WORLD’S LARGEST FREESTANDING BUILDING

The New Century Global Center is the world’s largest freestanding building, standing at 100m high, 400m wide and 500m long. It covers a floor space of 1.7 million square meters, and has the capacity to hold three U.S Pentagons, four Vatican Cities or 20 Sydney Opera Houses.

Inside, one can find an indoor beach and a massive wave pool which is illuminated 24 hours a day by an artificial sun, an artificial breeze and a 164 yard long LED screen which has a horizon projected onto it. This is also nearby the Paradise Island Water Park, also located within the building, which can accommodate 6,000 visitors.

The building also houses a range of business offices, shopping malls, theatres, houses, a water-park, ice skating rink, 14 IMAX cinemas, a faux Mediterranean village and even two 5-star hotels, each offering over 1,000 rooms.

The main activity for the centre is shopping, with retail space comprising the bulk of the building’s 420 acres of floor space, roughly the equivalent of 329 football fields. It took three years to complete the massive project.

Across the courtyard, British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s 500,000-square-foot Chengdu Contemporary Arts Centre features ample gallery space, as well as three performing arts theatres.

The official opening celebration is planned for August 22, 2013. Its opening has been timed to coincide with the expansion of a new subway line for the area and the planned construction of a new airport set for completion in 2020.