China's New Ping An Finance Center Now Fourth Tallest Building in the World

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is pleased to announce that Ping An Finance Center is officially complete according to CTBUH criteria. At 599 meters, it is the tallest building in Shenzhen, the second tallest in China, and the fourth tallest building in the world, behind only the Burj Khalifa, Shanghai Tower, and Makkah Royal Clock Tower. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and developed by Ping An Finance Center Construction & Development, the tower rises from a prominent location in the heart of the city's Futian District. A large public atrium at its base creates a new destination for the district with stores, restaurants, and transit connections to the city, the Pearl River Delta region, and greater China. Above the hyper-connected podium, the tower features state-of-the-art office space for owners Ping An Life Insurance Company of China and other tenants. The shape of the tower is that of a taught steel cable, outstretched by the sky and the ground at once. At the top of the tower, the façade tapers to form a pyramid, giving the tower a prismatic aesthetic. The form is emphasized by eight composite mega-columns that extrude beyond the building envelope. This design is not only visually appealing, but also practical. The streamlined shape of the tower improves both structural and wind performance, reducing baseline wind loads by 35%. The façade of Ping An Finance Center is one of its most important features. The tower is adorned by the largest stainless steel façade in the world to date, using a total of 1,700 tons of 316L stainless steel. This material was chosen specifically for this project due to its corrosion-resistance, which will keep the appearance of the Ping An Finance Center unchanged for several decades despite Shenzhen's salty coastal atmosphere.