China 'waterfall' skyscraper hit by torrent of ridicule

AFP  |  Beijing 

A skyscraper in that boasts what its owner calls the world's largest man-made has become the latest example of over-the-top architecture to draw national ridicule.

Although the is not yet finished, the water feature was completed two years ago.

However it has only been turned on six times, with the owners blaming the high cost - 800 yuan (USD 120) per hour - of pumping water to the top of the 121-metre-high structure.

Constructed by the Ludi Industry Group, the building will house a shopping mall, offices and a

Its signature artificial uses runoff, rainwater and groundwater collected in giant underground tanks.

The company says the feature pays homage to the local region's rugged nature, but Chinese netizens have mocked the project as a waste of money.

"If they could just turn it on once every few months, the company would save on cleaning windows," one user wrote on China's Twitter-like

China's rapid economic growth has been accompanied by a boom, often including outlandish buildings that are criticised as a waste of public or shareholder funds.

The of Central Television features a futuristic design now nicknamed "The Big Underpants" due to its resemblance to a giant pelvis.

also noted the offices of newspaper in the capital looked like a penis during construction, and last year a building on the campus of a water-resources university gained notoriety for resembling a toilet.

The issue prompted in 2014 to call for an end to what he called "weird architecture".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Fri, July 27 2018. 10:00 IST