Work set to resume on world’s tallest unoccupied skyscraper

The 597-meter high Goldin Finance 117 Tower, known as the world’s first unfinished building, is pictured in Tianjin, China, on August 28, 2024. Image: Costfoto/NurPhoto

The 597m tall skyscraper, called Goldin Finance 117, is located in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin.

It has stood unfinished since 2015 but, according to Chinese state media, work will restart with a provisional completion date of 2027.

The skyscraper broke ground in 2008 and was set to be China’s tallest skyscraper but work stopped in 2015 following the Chinese stock market crash, which led to financial problems for Goldin Financial Holdings, the building’s developer.

In 2020 the Chinese government imposed a ban on new skyscrapers taller than 1,640 feet (499m) and subjected existing supertall projects to reviews to clampdown on the drastic rise of large buildings across the country.

The Goldin Finance 117 would not be permitted to be built under China’s current laws. However, because construction began in 2008, it can be completed.

If completed, it would be the second tallest building in the country, second only to the Shanghai Tower, and the sixth tallest building in the world.

There is speculation that part of the reason the Chinese government wants the project to restart is to build confidence in the nations’ troubled real estate market.