China Zun: Home to Eleven World‑First Achievements

Walk into the core area of Beijing CBD, and you will spot a towering super‑high‑rise piercing the sky.

This remarkable skyscraper is CITIC Tower, better known as China Zun. It sits on Plot Z15 in the heart of Beijing Central Business District, bounded by Jinhe East Road on the east, planned green space on the south, Jinhe Road on the west and Guanghua Road on the north.

Inspired by zun, an ancient and revered Chinese ritual wine vessel, its height draws from Guijianchou, the highest peak of Beijing’s Fragrant Hills. China Zun stands as a modern architectural artwork infused with classical Chinese culture.

The site covers 11,478 m², with a total construction area of 437,000 m² — 350,000 m² above‑ground and 87,000 m² underground. Capable of accommodating 12,000 office workers, it rises to 528 meters and dominates the surrounding skyline. The building comprises 108 floors above ground and 7 underground floors (excluding mezzanines). It is a comprehensive super‑high‑rise complex integrating offices, high‑end commerce and sightseeing functions.

Beyond its physical height, China Zun sets new benchmarks through innovative full‑lifecycle integrated management covering planning, design, construction and operation, reasonable cost control and exacting quality standards, delivering a world‑class super‑high‑rise landmark.

Its construction speed reached 1.4 times that of comparable domestic projects. It was put into service 31 months ahead of schedule, setting a new benchmark for China’s construction industry.

Safety‑oriented construction targets: Beijing Green & Safe Civilized Construction Site; China Green Building Three‑Star Certification; LEED‑CS Gold Certification issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

This new Beijing landmark consumed 140,000 tons of steel components, 80,000 tons of reinforcing steel, 400,000 cubic meters of concrete and 20,000 pieces of mechanical & electrical equipment. It claims 11 world‑firsts, 6 China‑firsts and 9 Beijing‑firsts, embodying the craftsmanship spirit of the new era.

➤ World‑First Achievements

1. The tallest building north of 39° north latitude worldwide.
2. The world’s tallest building (528 m) designed for seismic intensity‑8 resistance.
3. The world’s highest‑rise 10 m/s double‑deck elevator (sightseeing shuttle elevator, lifting height: 508 m).
4. The world’s highest lifting height (514 m) and fastest speed (4 m/s for permanent‑temporary combined skip‑floor elevators).
5. The world’s first super‑high‑rise building adopting permanent‑temporary integrated fire‑protection facilities.
6. The jacking steel platform for building construction with the world’s maximum bearing capacity (4,800 t), largest area (1,849 m²) and highest intelligence level.
7. The super‑high‑rise building with the largest number of underground floors in the world (8 underground floors).
8. The world’s first building over 500 m high to adopt ultra‑clear double‑insulated glass unit curtain walls.
9. The super‑high‑rise building with the largest fresh‑air supply volume globally.
10. The super‑high‑rise building with the world’s highest ratio of total elevator length to building height.
11. The world’s first application of a permanent‑temporary integrated fire‑protection system.

China‑First Achievements

1. Mega‑scale building project adopting owner‑led EPC management for the first time in China.
2. First super‑high‑rise building using a “design consortium” general‑contracting model.
3. First super‑high‑rise building adopting the “dual general‑contractor” construction management model.
4. First super‑high‑rise building with owner‑driven BIM implementation across its full lifecycle.
5. Domestic super‑high‑rise building with optimal comprehensive indicators for indoor air‑purification systems.
6. Domestic office‑oriented super‑high‑rise building with top‑grade wind‑induced vibration comfort performance.

Beijing‑First Achievements

1. Beijing’s tallest building (528 m).
2. Super‑high‑rise commercial‑office building with the highest indoor net floor height (3 m / 3.5 m) in Beijing.
3. First urban complex development project in Beijing obtaining construction permits in four separate phases.
4. First Beijing urban complex development project with separate bidding for construction general contractor and MEP general contractor.
5. Deepest foundation pit (40 m) among Beijing building projects.
6. Deepest geological investigation borehole (100 m) for building construction in Beijing.
7. Thickest foundation base slab (6.5 m) for building projects in Beijing.
8. Maximum static‑load test record for single piles in Beijing: test piles loaded up to 40,000 KN as per design requirements.
9. First super‑high‑rise project in Beijing that adopts gravity‑fed fire‑water supply.