Guangzhou's mayor has unveiled plans to build the world's tallest skyscraper on the north shore of the Pearl river, the Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.
It would probably be a twin-tower design, with one tower exceeding 530 metres and a second reaching between 400 and 500 metres, Zhang Guangning said. The building would contain restaurants, offices and a hotel.
The two towers, estimated to cost 1 billion yuan, will join existing landmarks including the city's opera, library, children's palace and a provincial museum. The mayor hopes the high-rise will put the finishing touch to Guangzhou's skyline, making it as unique as those of New York or Hong Kong.
But the 530-metre height is still an estimate that might be changed by 'market forces', a Guangzhou Planning Bureau official said.
The tallest building in the world is Taipei 101, at 509 metres and with 101 floors. A Japanese developer claims the Shanghai World Financial Centre will be the world's tallest building when it is finished in 2007, but its design height is 492 metres.
Additional reporting by Bill Savadove in Shanghai