The 620,000-metric-ton tower that almost grew an antenna

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Rising nearly 600 metres into the Shenzhen skyline, the Ping An Finance Centre is a marvel of structural engineering. Ranking as the globe's second biggest skyscraper regarding floor space, its development faced various pauses and aviation safety concerns.

Completed in 2017, the Ping An Finance Centre stands as a 115-storey supertall skyscraper reaching a height of 599.1 metres. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates with structural engineering by Thornton Tomasetti, the building serves as the headquarters for Ping An Insurance. Its design features a distinctive stainless-steel facade weighing approximately 1,700 metric tons, intended to reflect the history and achievements of its primary tenant.

The project faced significant hurdles during development. In March 2013, construction was temporarily halted following suspicions that unprocessed sea sand—which can corrode steel structures—was used in the concrete. Following testing by the Shenzhen Housing and Construction Bureau in late March 2013, which confirmed compliance with standards, work resumed. The tower's growth also faced a strategic pivot: while original plans included a 60-metre antenna to make it China's tallest building, officials decided against it in February 2015 to avoid obstructing flight paths.

Technically, the building is a titan of scale. It boasts a gross floor area of 378,600 square metres, making it the second largest skyscraper globally by floor area after Tokyo's Azabudai Hills Main Tower. The superstructure relies on eight main columns that taper from 6 by 3.2 metres at the base to 2.9 by 1.4 metres at the summit. To move people through this massive volume, the center utilizes 33 double-deck elevators capable of reaching speeds up to 10 m/s.

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