Construction is set to resume on one of the world’s tallest unoccupied skyscrapers, a towering structure that has stood incomplete for nearly a decade in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. Originally launched in 2008, the 597-metre-tall Goldin Finance 117 building was meant to symbolise ambition, but work was halted in 2015 following financial turmoil.
Now, a newly issued construction permit suggests efforts are underway to complete the 117-storey 'walking stick' tower by 2027. The building, initially commissioned by Goldin Properties Holdings, a firm that has since gone into liquidation, features a dramatic diamond-shaped atrium intended to house a swimming pool and an observation deck. Its reinforced mega columns were designed to endure seismic activity and fierce winds.
The skyscraper was once set to be the tallest in China, but it has since been overtaken by the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen’s Ping An Finance Centre. Upon completion, it will rank third in the country and sixth globally, possibly eighth if Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower and Dubai’s Burj Azizi are finished as planned.
Though the building’s original mixed-use purpose included luxury hotels and offices, it remains unclear if these plans are still in place. The state-owned BGI Engineering Consultants is now associated with the project, but further details, including its future commercial viability, are yet to be revealed.
Tianjin’s skyline has changed significantly since work stopped on Goldin Finance 117. The city has already completed the 530-metre Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, which currently stands among the tallest buildings in the world.
Alongside the Tianjin revival, construction on the 468-metre Chengdu Greenland Tower is also restarting. These developments suggest coordinated action by authorities to reinvigorate confidence in China’s property sector, even as market demand for office space remains subdued.
While supertall skyscrapers are increasingly viewed as financially and environmentally burdensome, completing these iconic towers could help local governments reshape city images and stimulate investment in surrounding districts. Goldin Finance 117 was originally part of a wider development that included commercial zones, villas, and entertainment hubs, although the status of these components remains uncertain.
Despite stricter regulations on skyscraper construction, China continues to dominate the global high-rise landscape, with most of the world’s tallest new buildings completed there in recent years.
