Goldin Finance 117, also known as China 117 Tower (Chinese: 中国117大厦), is a supertall unfinished skyscraper in Xiqing District, Tianjin, China. The tower was topped out in 2015 at a height of 597 m (1,957 ft). It has 128 storeys above ground, with 117 of them intended for housing, hotel, and commercial space, which provides the source of the building’s name.[2] Designed by P&T Group, construction began in 2008 but was twice halted. As of November 2024[update], it remains unfinished and unoccupied.
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][4] If ever completed, Goldin Finance 117 will be one of China's last 500 m+ towers for the foreseeable future.[5][4]
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. But around the same time, 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]
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. Their video received over 922,000 views as of April 2023 and attracted worldwide media attention.[13][14][15][16]
