Chongqing- On June 18, the International Land-Sea Center (Chongqing 100) has its rooftop officially sealed. This skyscraper, which ranks among the top 20 super high-rise buildings in the world, is not only a witness of Chinese construction technology but will also a contributor to building Chongqing, a pioneer of opening up in inland China.

With the rapid development of the global economy, cities face problems such as low land-use efficiency and unbalanced urban resources. In 2008, Tokyo, Japan, innovatively implemented the transit-oriented development (TOD) project in Shibuya, realizing the integration of commerce and industry, improving regional economic vitality, and driving the development of Tokyo.

This has brought new enlightenment to urban development. During the urban development in Chongqing, it has experienced the stages of growth along the river and expansion. Today, the process has entered a new phase. With the implementation of many national strategies such as the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, and the Western Financial Center, Chongqing is facing new historical development opportunities.

Convenience for Eurasian businesses

"The completion of the International Land-Sea Center also called Chongqing 100, symbolizes the strategic positioning of Chongqing. Meanwhile, it provides business convenience for trading companies from Asia and Europe, which will greatly promote the transit of Asia-Europe trade in Chongqing," said Pu Yongjian, professor at the School of Economics and Business Administration at Chongqing University.

Pu predicted that it might facilitate Chongqing to become one of the entrepot ports of Asia-Europe trade, sharing it with Singapore. Singapore is the entrepot by sea. Chongqing may become the entrepot by land. Then Chongqing will become one of the world's economic centers in Asia and Europe, alongside Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and other international metropolises.

The Chongqing government and enterprises jointly build the Chongqing International Business District to serve the national strategic development. In the future, Chongqing 100 will focus on the critical areas of Chongqing's urban new economy, such as the service industry, emerging finance, technology, new media, international trade, and logistics. The government and enterprises will introduce a group of industry-leading enterprises, unicorn enterprises, and representative new retail and cultural enterprises to create industrial service platforms for the ILSTC.

Pu also suggested that Chongqing 100 could invite chambers of commerce from all walks of life to stay and establish a communication platform to promote international trade; At the same time, Chongqing 100 could, in cooperation with the Free Trade Zone, gather goods from all over the world to accelerate the pace of international consumption center construction.

Adding global influence to Chongqing

Chongqing 100 is a skyscraper integrating the Chongqing gene, which reshapes the urban image and spatial form of Chongqing.

Unlike the traditional commercial space structure, the interior of the building incorporates Chongqing local elements such as valley village, river, and mountain to reshape the commercial space structure. The 8-story commercial space features landscape and village extensions on each floor, allowing customers to shop as if they were traveling between nature. Let the world see the splendor of Chongqing, let the spirit of Chongqing be known to the world, add global influence to Chongqing, and arouse the cultural identity and city pride of Chongqing people.

According to a report by Savills, who has facilitated Galeries Lafayette's entry into Chongqing. It will not only bring a new chapter for Galeries Lafayette to develop the Chinese market but also bring Chongqing a fashionable transformation. It will further promote the construction of Chongqing to foster an international consumption center city.

"The arrival of Galeries Lafayette and Tsutaya Books will offer the ideal lifestyle for those working and living in Chongqing International Business District. Galeries Lafayette advocates for the fashion buyer, emphasizing high-end, individual, cutting-edge, and different. Galeries Lafayette 100 Mall in Chongqing is not only the first store in Chongqing but also the first boutique concept store in the southwest China of the brand. It will introduce several independent designer brands, including some of the first brands in Chongqing. Tsutaya Books is not just a bookstore, but a venue for lifestyle proposals, representing the aesthetics of Japanese life," said the person in charge of Chongqing 100.

The project has cooperated with many top institutions in the architectural design industry, including the American KPF architectural design firm. China Zun and Shanghai World Financial Center are all designed by it, and half of the world's top 10 super high-rise buildings are the works of KPF. Gensler and Woods Bagot are also involved in the project design.

Super infrastructure power

The amount of steel used in the skyscraper reaches 79,000 tons, equivalent to 7 Eiffel Towers and 2 Bird's Nests.

The building design adopts a hyperboloid shape, effectively reducing wind pressure. After two wind tunnel tests, the interior comfort of the building is guaranteed in lousy weather. The inclination of the highest point is only 1 meter. Behind this is the ability of the Chinese construction team to make continuous progress.

The building adopts the intelligent building technology independently developed by China, the innovative jack-up formwork system, also called the aerial building machine. The system uses an area of 1,415 square meters, weighs 1,200 tons, and can withstand a load of more than 1,000 tons. The scale is the largest in the country. At the same time, the system improved the construction efficiency of steel structures, rebar, and concrete. The speed of each floor in 5-7 days represents the highest standard of China's super high-rise building construction technology.