PHOTOS: World's Largest Building

3 July, 2013

The world's largest building has opened in China capable of fitting 20 Sydney Opera Houses - or three Pentagons - inside.

The New Century Global Center in Chengdu, Sichuan province, is a staggering 19million sq.ft. and contains shopping centres, a Mediterranean village, a water park, an ice-skating rink, and multiple hotels.

However, visitors to the glass paneled building need not worry about the weather as the giant complex will have its own artificial sun.

The building is 500 metres long, 400 metres wide and 100 metres high, reports said.

According to Chinese officials, the New Century Global Center is the largest freestanding building in the world, and took three years to complete. 

‘This is an ocean city built by man,’ Chinese guide Liu Xun told AFP.

He added that the artificial sun built inside the building will provide light and heat 24 hours a day for shoppers exploring the around 400,000 sq. metres of boutiques and stores.

From: http://news.naij.com/39062.html

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The "New Century Global Centre" building (top) is seen standing among several buildings in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province on June 6, 2013. The center, claimed by Chinese officials as "the world's largest standalone structure", is going to be opened to the public on June 28. The 100m high "New Century Global Centre" is a symbol of the spread of China's boom: 500m long and 400m wide, with 1.7 million square metres of floor space - big enough to hold 20 Sydney Opera Houses, according to local authorities. 

STR / Getty Images

In this photo taken Monday July 8, 2013, the New Century Global Centre, the world’s largest single building, stands in the suburbs of Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province. The structure will house shops, offices and a faux ocean beach with a huge LED screen for video sunsets. (AP)

The mammoth New Century Global Centre that opened last month in the booming city of Chengdu takes up 1.7 million square metres of floor space, edging out the previous record-holder, the Dubai airport. In this photo taken Monday July 1, 2013, escalators link floors in the main hall of the building. (AP)

In this photo taken Friday June 28, 2013, people walk in the main hall of the New Century Global Centre.
(AP)