At 500 metres in length, 400 metres wide and 100 metres high, the New Century Global Center almost defies imagination. The total floor space of this colossal structure is 1.76 million square metres, and it has recently been opened to the public in southwestern China’s Sichuan province.
Officially declared the largest freestanding building in the world, the construction phase on the property took three years to complete. What will visitors see when then they set foot inside?
It will offer a combination of office space, a Mediterranean village, a university complex, shopping malls, and a 14-screen IMAX Cineplex. The facility also boasts an ice-skating rink that is capable of hosting international competitions.
The building also includes an artificial sun, which provides light and heat on a 24-hour basis. A LED screen measuring 164 yards in length provides an artificial horizon. Visitors can even plan to spend a day on an artificial beach.
The centre of the building is taken up by an immense water park called Paradise Island. About 400,000 square metres in the complex is dedicated to retail space, so consumers can shop until they drop.
This single structure is so large that it could easily store the equivalent of 20 Sydney Opera Houses.
The building is located directly opposite the Chengdu Contemporary Arts Centre, which was designed by Zaha Hadid. It is positioned at the hub of a new planned area of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China.
The opening of the building has been timed to coincide with the expansion of a new subway line in the area. It also coincides with the planned construction of a new airport which is set for completion in 2020.
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