The world's largest building has opened in China capable of
fitting 20 Sydney Opera Houses - or three Pentagons -
inside.
The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province,
is a staggering 19million sq.ft. and contains shopping centres, a
Mediterranean village, a water park, an ice-skating rink, and
multiple hotels.
However, visitors to the glass panelled building need not
worry about the weather as the giant complex will have its own
artificial sun.
Living it large: Workers clean the glass roof of the New Century
Global Centre which opened to the public this weekend after three
years of construction
The building is 500 metres long, 400 metres wide and 100
metres high, reports said.
According to Chinese officials, the New Century Global Center
is the largest freestanding building in the world, and took three
years to complete.
‘This is an ocean city built by man,’ Chinese guide Liu Xun
told AFP.
He added that the artificial sun built inside the building
will provide light and heat 24 hours a day for shoppers exploring
the around 400,000 sq. metres of boutiques and stores.
The building sits directly opposite the Chengdu Contemporary
Arts Centre, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, at the
heart of a booming area of Chengdu.
Family fun: As well as the shops, hotels and the artificial sun,
the building also has an indoor water park