China's tallest skyscraper opens with a whimper after delay

After more than two years of red tape that kept tenants from moving in, China’s tallest skyscraper, the Shanghai Tower, has been quietly opening and filling office space.

More than 60 companies now occupy office space on its 128 floors — including some big names in China finance, such as Ant Financial, controlled by Alibaba Group Holding ‘s billionaire founder Jack Ma. The building’s basement burger joint, Fatburger & Fatbar, is positioning itself as a go-to spot for after-work drinks.  But don’t expect a party — despite the $2.4 billion building being the most expensive ever built in China, its boast of being the second-tallest in the world, having the world’s fastest elevator and some of the world’s most advanced architectural software and technology.

“We’d like to keep a low profile,” said Cheng Luo, a spokeswoman for the tower. “We don’t plan to have a grand opening celebration even if all things are ready because we’ve been exposed too much to the public.”

The 632-metre (2,073-foot) skyscraper was supposed to open in mid-2015. But its size and complexity caused delays in clearing fire safety regulations, partly because no building codes existed for some of its features — despite China’s rapid pace of development and push to champion Shanghai as a global financial centre. 

“China’s very much interested in promoting itself throughout the world in its embrace of economic growth and global capitalism,” said Jason Barr, an economics professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey who researches real estate. “Implicit in the tower is that China’s economic and political system is just as strong as Western-style capitalism.”