Sometime back in May 2013 it was reported that "Sky City One", touted as the tallest skyscraper of the world coming up in Changsha City in South China, was set to break ground in June. According to Broad Sustainable Group, developers of the building, the company had received all building permits and approvals to start construction on the 2749 feet high-rise and would complete building in 210 days. But it seems the company did not manage to get full approvals.
The Broad Group "put the first spade on the ground" on July 20 amid much fanfare but looks like, that is only how far they got. According to recent media reports, the group has not yet got all the land and building right permits sorted and construction on the building has been stalled. When urged about the building plans, spokespersons for the company said that they have not yet started construction on the structure and also mentioned that no construction laws have been broken.
"Broad is still currently in the beginning stages of arranging the construction project," a Changsha Urban Planning Department representative said to CNN.
"So far, they've undergone the process to obtain 136 mu [22 acres] of land, but that's it. They're still in the very basic beginning stages. We've been giving a lot of attention to this case, and everything they've done has been according to law," the rep added.
When questioned about resuming construction, the group said that the next start-date would be revealed in a press release. The press meet has not been scheduled yet.
About Sky City One
Sky City One will be a one-of-a-kind, mixed use skyscraper, which will be a city in itself. Of the 220 stories, 83 percent of the building will be used for residential purposes and 3 percent for office usage. According to Treehugger.com, the building will accommodate around 4450 families in apartments measuring 645 square feet to 5000 square feet. It will also have around 10,000 square feet of school, hospital and office area.
The Broad Group claims that the skyscraper is a next-generation building and will be five times more energy efficient than a conventional energy-saving building. The structure will have 8-inch thick insulated and glazed walls and its exterior shading will save cooling expenses by 30 percent. A co-generation plant will supply the building with heating and cooling facilities using waste heat from power generation.
The building will be earth-quake resistant, able to withstand a '9 Richter Scale' magnitude quake. It will also have a three-hour fire resistance system. Moreover, since most of the amenities will be in the tower, it will save a lot of land space. In fact, the building takes up only 10 percent of the site, while the rest of the lot will be developed into parks and open recreation space.
Check out a video of the building plan, below:
