Broad Group says Sky City completion will be in 2014 and will start assembly April, 2014

The actual onsite construction of the 202 story Sky City [assembly?] won’t start until next April, according to Wang Shuguang, general manager of Broad Group’s US operation, which is based in New Jersey.

Sky City’s construction cost is estimated at $ 1.47 billion compared to the Burj Khalifa’s $ 1.5 billion. But the big difference between the two buildings is that the Dubai tower took five years to build and Sky City will take seven months.

Michael Tilford, president of Alumni Association MIT Center for Real Estate, is one of those who regard the project highly.

“It is unconventional in its speed and size of course,” said Tilford. “It is very exciting that Broad Group took the time to examine the construction process so carefully and challenge all of the conventions of building skyscrapers,” he added.

“I can guess that many people are simply afraid of change,” Tilford said.

“The world’s tallest buildings are usually designed, approved and built over the span of many years,” he explained. “As with all things there are pros and cons to the traditional process. Broad has found a way to build buildings in a matter of months and sometimes weeks, which is shocking to some people. “

The company completed the T30 hotel tower in Changsha last year in 15 days.

“All construction was complete, including interior furnishings, heating-cooling and ventilation systems; everything was ready,” said Wang, adding that the company’s HVAC expertise also helped cut construction time.

“You have seen our 30-story building built in two weeks, and that applies to [Sky City] as well,” said Zhang at the 2013 London conference of the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in June.

“This building, as compared to a conventional building in the local area, can decrease energy consumption by 50 percent. We are building this 202-story building, [and] our main hope is to draw people’s attention to the fact that within a building , there is such a big opportunity for energy consumption savings, “Zhang said.

Wang said the company’s US operation currently works on some 50 projects across the country with several hundred customers who are on its gas-or waste fuel-powered AC systems. He hopes their US business will expand with successful projects – like Sky City – completed at home.

The Sky City project, said Wang, will be anything but a “fantasy”.

“The whole project showcases our expertise in innovation and energy-savings, it is not a project just to make profit, it is something that we want to do to contribute to society for urban planning,” said Wang.

“I am not surprised that the tallest building in the world has drawn this amount of criticism and skepticism,” said Kiang.

Ongoing criticisms of the project – regarding building timetable, construction methods and financing – Kiang said can be explained with an old Chinese saying: “The large tree will attract a big wind”.

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