KK100 (Kingkey 100), Shenzhen

KK100, also called Kingkey 100, is a 442-metre, 100-storey skyscraper at 5016 Shennan East Road in Luohu District, Shenzhen, China, completed in 2011. It holds offices, the St. Regis Shenzhen hotel and KK Mall at its base. There is no public observation deck, so visitors reach the top through the hotel's high-level bar and restaurants; it suits skyline fans and sunset drinkers.

Built by Kingkey in Luohu between 2007 and 2011

The Kingkey Group developed the tower in Luohu, the older commercial centre of Shenzhen. Construction started on 22 October 2007, the tower was completed on 21 September 2011 and it opened on 23 November 2011, at a cost of about 5 billion yuan. It is the second-tallest building in Shenzhen after the Ping An Finance Centre and the tallest building ever designed by a British architect.

The British practice TFP Farrells designed it, with Arup as structural engineer. Its curved profile, wider in the middle and tapering toward the top, makes it easy to pick out on the skyline. The highest occupied floor sits at about 427 metres.

Offices below, the St. Regis on floors 75 to 100

The building has about 220,000 square metres of floor space. Office space fills 74 floors, about 173,000 square metres. The St. Regis Shenzhen occupies floors 75 to 100, with its sky lobby on the 96th floor. Four Mitsubishi lifts run from the ground to the 96th floor at up to 9 metres per second, out of 66 lifts in the tower. The top floors hold restaurants, a bar and a garden area with views across the city and, on clear days, toward Hong Kong.

KK Mall at the base, with Shenzhen's first IMAX

KK Mall at the base opened on 26 November 2010, a year before the tower. It holds fashion brands, restaurants, a supermarket and a cinema, which was the first IMAX cinema in Shenzhen. It connects directly to the tower's lower levels and is a convenient place to eat before or after going up.

Reaching the top through the hotel bar and restaurants

Access to the top is through the hotel's high-level bar and restaurants. A travel guide reports a charge of about 200 yuan that includes a food and drink voucher, but arrangements change, so confirm with the hotel first and expect a smart casual dress code. Ask the hotel about children before you go. Late afternoon into dusk gives both daylight and night views in about two hours.

For a dedicated observation deck, the Ping An Finance Centre in Futian is about 4 km west.