We are once again in China, a country that in recent decades has exceeded the limits of architecture, overturning the idea of innovation and modernity that we have had until today. Let’s discover the Liebian Building, the skyscraper with the largest artificial waterfall ever.
The incredible SKYSCRAPER with a WATERFALL
# A waterfall in the center of a metropolis
In the south-west of China, in the district of Guizhou, it has been inaugurated an incredible skyscraper having an artificial waterfall flowing on its side. The water, which is recycled, falls from a height of 108 meters and is collected at the base by an underground storage and drainage system. Then an electrical system equipped with 4 185 kilowatt pumps, sends it back upwards.
The Liebian Building houses the offices of the company Guizhou Ludiya Property Management Co, that is the principal of the projects, well as a shopping center and a hotel. It is therefore possible to see the waterfall also from inside the building by the tourists.
# An expensive show
The beauty and spectacularity of the project are not enough to keep the waterfall lit no stop. In fact, the cost, to keep the waterfall on, is around 120 dollars per hour: hence the decision to keep it on for a maximum of 20 minutes only on important occasions.
As for the environmental impact and waste, the water is totally recycled and reused and it’is a mix between rainwater and water from the public aqueducts of the region.
# Innovation or step back?
Opinions about this incredible and unique building are different: for some people it is a wonderful architectural creation worthy of praise, while other people see only the waste of energy and unnecessary water.
LAURA MALTAGLIATI
(Original article by Alice Colapietra )
