World’s tallest building to be built in China. And it’s green

The world’s tallest building will be built in China using a sustainable flatpack system that will enable construction to be completed in just 90 days.

Chinese construction business Broad Sustainable Building (BSB) will soon start work on the 220-storey Sky City project in Changsha. The project will use the same factory-built module technique as the T30 tower, the 30-floor hotel that BSB built in just 15 days.

The building’s wall and floor panels will be built in a factory during a six month period. The electrics, plumbing, air conditioning and flooring will then be installed within the panels before they are shipped to the construction site and pieced together.

According to BSB, the technique reduces the cost of build by two-thirds. And because it reduces the need for cement – the production of which contributes 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions – the impact of construction is minimal.

Fresh-air heat recovery, quadruple glazing and 15cm of thermal insulation will also boost the building’s green credentials.

Construction will begin on Sky City’s foundations once final approval has been granted by the Chinese government, The project is likely to cost in the region of $620m, according to China Daily – much less than the $1.5bn it cost to build the previous world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The Dubai building took five years to build and stands at 828 metres, ten meters shorter than the planned Sky City, which will also feature a hospital, schools, offices and leisure facilities for its 17,000 residents.