December 15 2015
China is reportedly planning to demolish three new high-rise buildings, including one that is 65 stories high, as part of its ongoing campaign against corruption. The residential buildings, in the northern city of Tianjin, are up to 30 floors taller than originally planned and Chinese state media said this “serious breach of planning regulations” posed a major safety risk.
According to its original plan, Waterfront Ginza was supposed to consist of two buildings of 31 floors, and one of 35, Shanghai-based news website The Paper reported. However, when they were topped out in September last year, the buildings were actually 41, 58 and 65 floors high respectively — and one of them was a full 88 meters taller than it was supposed to be. The developers are also reported to have “stolen floor area,” adding extra apartments on each floor so that the development’s total construction area is more than three times its planned size, at some 360,000 square meters.
Chinese media said it was not yet clear whether the adjusted size of the development was approved at some point by corrupt officials, or whether the developer simply changed the plan and persuaded officials to turn a blind eye.