Why ‘Ghostscraper’ tower due to be twice as tall as The Shard was left a half-built MESS…& was so bad it changed the law

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A HUGE skyscraper that was set to be twice as tall as London’s iconic Shard has been left half-build – and the unfinished mess prompted a law change.

The Goldin Finance 117 – dubbed a “Ghostscraper”– would have been the fifth-tallest building in the world, standing at over 1,640 feet, if completed.

a very tall building in the middle of a city

China’s Goldin Finance 117 has been left unfinished[/caption]

an aerial view of a very tall building with a lot of windows

The tower was topped out in 2015 at a height of 597 m (1,959 ft[/caption]

an aerial view of a very tall building under construction

The Walking Stick is currently the tallest unoccupied building in the world[/caption]

Also known as “The Walking Stick,” the tower is located in the central business district near Tianjin in Northern China.

It was topped out in 2015 at a height of 1,957 ft – and has 128 storeys above ground, with 117 of them planned to go for housing, hotel, and commercial space.

Construction of this ambitious project began in 2008 but was halted twice – with the building remaining unfinished till today.

The half-finished tower alongside other failed skyscraper projects led the Chinese government to ban construction of buildings over 1,640 ft.

It was meant to be the centrepiece of billionaire Pat Sutong’s “Goldin Metropolitan” scheme.

The scheme was aimed at the super-rich – with multiple residential and commercial towers, French and Italian style manors, a wine museum, extensive gardens, and even a polo club, on offer.

The Goldin Finance 117 reportedly had plans to be topped with a three-storey diamond-shaped atrium.

It would also have housed the world’s highest observation deck, swimming pool, restaurant and sky bar.

Development of the project was first suspended in 2010 due to the fallout of the Great Recession but resumed in 2011.

The building’s owner ran into financial difficulties and the project was suspended after the 2015 Chinese stock market crash.

The tower has been left deserted since the Chinese communist regime put a ban on skyscrapers going beyond 1,640 ft.

The building currently holds the Guinness World Records as the World’s Tallest Unoccupied Building.

Another impressive structure, nearly as tall as the Shard has been left empty because it is dedicated entirely to testing lifts.

The TK Elevator Testturm, standing at an impressive 807ft, is a cutting-edge facility designed to push elevator technology to new heights.

Meanwhile, Europe’s tallest skyscraper is located in the middle of nowhere – and most people have never even heard of it.

The incredible Lakhta Centre mega-structure stands taller than both the Empire State Building and the roof of One World Trade Center.

And plans for the world’s second tallest skyscraper have been revealed, which will include the highest nightclub and observation deck on the planet.

The Burj Azizi in Dubai is set to be an staggering 725 metres (2,379ft) high, coming just behind its neighbour and record holder the Burj Khalifa at 830 metres (2,723ft).