China to Complete Skyscraper Goldin Finance 117

May 26, 2025, 9:09 am | Read time: 3 minutes

At 597 meters tall, the Goldin Finance 117 in the Chinese city of Tianjin is currently the tallest unfinished skyscraper in the world. However, after a stock market crisis and the bankruptcy of the original construction company delayed its completion for 10 years, it is now expected to open within this decade. Other mega-projects in the country are also progressing. Experts believe this sends a message to the rest of the world.

The increasingly taller skyscrapers being built around the world today are often more than just buildings. They are also status symbols, messages to the outside world—proverbial exclamation points made of concrete, steel, and glass in the super-cities of modern times. China aims to add another one with the completion of a true mega-project. This refers to the Skyscraper Goldin Finance 117 in the city of Tianjin. Construction was halted for 10 years, but now it is expected to be completed within this decade. Other major projects are also resuming in the Middle Kingdom.

As CNN reports, the 597-meter-high Goldin Finance 117 was once the prestige project of the Chinese port city Tianjin. If completed on time, it would have been the tallest building in the entire vast country. However, in 2015, a severe crisis shook the Chinese stock market, driving the Hong Kong-based parent company, Goldin Properties Holdings, into bankruptcy. Its founder, Pan Sutong, once one of the richest men in China, had to file for insolvency. Thus, construction on the mega-tower came to a standstill. Like a harbinger of the crisis, it stood tall but unfinished in the city center of Tianjin.

A Sign of Strength

Now, the state-owned company BGI Engineering Consultants has entered into the continuation of construction with a contract sum of 569 million yuan (about 70 million euros). Whether the tower will retain its old name, Goldin Finance 117, after completion is currently unclear. More importantly, however, is the sign of strength that China wants to send with the continuation of construction, not only to its population but also to the rest of the world. In 2020, the Chinese government banned the construction of skyscrapers over 500 meters tall. Nevertheless, work is currently underway on the completion of a second super-tower in China.

This refers to the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the city of Chengdu, with a height of 468 meters, not exactly a small structure. Construction had been paused since 2023. Qiao Shitong, a professor of law at Duke University School of Law in the U.S., told CNN: “The government wants to make it clear that it intends to stabilize the real estate market. By reviving and completing this project (Goldin Finance 117), they also hope to increase confidence among their own population.” In terms of large construction projects, China is already at a leading position worldwide.

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Of the 133 skyscrapers with a height of 200 meters or more that were built around the globe last year, 91 are located in China. The Goldin Finance 117 was supposed to be the crown jewel of a massive project that included villas, offices, a convention center, and a polo club around the tower. Whether these will now be realized is unclear. Experts like Qiao Shitong already doubt the project’s profitability: “Who is going to buy or rent this space?” Nonetheless, Goldin Finance 117 would likely still be a status symbol upon completion.

Then it would hold the rank of the sixth tallest skyscraper in the world for the time being. In China, however, it is already only in third place behind the Shanghai Tower (632 meters) and the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen (555 meters). Another player is already preparing to overshadow these superlatives. Construction on the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia has reportedly resumed in 2024, according to CNN. Upon completion, it is expected to be one kilometer tall. Additionally, the Burj Azizi (planned 725 meters) is currently being built in Dubai, adding another super-tower.

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