Goldin Finance 117, a 597-meter-tall skyscraper under construction in the outskirts of Tianjin, the seventh-largest city in China, currently holds the title of the tallest abandoned building in the world.
According to Oddity Central, initially designed to be the centerpiece of a luxury real estate project in Tianjin, Goldin Finance 117, also known as China 117 Tower, is renowned for being the highest unfinished and uninhabited building globally.
Construction began in 2008, but the project had to be halted just two years later during the period when the world was grappling with the aftermath of the Great Recession. The project resumed in 2011, with an estimated completion date between 2018 and 2019. However, by September 2015, construction was once again suspended and has remained on hold since then.
Goldin Finance 117 currently stands as the tallest abandoned building in the world. (Photo: N509FZ/Wikimedia Commons).
When construction was halted, this impressive skyscraper was the fifth tallest building in the world. Now, Goldin Finance 117 has become the highest abandoned building worldwide.
The Goldin Finance 117 building features 128 floors above ground, with 117 of those designated for hotel and commercial space, and 11 floors allocated for mechanical and operational services. Additionally, the building has four underground levels.
Unlike other buildings of similar height, this skyscraper was designed for people to reside on the highest floors. Interestingly, compared to habitable heights, China 117 Tower ranks just below the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Unfortunately, the entire skyscraper remains completely uninhabited.
So, what is the reason behind this? Firstly, the project developer, Goldin Group, is a relatively new player in the Chinese market, and the lack of government backing forced the company to self-finance the entire development project. It was a risky venture, but if successful, the rewards would be substantial. Unfortunately, the financial crisis of 2008 added further pressure on Goldin Group.
By 2011, Goldin Finance 117 resumed construction. Despite some minor hiccups, things seemed to be looking up. However, in 2015, after the topping-out ceremony of the 597-meter skyscraper, finishing work had to be halted. Following the collapse of the Chinese stock market bubble, Goldin Group could no longer maintain sufficient reserves to support its stock price, and company leaders were left to watch their stock plummet.
Some believe that developing a luxury project in a second-tier city like Tianjin was a poor idea from the start, as it failed to attract the attention of the affluent demographic the company targeted. Hopes of finally seeing Goldin Finance 117 completed seemed to dissipate by 2018, and this nearly 600-meter-tall skyscraper has remained abandoned since.
Today, Goldin Finance 117 is not only the tallest “ghost building” in the world but also serves as a cautionary tale for other developers and even the Chinese government. Following the failure of the Goldin Group project, authorities issued a decree in 2020 to significantly limit the scale and number of skyscrapers being constructed across the nation.
