Today, there are 1,478 skyscrapers in the world — buildings 200 meters or higher. The undisputed leader in the construction of skyscrapers is China, which has more than 80 high-rise buildings. For example, the famous Shanghai Tower is located there, the height of which reaches 632 meters. Inside this giant structure are hundreds of offices of large companies from all over the world. There are also many shopping centers, conference halls, and observation decks with beautiful views of Shanghai. There are luxury hotels on the upper floors of the tower, and the lower floors are allocated for parking. In 2008, construction of an even taller skyscraper was launched in China, but it has been abandoned for several years. Extreme sports enthusiasts visit it to shoot dizzying videos, but the object is unlikely to ever be completed.
Golden Finance 117 skyscraper has been standing alone on the outskirts of Tianjin for more than 15 years. Source: wikipedia.org
Golden Finance 117 skyscraper
The tallest abandoned skyscraper in the world is called Golding Finance 117 and is located in the Chinese city of Tianjin. It is one of the largest cities in China, home to almost 14 million people, so it is not surprising that it was chosen as the location for such a grandiose structure.
Goldin Finance 117 towers over other buildings in China. Source: wikimedia.org
Construction of Goldin Finance 117 began in 2008. The project was designed by the Chinese company Goldin Group, which has had a hand in the creation of many buildings in China. According to the plan, the skyscraper was to have 128 floors, with 117 of them planned to be allocated for residential premises, offices and shopping centers. The builders wanted to leave the upper floors for office needs, and make the lower ones into parking for hundreds, or even thousands of cars.
Golden Finance 117 skyscraper from another angle. Source: fishki.net
Goldin Finance 117 was supposed to be a direct competitor to Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Sure, the world's tallest building is 828 meters tall, but its residential space ends at about the 117th floor. So the Chinese skyscraper in Tianjin was supposed to compete with Burj Khalifa in terms of its highest residential floor.
Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai. Source: octane.rent
At the very top of a skyscraper, like many others, a pendulum vibration damper must be installed. This large pendulum is installed on tall buildings in order to dissipate energy during earthquakes and prevent the structures from falling from vibrations. This is a very important part of every skyscraper, especially in China, where earthquakes occur quite often.
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Abandoned skyscraper in China
Unfortunately, the Goldin Group failed to realize its grandiose plans. The Tianjin skyscraper was successfully built and towered over many other buildings. But soon after the start of construction, the world financial crisis occurred. At first, the architects and engineers sincerely believed that problems would pass them by, but already in 2010 it became clear that the work would have to be suspended.
Tianjin Skyscraper Likely to Never Be Completed. Source: thetowerinfo.com
In 2011, the builders tried to resume work, but luck did not smile on them even this time. In 2015, the height of the Chinese tower was 597 meters, which was an impressive result. Rumors began that the Goldin Finance 117 tower would be completed around 2019, but it has not yet been able to open its doors. All this time, it was visited only by extreme sports enthusiasts who climb tall buildings and shoot videos for their blogs.
Extreme sports enthusiasts climb the Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper. Source: msk.kp.ru
There is no hope that the Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper will ever be completed. The project was initially very risky, because the Goldin Group began construction of the building with its own money – it did not receive any support from the government. The developer hoped that after opening the doors, the income from renting out the premises would quickly compensate for all expenses. But the rate was too high, because Chinese businessmen would hardly dare to rent premises in Tianjin. It is a big city, but it is not attractive for big business.
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The Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper stands on the outskirts of Tianjin and looks like a clear warning that not all risky decisions lead to success. There are many structures in the world that have been abandoned due to lack of money, but this one is the largest among them.