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The Sun
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Fresh hope for Europe's tallest abandoned skyscraper as millionaire buyer on brink of snapping up 800ft half-built ruin
HOPES for Europe's tallest abandoned building have been revived - after a real estate tycoon has been given more time to seal the deal. Dieter Becken, 75, has been given a few more weeks to secure the funds to buy and complete the unfinished Elbtower skyscraper in Hamburg, Germany. 4 4 Originally slated to soar to 800 feet, the structure currently sits at a mere 328 feet. Becken now has until June 2025 to obtain the cash and finalise a deal to buy the tower, according to Hamburger Abendblatt. He previously had until the end of April but the insolvency administrator has now announced an extension. The administrator said: "This agreement is thus extended by the period necessary for the continuation and possible conclusion of the negotiations between the parties." The defiant millionaire said earlier this month: "I believe in this outstanding project." Construction on the ambitious project began in 2021. But the project was halted in 2023, after Austrian investor Rene Benko, 47, went bankrupt. The skyscraper is located in Hamburg's Hafen City district, near the city's famous Elbphilharmonie concert hall. The building was set to host a Nobu hotel and restaurant, risk adviser Aon and a local bank. If completed, the tower would be, by far, the tallest building in Hamburg and the third tallest in Germany. It will be 210 feet taller than the Gherkin and around 217 feet shorter than the Shard in London. The construction costs amount to 700 million euros (£587 million), according to estimates by PropertyEU. It comes as construction will be resumed on a giant skyscraper in China that has stood unfinished for nearly a decade. Work on Goldin Finance 117, nicknamed The Walking Stick due to its architectural shape, came to an abrupt halt in 2015 following the Chinese stock market crash. The "ghost-scraper" has loomed large over the northern city of Tianjin ever since. At a whopping 1,959 feet, it is nearly twice as tall as The Shard. But it won't get to claim the title as China's tallest building. Two bigger skyscrapers, the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen's Ping An Finance Centre, have both been completed since. 4 What is the world's tallest abandoned building? By Lydia Doye Goldin Finance 117 in Northern China is the tallest abandoned building in the world. At 1,957ft, the building is twice the height of the Shard. If finished, the building would have been the fifth-tallest in the world. It was planned to have a total of 128 floors with luxury housing, hotels, and commercial space. It also had plans to be topped with a three-storey diamond-shaped atrium The construction of Goldin Finance 117 began in 2008, as part of an ambitious £8billion project. Construction was suspended in 2010 because of the recession, and stopped indefinitely in 2015. The building was dubbed "The Walking Stick" because of its structural shape.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
World's tallest abandoned skyscraper the Walking Stick to FINALLY be finished decade after £8bn project was left empty
A GIANT skyscraper in China that has stood unfinished for nearly a decade is finally set to resume construction. Work on Goldin Finance 117, nicknamed The Walking Stick due to its architectural shape, ground to an abrupt halt in 2015 amid financial woes. 4 Goldin Finance 117, which has stood unfinished for a decade, on September 8, 2015 Credit: Getty 4 An aerial view of the Goldin Finance 117 in 2022 Credit: Getty 4 The "ghost-scraper" has loomed large over the northern city of Tianjin ever since, with its future remaining up in the air. Planned as a symbol of the country's surging wealth when it broke ground in 2008, it would have been China's tallest tower at the time. Already topped out when construction hit a pause, it now holds the unenviable record of world's tallest abandoned skyscraper. At a whopping 1,959 feet, it is nearly twice as tall as The Shard. Work on the £8billion project hit a pause following the 2015 Chinese stock market crash. But the tower is now set to resume construction after 10 long years, according to Chinese state media. However, it won't get to claim the title as China's tallest building. Two bigger skyscrapers, the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen's Ping An Finance Centre, have both been completed since. Nevertheless, The Walking Stick's vast heights will still make it the world's sixth tallest building. It would drop to eighth if the world record-targeting Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia and Dubai's Burj Azizi are completed in the coming years. Goldin Finance 117 is now projected to be finished by 2027, CNN has reported. The tower was designed with "mega columns" to shield it against earthquakes and strong winds. Plans also included a diamond-shaped atrium at the top with a swimming pool and observation deck. It was also expected to contain offices and a five-star hotel on its higher floors. But it is not known whether plans for the skyscraper's use will remain unchanged. Goldin Finance 117 is far from the only abandoned high rise to sit on China's skylines. China issued guidance in 2020 banning new skyscrapers over 500 metres (1,640 feet). In central China, the Wuhan Greenland Centre had its planned height slashed from a planned 636 metres (2,087 ft) in 2018 while it was mid-construction. Had it been completed as originally designed, it would have been the world's second tallest tower at the time, only after Dubai's Burj Khalifa. In the end, it reached 476 metres (1,562 feet). Work is also set to resume on the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the country's south west, according to local state-owned media. Construction on this planned 468 metre tall skyscraper has been paused since 2023. The skylines of many of China's biggest cities are dominated by vast towers like this. Five of the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world are in China.
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
World's tallest abandoned skyscraper the Walking Stick to FINALLY be finished decade after £8bn project was left empty
A GIANT skyscraper in China that has stood unfinished for nearly a decade is finally set to resume construction. Work on Goldin Finance 117, nicknamed The Walking Stick due to its architectural shape, ground to an abrupt halt in 2015 amid financial woes. 4 4 4 The "ghost-scraper" has loomed large over the northern city of Tianjin ever since, with its future remaining up in the air. Planned as a symbol of the country's surging wealth when it broke ground in 2008, it would have been China 's tallest tower at the time. Already topped out when construction hit a pause, it now holds the unenviable record of world's tallest abandoned skyscraper. At a whopping 1,959 feet, it is nearly twice as tall as The Shard. Work on the £8billion project hit a pause following the 2015 Chinese stock market crash. But the tower is now set to resume construction after 10 long years, according to Chinese state media. However, it won't get to claim the title as China's tallest building. Two bigger skyscrapers, the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen's Ping An Finance Centre, have both been completed since. Nevertheless, The Walking Stick's vast heights will still make it the world's sixth tallest building. It would drop to eighth if the world record-targeting Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia and Dubai's Burj Azizi are completed in the coming years. Goldin Finance 117 is now projected to be finished by 2027, CNN has reported. The tower was designed with "mega columns" to shield it against earthquakes and strong winds. Plans also included a diamond-shaped atrium at the top with a swimming pool and observation deck. It was also expected to contain offices and a five-star hotel on its higher floors. But it is not known whether plans for the skyscraper's use will remain unchanged. Goldin Finance 117 is far from the only abandoned high rise to sit on China's skylines. China issued guidance in 2020 banning new skyscrapers over 500 metres (1,640 feet). In central China, the Wuhan Greenland Centre had its planned height slashed from a planned 636 metres (2,087 ft) in 2018 while it was mid-construction. Had it been completed as originally designed, it would have been the world's second tallest tower at the time, only after Dubai 's Burj Khalifa. In the end, it reached 476 metres (1,562 feet). Work is also set to resume on the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the country's south west, according to local state-owned media. Construction on this planned 468 metre tall skyscraper has been paused since 2023. The skylines of many of China's biggest cities are dominated by vast towers like this. Five of the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world are in China. 4
The Irish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
World's tallest abandoned skyscraper the Walking Stick to FINALLY be finished decade after £8bn project was left empty
A GIANT skyscraper in China that has stood unfinished for nearly a decade is finally set to resume construction. Work on Goldin Finance 117, nicknamed The Walking Stick due to its architectural shape, ground to an abrupt halt in 2015 amid financial woes. Advertisement 4 Goldin Finance 117, which has stood unfinished for a decade, on September 8, 2015 Credit: Getty 4 An aerial view of the Goldin Finance 117 in 2022 Credit: Getty 4 The "ghost-scraper" has loomed large over the northern city of Tianjin ever since, with its future remaining up in the air. Planned as a symbol of the country's surging wealth when it broke ground in 2008, it would have been China's tallest tower at the time. Already topped out when construction hit a pause, it now holds the unenviable record of world's tallest abandoned skyscraper. At a whopping 1,959 feet, it is nearly twice as tall as The Shard. Advertisement read more in world news Work on the £8billion project hit a pause following the 2015 Chinese stock market crash. But the tower is now set to resume construction after 10 long years, according to Chinese state media. However, it won't get to claim the title as China 's tallest building. Two bigger skyscrapers, the Shanghai Tower and Shenzhen's Ping An Finance Centre, have both been completed since. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Exclusive Nevertheless, The Walking Stick's vast heights will still make it the world's sixth tallest building. It would drop to eighth if the world record-targeting Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia and Dubai's Burj Azizi are completed in the coming years. Goldin Finance 117 is now projected to be finished by 2027, The tower was designed with "mega columns" to shield it against earthquakes and strong winds. Advertisement Plans also included a diamond-shaped atrium at the top with a swimming pool and observation deck. It was also expected to contain offices and a five-star hotel on its higher floors. But it is not known whether plans for the skyscraper's use will remain unchanged. Goldin Finance 117 is far from the only abandoned high rise to sit on China's skylines. Advertisement China issued guidance in 2020 banning new skyscrapers over 500 metres (1,640 feet). In central China, the Wuhan Greenland Centre had its planned height slashed from a planned 636 metres (2,087 ft) in 2018 while it was mid-construction. Had it been completed as originally designed, it would have been the world's second tallest tower at the time, only after Dubai's Burj Khalifa. In the end, it reached 476 metres (1,562 feet). Advertisement Work is also set to resume on the Chengdu Greenland Tower in the country's south west, according to local state-owned media. Construction on this planned 468 metre tall skyscraper has been paused since 2023. The skylines of many of China's biggest cities are dominated by vast towers like this. Five of the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world are in China. Advertisement 4 The tower was topped out in 2015 at a height of 597 m (1,959 ft) Credit: Getty
