World’s Greenest Skyscraper Unveiled in China

7 March 2010 (Last Updated March 7th, 2010 18:30)

The Pearl River Tower, designed by the US-based practice Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will be unveiled in Guangzhou, China, later this year. The 71-storey building is sited on a 2.3-million-square-foot area, and is touted as the world's greenest and tallest zero-energy building.

The Pearl River Tower, designed by the US-based practice Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, will be unveiled in Guangzhou, China, later this year.

The 71-storey building is sited on a 2.3-million-square-foot area, and is touted as the world's greenest and tallest zero-energy building.

The structure's shape is optimised to take advantage of local solar and wind patterns.

Green features include a rainwater collection system, which uses solar power to provide hot water to the building.

The building is fitted with wind turbines to generate electricity and to lower the its overall wind load.

Pearl River is the largest radiant-cooled office building in the world. A heating system is installed in which automated window blinds powered by solar energy open and close to let in heat when necessary.