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Filter by
20
Global
Height rank
Height rank
Guangzhou International Finance Center
Guangzhou
-
Metrics
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Height
438.6 m / 1,439 ft
Floors
103
Official Name
The current legal building name.
Guangzhou International Finance Center
Other Names
Other names the building has commonly been known as, including former names, common informal names, local names, etc.
Guangzhou IFC, West Tower
Type
CTBUH collects data on two major types of tall structures: 'Buildings' and 'Telecommunications / Observation Towers.' A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area. Only 'Buildings' are eligible for the CTBUH 'Tallest Buildings' lists.
Building
Status
Completed
Architecturally Topped Out
Structurally Topped Out
Under Construction
Proposed
On Hold
Never Completed
Vision
Competition Entry
Canceled
Proposed Renovation
Under Renovation
Renovated
Under Demolition
Demolished
Completed, 2010
Country
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of Country, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.
City
The CTBUH follows the United Nations's definition of City, and thus uses the lists and codes established by that organization.
Address
Postal Code
510623
Function
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.
A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.
A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.
hotel / office
Structural Material
Steel
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.
Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.
Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.
Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.
Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from steel. Note that a building of steel construction with a floor system of concrete planks or concrete slab on top of steel beams is still considered a “steel” structure as the concrete elements are not acting as the primary structure.
Reinforced Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.
Precast Concrete
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning system are constructed from steel reinforced concrete which has been precast as individual components and assembled together on-site.
Mixed-Structure
Utilizes distinct systems (e.g. steel, concrete, timber), one on top of the other. For example, a steel/concrete indicates a steel structural system located on top of a concrete structural system, with the opposite true of concrete/steel.
Composite
A combination of materials (e.g. steel, concrete, timber) are used together in the main structural elements. Examples include buildings which utilize: steel columns with a floor system of reinforced concrete beams; a steel frame system with a concrete core; concrete-encased steel columns; concrete-filled steel tubes; etc. Where known, the CTBUH database breaks out the materials used in a composite building’s core, columns, and floor spanning separately.
composite
Core
Reinforced Concrete
Columns
Concrete Filled Steel
Floor Spanning
Steel
Official Website
Height
Architectural
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely utilized and is employed to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) rankings of the "World's Tallest Buildings."
438.6 m / 1,439 ft
To Tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element (i.e., including antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment).
438.6 m / 1,439 ft
Occupied
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest occupied floor within the building.
415.1 m / 1,362 ft
Observatory
415.1 m / 1,362 ft
Helipad
Height, measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance, to the building's helipad.
437.5 m / 1,435 ft
Floors Above Ground
The number of floors above ground should include the ground floor level and be the number of main floors above ground, including any significant mezzanine floors and major mechanical plant floors. Mechanical mezzanines should not be included if they have a significantly smaller floor area than the major floors below. Similarly, mechanical penthouses or plant rooms protruding above the general roof area should not be counted. Note: CTBUH floor counts may differ from published accounts, as it is common in some regions of the world for certain floor levels not to be included (e.g., the level 4, 14, 24, etc. in Hong Kong).
103
Floors Below Ground
The number of floors below ground should include all major floors located below the ground floor level.
4
# of Hotel Rooms
Number of Hotel Rooms refers to the total number of hotel rooms contained within a particular building.
374
# of Parking Spaces
Number of Parking Spaces refers to the total number of car parking spaces contained within a particular building.
1740
# of Elevators
Number of Elevators refers to the total number of elevator cars (not shafts) contained within a particular building (including public, private and freight elevators).
71
Top Elevator Speed
Top Elevator Speed refers to the top speed capable of being achieved by an elevator within a particular building, measured in meters per second.
8 m/s
Tower GFA
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.
250,095 m² / 2,692,000 ft²
Rankings
-
By function
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-
By material
You must be a CTBUH Member to view this resource.
#
20
Tallest in the World
#
16
Tallest in
Asia
#
12
Tallest in
China
#
2
Tallest in
Guangzhou
#
12
Tallest Mixed-use Building in the World
#
11
Tallest Mixed-use Building in
Asia
#
9
Tallest Mixed-use Building in
China
#
2
Tallest Mixed-use Building in
Guangzhou
#
16
Tallest Composite Building in the World
#
16
Tallest Composite Building in
Asia
#
12
Tallest Composite Building in
China
#
2
Tallest Composite Building in
Guangzhou
Construction Schedule
Architect
Design
Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Architect of Record
Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.
Structural Engineer
Design
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
MEP Engineer
Design
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Other Consultant
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Façade
These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Fire
Interiors
Landscape
Lighting
Quantity Surveyor
Sustainability
Traffic
Vertical Transportation
Material Supplier
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Elevator
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Paint/Coating
You must be a CTBUH Member to view this resource.
Owner/Developer
Yuexiu Real Estate Investment Trust
Architect
Design
Usually involved in the front end design, with a "typical" condition being that of a leadership role through either Schematic Design or Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Architect of Record
Usually takes on the balance of the architectural effort not executed by the "Design Architect," typically responsible for the construction documents, conforming to local codes, etc. May often be referred to as "Executive," "Associate," or "Local" Architect, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Architect of Record" exclusively.
Structural Engineer
Design
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
MEP Engineer
Design
The Design Engineer is usually involved in the front end design, typically taking the leadership role in the Schematic Design and Design Development, and then a monitoring role through the CD and CA phases.
Main Contractor
The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
The main contractor is the supervisory contractor of all construction work on a project, management of sub-contractors and vendors, etc. May be referred to as "Construction Manager," however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Main Contractor" exclusively.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation; Guangzhou Municipal Construction Group JV
Other Consultant
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Other Consultant refers to other organizations which provided significant consultation services for a building project (e.g. wind consultants, environmental consultants, fire and life safety consultants, etc).
Acoustics
Campbell Shillinglaw Lau Ltd
Façade
These are firms that consult on the design of a building's façade. May often be referred to as "Cladding," "Envelope," "Exterior Wall," or "Curtain Wall" Consultant, however, for consistency CTBUH uses the term "Façade Consultant" exclusively.
Fire
Interiors
Landscape
Lighting
Lichtvision; Hirsch Bedner Associates
Property Management
Guangzhou Yuexiu City Construction Jones Lang LaSalle Property Management Co., Ltd.
Quantity Surveyor
Sustainability
Traffic
Vertical Transportation
Material Supplier
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Material Supplier refers to organizations which supplied significant systems/materials for a building project (e.g. elevator suppliers, facade suppliers, etc).
Elevator
Façade Maintenance Equipment
Paint/Coating
Sealants
Guangzhou Baiyun Chemical Industry Co. Ltd.
Steel
China Construction Steel Structure Corporation
CTBUH Awards & Distinctions
Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2011 Winner
2011 CTBUH Awards
10 Year Award 2021 Winner
2021 CTBUH Awards
CTBUH Initiatives
CTBUH Guangzhou Symposium : Spatial Design
25 January 2019 - Event
Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings
13 October 2016 - CTBUH Research
Videos
19 October 2016 | Guangzhou
Exploring Geometry and Form in Tall Buildings
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre, presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 5: "Beyond Guangzhou: Other Settings" Using four...
Research
01 September 2018
Significant Progress in Construction Equipment of Super High-Rise Building
Kun Zhang & Hui Wang & Kaiqiang Wang & Jian Cui & Bo Chen and Di Li, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd
The construction of rapid developing super high-rise buildings constantly faces great challenges and the innovation of construction equipment is a focus of these challenges. In...
About Guangzhou International Finance Center
Guangzhou International Finance Center is a landmark tower which defines the emerging international strength of China’s third largest city and serves as a landmark for Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town’s main axis, which links the commercial district in the north with the Pearl River to the south. At the time of its completion it was the fourth tallest building in China and the ninth tallest building in the world. Its elegant simplicity belies the complex geometry of form and structure which makes it possible. Each of the three façades of the curved triangular plan are also curved in section with a radius of 5.1km set out asymmetrically with the widest point at a third of the height, tapering to its narrowest point at the top. There is no spire, and the three curved façades continue up beyond the highest floor and, in some views, seems to disappear to infinity. The highest point is a helicopter landing pad which hovers over the central atrium just overhanging the perimeter cladding. The inside of this atrium, with its crystalline geometry, sparkles with abundant daylight and is taller than the height of London’s St. Paul\'s Cathedral, including its dome.
Its rounded triangular plan responds to the need for efficient internal space layouts and excellent environmental performance. The tower has a mixture of uses including office space, a luxury hotel and a top floor observation area. Office floors occupy levels 2 through 67 and a Four Seasons hotel is on levels 67 through 103. The tower has a triple height 12 m (39 ft) high entrance lobby which rings the base of the tower and allows secure access to the building’s double decker shuttles and standard lift groupings. The main lobby also connects via escalators to a secondary office lobby located at the lower basement level, which in turn allows access to below ground retail and the MTR station. A further dedicated lobby and set down has been formed at ground level for the hotel. At ground level, the tower connects with a substantial podium complex containing a retail mall, conference center and serviced apartments. The tower and podium connect to a large retail mall and transport hub below ground, with a retail loop encouraging connections underneath a landscaped central axis.
The building utilizes the world’s tallest constructed diagrid structure which is clearly expressed though the building’s façade and gives the building considerable character. The diagrid members are formed from concrete filled steel tubes which provide both good stiffness and fire protection to the structure. However, two hour fire protection was still required in order to meet codes and this was trowel applied directly to the building’s primary structure. The tubular diagrid structure “nodes-out” every 12 stories to form 54 m (177 ft) high giant steel diamonds. At the base of the tower the structural members are 1800 mm (70 in) in diameter and reduce in size up the building to 900 mm (35 in) at the top of the building.
The structural core takes much of the gravity load of the building’s floors and is linked back to the diagrid perimeter structure via floor beams to create a stiff “tube-within-a-tube” structural system. The inherent stiffness in the structure minimizes steel tonnage while providing inherent stiffness and resistance to acceleration and sway, thereby maintaining high comfort levels for the building’s occupants. This stiffness and resistance to acceleration means that no damping of the structure is required.
The building has been designed to be a low carbon and sustainable building. The shape of the building has been designed to reduce the effects of wind, thereby reducing the necessary size and weight of the structure. In addition to fundamental passive measures such as orientation, sustainable building systems have been incorporated into the design which address issues such as comfort, maintenance and cost while paying due regard to environmental sustainability and energy conservation. These include: solar thermal hot water; air-side energy recovery; heat recovery chiller; ice storage system; desiccant dehumidification; high-rise air discharge pressure CFD analysis; free cooling system; and variable air volume.
CTBUH Awards & Distinctions
Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2011 Winner
2011 CTBUH Awards
10 Year Award 2021 Winner
2021 CTBUH Awards
Videos
19 October 2016 | Guangzhou
Exploring Geometry and Form in Tall Buildings
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre, presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 5: "Beyond Guangzhou: Other Settings" Using four...
11 June 2013 | Guangzhou
Session 10: Developing High-Rise Living in the European Context
An increase in high-rise living in traditionally commerce-focused urban centers has been a key urban trend in cities across the entire globe. This has great...
20 September 2012 | Guangzhou
Guangzhou Finance Centre: an Elegant Simplicity of Form
When a tower rises above the cityscape, it has a responsibility to make a positive contribution and a grouping of towers should make a visually...
20 September 2012 | Guangzhou
Interview: Building Green Tall and Livability
Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre Architects is interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2012 CTBUH Shanghai Congress at the Jin Mao, Shanghai. Chris talks about...
03 November 2011 | Guangzhou
Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia: Guangzhou IFC: Towards An Elegant Simplicity
The tallest of the four regional winners this year at 440 meters, the Guangzhou International Finance Center utilizes the world’s tallest constructed diagrid structure, whose...
03 November 2011 | Guangzhou
CTBUH 10th Annual Awards Dinner
The 10th Annual Awards Ceremony & Dinner was held in Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Crown Hall, on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus, Chicago....
03 November 2011 | Guangzhou
Chris Wilkinson & Dominic Bettison of Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Michael Kwok & Craig Gibbons of Arup are interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2011 CTBUH...
05 March 2008 | Guangzhou
Nonlinear Dynamic Earthquake Analysis of Skyscrapers
Sam Lee, of Guangzhou Scientific Computing Consultants, presented a solution on the ABAQUS platform at the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai by selecting the...
Research
01 September 2018
Significant Progress in Construction Equipment of Super High-Rise Building
The construction of rapid developing super high-rise buildings constantly faces great challenges and the innovation of construction equipment is a focus of these challenges. In...
01 March 2017
Engineering of Guangzhou International Finance Centre
The Guangzhou International Finance Centre (IFC) is a landmark building that symbolizes the emerging international strength of Guangzhou, China’s third largest city. It is also...
01 December 2016
There is much architectural and engineering literature which discusses the virtues of exterior bracing and diagrid systems in regards to sustainability - two systems which...
01 December 2016
The Emergence of the Diagrid - It’s All About the Node
The diagrid structural system for constructing tall buildings is a recent invention. Debuting in 2004 with the construction of the Swiss Re Tower in London,...
17 October 2016
Exploring Geometry and Form in Tall Buildings
Using four tower designs on four continents – the Guangzhou International Finance Center in China, the Crown Sydney Resort Hotel in Australia, 45 Bay Street...
01 September 2015
Innovative Technologies and Their Application on the Construction of a 100-Plus-Story Skyscraper
Experience on the construction of several 100-plus-story skyscrapers including Guangzhou West Tower, Guangzhou East Tower, and Shenzhen’s KK100 is described considering the increasingly strong development...
11 June 2014
In this installment of Tall Buildings in Numbers, CTBUH considers how helipads are used on skyscrapers, and which are the highest in the world. The...
13 January 2013
Guangzhou International Finance Center, China
The Guangzhou International Finance Center is not only recognised as the tallest building in Guangzhou, but one of the most beautiful. A triangular base supports...
23 September 2012
The Tallest 15 Cities in China
With over 1.3 billion citizens and a rapidly urbanizing population, China is developing tall buildings more than any other country globally. Currently it has 239...
19 September 2012
Guangzhou Finance Centre: An Elegant Simplicity of Form
The design for the Guangzhou International Finance Centre makes the case for a high rise aesthetic that aims for an elegant simplicity, but expresses the...
CTBUH Initiatives
Filter by
25 January 2019
CTBUH Guangzhou Symposium : Spatial Design
The CTBUH China Office successfully held a Symposium in Guangzhou revolving around the theme: "Spatial Design: Inside and Outisde of Skyscrapers."
13 October 2016
Top Company Rankings: The World’s 100 Tallest Buildings
The Council is pleased to announce the Top Company Rankings for numerous disciplines as derived from the list of projects appearing in 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings.
1 August 2012
Guangzhou IFC Chosen as Featured Building
Guangzhou IFC is a landmark tower which defines the emerging international strength of China’s third city and serves as a landmark for Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town’s main axis.
31 December 2010
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2010
In a year dominated by news coverage of the new “World’s Tallest Building” – Burj Khalifa, Dubai – one may be surprised to learn that, besides being the year in which a building first surpassed the 600, 700, and 800-meter thresholds, 2010 has seen the completion of more skyscrapers than any previous year in history.
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