Ping An International Financial Center

Using wind tunnel testing to guide high-rise design in a typhoon-prone area

Located just north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen’s commercial development only began in the 1990s. Since then, development has continued at a rapid pace, and now includes the world’s fourth tallest building, the Ping An International Financial Center. Nearly 600 meters tall, it is one of the world’s tallest buildings located in a typhoon prone area. That means the building is regularly exposed to the high winds accompanying fierce tropical storms. One of the most important factors in making this project a success was the wind engineering, which provided the basis of structure and cladding design as well as pedestrian wind comfort and safety.