While other buildings around the world are concerned with being the tallest or the most geometrically interesting, a 397-foot-tall building in China decided to create a sui generis feature to set itself apart from every other building in the world: a 350-foot waterfall.
The 397-foot-tall Liebian Building, located in Guiyang, China, uses four 185-kilowatt pumps to lift water from a four-story underground storage and drainage system up to the waterfall’s crest near the top of the building. The falling water, which is a combination of recycled tap water, rain water, and water from other channels, is collected in a tank at the base of the tower.
See Also: ‘Forest cities’ could help solve China’s air pollution problem
The waterfall is a sight to behold, but it isn’t something residents should get used to seeing every day. In order to run the waterfall for just one hour it costs about $117 in electricity, so it will only be turned on for special occasions in spurts of 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
Guizhou Ludiya Property Management Co. manages the waterfall and hopes it will become a popular tourist attraction in the city’s central business district.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2010
Modern office design accentuates skyline views
Intercontinental|Exchange, a Chicago-based financial firm, hired design/engineering firm Epstein to create a modern, new 31st-floor headquarters.
| Oct 13, 2010
HQ renovations aim for modern look
Gerner Kronick + Valcarcel Architects’ renovations to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s New York City headquarters will feature a reworked reception lobby with back-painted glass, silk-screened logos, and a video wall.
| Oct 12, 2010
Guardian Building, Detroit, Mich.
27th Annual Reconstruction Awards—Special Recognition. The relocation and consolidation of hundreds of employees from seven departments of Wayne County, Mich., into the historic Guardian Building in downtown Detroit is a refreshing tale of smart government planning and clever financial management that will benefit taxpayers in the economically distressed region for years to come.
| Oct 8, 2010
Union Bank’S San Diego HQ awarded LEED Gold
Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building located at 530 B Street has been awarded LEED Gold certification from the Green Building Certification Institute under the standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold status was awarded to six buildings across the United States in the most recent certification and Union Bank’s San Diego headquarters building is one of only two in California.
| Sep 21, 2010
New BOMA-Kingsley Report Shows Compression in Utilities and Total Operating Expenses
A new report from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and Kingsley Associates shows that property professionals are trimming building operating expenses to stay competitive in today’s challenging marketplace. The report, which analyzes data from BOMA International’s 2010 Experience Exchange Report® (EER), revealed a $0.09 (1.1 percent) decrease in total operating expenses for U.S. private-sector buildings during 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
New data shows low construction prices may soon be coming to an end
New federal data released recently shows sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel, copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs, the Associated General Contractors of America said. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide the strongest indication yet that construction prices are heading up, the association noted.
