Ordered by Ping An Insurance and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the Ping An International Financial Center was completed in 2017. Having broken the record for the highest observation deck at 562.2 meters high, the tower tops 599 meters high. Made famous on the internet by two Russian and Ukrainian roof toppers, the 116 stories-high building features a hotel, retail and office spaces, a conference center and a high-end shopping mall.

The Ping International Financial Center is the tallest building in the Shenzhen region of China. The supertall 115-story building with its 5-level basement is a skyscraper located in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. Commonly known as Ping An IFC, the construction of the building was commissioned by Ping An Insurance. With the help of the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, it was completed in 2017.

After its completion, it became the 2nd tallest building in China and the 4th tallest building in the world. It became the iconic center of China’s central business Futian district. It connects to the neighboring commercial as well as residential properties. It is easily accessible through Line 1 Gou Wu Gong Metro Station.

As the name of the building suggests, it is the headquarters of Ping An Insurance. Other than that, the building also houses more than 100 offices, a hotel, retail spaces, a conference center, and a high-end shopping mall. This shopping mall attracts tourists, while the main tourist attraction is the world’s highest observation deck at 562m. This observation deck is known as the Free Sky. With the building’s completion in 2017, the observation deck surpassed the height of the observation deck of Burj Khalifa, which was at 555.7 m, and became the world’s highest observation desk. To reach the observation deck at Ping An International Financial center, there are 33 double-deck elevators that travel at the speed of 10 meters per second.

The structure of the building is unique and elegant. A stainless-steel facade provides a modern look to the building, which weighs approximately 17,000 metric tons. Anchored by eight stone-column diagonal bracings, the building rests with stability at the ground. The tension is mediated to a single point in the sky with a chevron-shaped column. In addition to this state-of-the-art structure, designers have added safety measures as well. The tapered facade is weather-resistant. It reduces the wind load by forty percent, while the stainless steels form a protective net against lightning. The central atrium has five stories that form an amphitheater that is open to the public. This is a sunlit space for shopping and dining. For its clever, sharp, and beautiful structure, the building has won many awards, such as Best Tall Building 400 meters and above in 2019, Best 2019 Tall Building Asia & Australasia 2018 Award of Excellence, and Construction Award Award of Excellence in 2018.

During its construction years, the building attracted roof toppers. In Jan 2015, Malaysian photographer Keow Wee Loong climbed the building to capture video footage and photos from the tower’s top. Another attempt was made by Russian and Ukrainian explorers. Vadim Makhorov and Vitaly Raskalov climbed to the top on the occasion of the Chinese New Year in 2015 and documented their adventure.

The tower is able to accommodate 15,500 workers. However, due to low occupancy, the number of workers is few in the building. Nonetheless, the tourists keep coming for shopping, dining, and Free Sky. The tower is able to cater to 9,000 daily visitors to the observation deck. The tower warmly welcomes visitors and tourists throughout the year.