The Ping An Finance Center, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, is officially complete according to the criteria established by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. This means the 599-meter-tall (1,965 feet) structure is now formally the fourth tallest building in the world. Only the Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower, and the Makkah Royal Clock Tower are taller.
The Ping An Finance Center rises from Shenzhen, China’s prominent Futian District and comprises a large public atrium at its base. This atrium is packed with stores, restaurants, and transit connections to the city, the Pearl River Delta region, and greater China, CTBUH reports.
The tower features the world’s largest stainless steel façade, using a total of 1,700 tons of 316L stainless steel. The material was chosen for its corrosion resistance, which will help the Ping An Finance Center keep a stable aesthetic for years despite the salty coastal atmosphere of the city.
The building’s shape was not only chosen for its aesthetics, but also because it helps to improve the structural and wind performance of the tower by reducing baseline wind loads by 35%.
In addition to being the fourth tallest building in the world, Ping An Finance Center is the second tallest building in China and the tallest building in Shenzhen.
Thornton Tomasetti was the structural engineer for the project and China Construction First Building Group was the general contractor.
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