Pingan International in Shenzhen

The Pingan International Center in Shenzhen is simply spectacular. The highest levels contain a viewing level as well as catering facilities. The viewing platform is even higher than that of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and similar in height to that of the Mecca Royal Clock Tower Hotel, which is the second largest building in the world to date.


Gustav Wolf has now realized the largest single order for a high-rise building to date for KONE with the supply of ropes for the spectacular Pingan International Finance Center high-rise building in Shenzhen, Hong Kong's neighboring city in the Chinese province of Guangdong. When completed, this skyscraper will reach a height of 660 meters, making it the second tallest building in the world after the 828-meter Burj Khalifa in Dubai. According to engineer Alexander Arning (Steel Wire Rope Technology/Sales), Gustav Wolf supplied the enormous quantity of:

30 elevator ropes F10 (diameter 19 mm) á 594 meters = 17,820 meters, with a total weight of 26,908 kg.

42 elevator ropes F7 (diameter 16 mm) á 588 meters = 25,190 kg

A total of 72 elevators will be installed in this project. Not only is it the largest single order in terms of volume, but it also stands out from normal production in two other categories. These three elevators, in which the ropes were installed by Gustav Wolf, are the highest (559 hoisting heights) and fastest (10 m/s = 35 km/h) of their kind. This represented a special challenge for Gustav Wolf.

Gustav Wolf ropes for the new high-rise giant Z15 in Beijing

A record in Beijing The highest building in the giant metropolis is currently being erected in Beijing. "Z15" will reach a height of 528 meters and have 108 floors. The elevators will be driven by ropes from Gustav Wolf. The idiosyncratic shape of the high-rise building was inspired by the Chinese wine vessel "Zun". The multifunctional building, which is currently being constructed in the midst of the expansion of Beijing's business district, will exceed the height of the China World Tower. It consists of seven basement floors and the mega tower, which will house a total of 350,000 m² of office space, a private club and a viewing platform. The gently curved vertical forms of the tower appear very modern and elegant; the floor space in the upper area is used to the maximum and in the lower area the shape of the tower provides static stability. A fully reinforced steel frame and a concrete core provide the lateral load-bearing capacity of the high-rise building, which will be completed in 2018 in an earthquake-prone area. The contracts include 6 × 1,700 m 16 mm F10 suspension ropes, 6 × 1,400 m 16 mm F7 weight compensating ropes and 1 × 1,000 m 9.5 mm F10 governor wire ropes. The F10 suspension cables are manufactured in the German city of Gütersloh

Gustav Wolf ropes in the Mecca Hotel giant

High-rise boom in Asia The second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is located in Mecca and is off-limits to non-Muslims. Even during its construction, members of other denominations were not allowed to enter the construction site of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel. The gigantic structure is enthroned enormously above the highest sanctuary of the Islamic world, the Kaaba. What does this have to do with Gustav Wolf? During the time of the Hajj, the traditional pilgrimage to Mecca, involving several million Muslims every year, the high-rise complex is home to 30,000 people – a world record. And the 601 m high building offers superlatives every which way you look: A gigantic clock points in each of the four directions from the tower. All four are modeled on the clock of London's landmark Big Ben. With a diameter of 43 m, they are so big that they can still be seen at a distance of eight kilometers. The minute hands are 3.5 m wide, 23 m long and can be walked on. The building has a floor space of 1 million m2 and cost 15 billion US dollars. It boasts 120 floors and more than 800 suites. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel was completed in 2012 and stands for a new high-rise boom worldwide. More and more skyscrapers exceeding the 200 meter mark In 2012, for the first time since the global financial crisis, more skyscrapers were built than in the previous year and this trend will continue in the coming years. In 2012, a total of 66 high-rise buildings with a height of more than 200 meters were built, the third highest rate in history. Worldwide, the number of properties in this category has tripled since 2000 – from 263 to 756. Nearly all recent buildings were constructed in the countries of the Middle East and Asia, where 16 and 35 high-rise buildings were completed last year alone. Only six high-rise buildings were built in North America in 2012. The reason for this is the price explosion in luxury apartments, for example in New York – a development that even multimillionaires shy away from. The situation is entirely different in China: Even today, more than 50 percent of the population lives in the conurbations, attracted by industry. The boom there is far from over – on the contrary. Great prospects for Gustav Wolf as well.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapur

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore is one of the world's most innovative buildings. The building contains a casino, 2561 hotel rooms, a shopping mall, several gourmet restaurants and much more. At a height of 191 meters, the roof garden in the form of a ship with a length of 340 meters extends over all three 55-floor buildings, including a 146-meter swimming pool.

Kingdom Center Riad

The Kingdom Center in Riyadh is also fitted with ropes from Gustav Wolf. The 302 meter high building resembles an oversized bottle opener and was built as a landmark of Riyadh and Saudi Arabia. It has three separate areas: a hotel, a shopping center and a section with offices and apartments. The steel bridge with its diagonal bracing in the windows constitutes the visitor floor of the complex. The cavity above the last floor and to the left and right of the opening is completely crossed by steel struts, which can be seen from the conference room of the restaurant on the upper floor. At night, the blue-glazed façade and the aluminum-framed "hole" are illuminated in different colors.

Makkah Clock Tower

The Makkah Clock Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world. It is located in Mecca and has a height of 601 meters to the top of the tower.