After having the world’s tallest statue in the ‘Statue of Unity’, Gujarat now has another feather of grandeur in its cap. A building in Surat has now become the world’s largest office building, beating the Pentagon – the headquarters of the US Department of Defense – which held the distinction for the last 80 years.
Surat Diamond Bourse, a diamond trading centre in the gem capital of the world, is a 15-storey building, spread across 35 acres, with nine rectangular structures covering 7.1 million square feet of floor space. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the building later this year, while the first occupants will enter the building in November.
Envisaged as a one stop shop for over 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers and merchants, the building accommodates all the conventional needs of a modern commercial centre like multipurpose banquet halls, conference halls, restaurants, along with allied facilities for custom office, banking, auction house, safe deposit vaults etc.
This green building is designed in a way that it will consume up to 50 per cent less energy. It also incorporates a ‘radiant cooling’ system that circulates chilled water beneath its floors, which will reduce indoor temperatures. Powering the common areas will be an extensive solar energy system. The building accommodates 4,700 office spaces and 131 elevators.
All the office, and spaces are interconnected like an airport terminal and protected through advanced security measures. There is a 20 lakh sq.ft. basement area, planned for organised vehicle parking.
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