016, Russian couple Ivan Beerkus (Kuznetsov) and Angela Nikolau climbed the under-construction tower using stairs instead of the crane. Their video received over 880,000 views as of April 2020 and attracted worldwide media attention.^{[13][14][15][16]}

See also

• List of tallest buildings in China
• Suzhou Zhongnan Center
• Wuhan Greenland Center
• Baoneng Shenyang Global Financial Center
• China Zun
• Gezhouba International Plaza 1
• Yantai Shimao No.1 The Harbour
• Suzhou IFS
• Tianjin Chow Tai Fook Binhai Center
• Sino-Steel Tower
• Ryugyong Hotel

References

1. "Goldin Finance 117 - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
2. "The Story Behind China's 600-Metre Abandoned Skyscraper". The B1M. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
3. "China limits construction of 'super high-rise buildings'". BBC News. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
4. "No taller than 500M, no plagiarism: China signals 'new era' for architecture".
5. "Tallest building unoccupied". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
6. . 2016-11-04. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
7. "Tallest building unoccupied". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
8. Chan, K. G. (2019-12-12). "Wuhan skyscraper fails to rise to great heights". Asia Times. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
9. "Tallest building unoccupied". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
10. "Goldin Finance 117 - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
11. The Story Behind China's 600-Metre Abandoned Skyscraper, retrieved 2022-08-06
12. "Oncer. ONTHECRANE of 117 vimeo video". Alex Okulovsky. 6 December 2015. from the original on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
13. "Couple Climbs The Highest Construction Site in the World 640M youtube video". Travel Ticker. 22 August 2016. from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
14. Nikolau, Angela (22 August 2016). "Climbing Goldin Finance 117 instagram video". from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
15. "Tianjin Crane Climbing 600 m - Drone video". Alex DeLarge. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
16. "Couple Climbs World's Tallest Construction Site Without Harnesses: 'I'm Not Afraid of Getting Caught'". Inside Edition. 22 August 2016. from the original on 24 September 2016.

External links

•   Media related to Goldin Finance 117 at Wikimedia Commons