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Beijing’s tallest skyscraper reportedly opened for business last week, more than two years after it first began to reshape the city's skyline. At a staggering 528m, it is the 10th tallest building in the world and has 20m on its nearest competitor, the Taipei 101.
CITIC Tower now stands as the 10th tallest building in the world (Saudi Arabia's Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower not pictured)
CITIC Tower, also known as Zhōngguó Zūn (中国尊) in reference to its resemblance to an ancient Chinese wine vessel, will serve as the headquarters for CITIC Bank and CITIC Group, which has holdings in a wide range of businesses from construction to publishing. Various other tenants will also occupy office space in the tower, including the likes of e-commerce giant Alibaba.
China Zun vs. an ancient copper zun. Can you see the resemblance?
In reality, despite the tower being announced as "open," ongoing construction means that this area has yet to open to the public. Eventually, the basement level will be home to – surprise – a shopping center and will connect visitors to subway lines 1 and 10 at Guomao station.
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Sorry, but you won't be shopping under the tallest building in Beijing just yet
At the very top of the 109-story building, a luxury hotel and restaurant will overlook the CBD, all complete with a rooftop garden. It is not yet clear exactly when these and the shopping center below will open.
At nearly twice the height of the neighboring CCTV "Pants" building, the tower lays claim to the best view of Guomao and the CBD
Still, it is an accomplishment that the building has opened at all given the delays it has faced. For a while it seems that, like the Tower of Babel, CITIC Tower had reached too far into heaven, sparking media speculation that the tower could be used as a spying vantage point, allowing people to peep into meeting rooms in CCTV Headquarters directly over the road, and even Zhongnanhai compound, some six kilometers away. Then there was the National Week parade: just as the original date of the Beijinger's own 2019 Pizza Festival was postponed until this weekend, so too was the tower's opening put off to accommodate the anniversary.
The architects behind CITIC Tower hope that its dynamic structure can reflect both China’s future and its past. As the 10th tallest building in the world, it is yet another way that Beijing has made its mark.
Images: Dezeen, Emporis, Xinhua, Joey Knottsadvertisement
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