Wuhan Center

Wuhan Center is an 88-storey skyscraper in the Wangjiadun business district of Jianghan District, Wuhan, China, near Wuhan Business District station. Sources give its height as about 438 metres, though the current Wikipedia box lists 443.1 metres. Construction began in 2011, the tower was topped out on 16 April 2015, and it opened around 2019.

It is the second-tallest building in Central China and the first in Wuhan to pass 300 metres. It mixes offices, a luxury hotel and homes, and it has about 343,900 square metres of floor space. It stands at the southwest corner of the city's business district, beside Mengze Lake.

A glass tower that breathes

The East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI) designed the tower, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill worked on the structure. Its smooth blue glass body is covered by about 10,935 curved glass panels, arranged to catch daylight while keeping energy use low. Each panel can open and close on its own to let in air.

Clever climate control

Offices have a monitoring system that brings in fresh air automatically. A geothermal pump uses groundwater to help keep the indoor air at a steady temperature, and rainwater is collected and reused through the facade system.

What is inside

The tower holds offices, a global conference centre, a luxury hotel and a 360-degree observation deck, according to the Skyscraper Museum. Wikipedia also lists homes and parking for 1,200 cars. The main contractor was China State Construction Engineering, and the owner and developer was Oceanwide Holdings.

On the globe

The model shows the sleek blue glass tower with its sloping, sail-like crown.