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Dezeenwire: construction on Shenzhen’s tallest tower – and eighth tallest in the world – the Kingkey Finance tower, designed by international architecture firm Farrells, is almost complete. Due to be finished in August, the 441.8m tower will comprise accommodation, offices and retail spaces and a cinema. See press release below.

Tallest tower ever built by a British architect nears completion

Building work has nearly finished on Farrells latest tall building project in China, the Kingkey Finance Tower. At a height of 441.8 metres and 100 storeys, Kingkey Finance Tower is the tallest building ever completed by a British architect and the eighth tallest building in the world.

Located in Shenzhen, southern China’s major financial centre, Kingkey Finance Tower is part of a 417,000 sq/m mixed-use development designed by Farrells Hong Kong Office. Farrells won the commission to design the Kingkey Finance Development in an international competition which included leading architects.

The Tower design is slim and non bi-symmetrical with a spectacular atrium hotel lobby at the uppermost-levels. Kingkey Tower contains 210,000 sq/m of accommodation and 72 floors, 173,000 sq/m of Grade-A office space that sits over six-levels of retail development at the base of the tower. The retail mall opened in November accommodating luxury brand stores and Shenzhen’s only IMAX cinema and will be directly connected to a new station linking Kingkey Tower and Development to Shenzhen’s Metro System. The Development includes five other 100m tall residential and two 100m commercial towers above the retail podium.

The upper 28 floors of Kingkey Finance Tower will be a luxury “five star” St Regis hotel offering state-of-the-art conference and business facilities. The building is topped off by a five-storey “Sky Garden” – a stunning viewing gallery occupied by a variety of fine-dining restaurants that will take full advantage of Kingkey Finance Tower’s position as the tallest building in one of the fastest growing and most dynamic cities in China.

The Completion of Kingkey Tower will cement Farrells reputation as designers of tall buildings. In addition to Kingkey the practice has completed numerous tall buildings in China and earlier this week announced it had won the competition to develop a district of Beijing’s CBD with a design for the 500+ metre Z-15 tower.

Project Info:

Location: Shenzhen, China
Client: Kingkey Group
Architect: TFP Farrells
Tower height: 441.8m
GFA: 210,000 sq-m
Expected completion date: August 2011