10 March 2024 , 10:32
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A giant skyscraper has puzzled social media users with its paper-thin appearance as many wondered how people could live inside such a narrow structure.
The mind-boggling building first gained online popularity after users on Douyin, the Chinese TikTok, posted footage of the property - which was dubbed the "Zhengzhou's paper building". Aerial footage captured in the city centre of Zhengzhou, in China's Hunan Province, seems to show the building's side is no more than a few feet wide, just barely enough for an adult human to move around in.
Chinese paper-thin buildings, often referred to as "nail houses" or "thin buildings," are a distinctive architectural phenomenon reflecting the rapid urbanisation and real estate development in the country. These structures, characterised by their narrow width and towering height, are often the result of resilient property owners refusing to sell their homes in the face of lucrative redevelopment projects.
Due to an optical illusion, the building looks extremely thin (AsiaWire)
It is believed to be the thinnest 'paper building' in Zhengzhou (AsiaWire)The term "paper-thin" emphasises their slender profiles, challenging conventional notions of space utilisation. The post quickly gained attention and many social media users criticised the project.
One commented: "I would rather have no house than dare to live here." Another wrote: "This thing can be blown over if the wind is strong enough." However, amid backlash online, it was revealed that the 'L'-shaped structure only appears narrow on one far end, creating an optical illusion when viewed from the side. In reality, the building is a polygonal structure with triangles.
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According to industry experts quoted by local media, some developers maximise land usage by constructing buildings along the roadside, a practice known as "boundary sticking", which gives them this peculiar shape. However, they guarantee it is a safe place to live in.
If you look from a different angle, the building looks less thin (AsiaWire)Homes like this one are also popular in Shanghai, China's biggest city. Xue Liyong, a senior researcher at Shanghai History Museum, explained: "Shanghai has many such irregularly shaped houses due to the city's high land prices."
A few years ago, China built the world's first 3D-printed house which was completed in just 45 days. The project is said to have taken place non-stop over six-and-a-half weeks in Beijing’s Tongzhou District.
The result was a two-storey, 400-square metre home with walls as thick as eight feet. Beijing-based firm Huashang Tengda claim the massive project needed little input from manual workers while technology specialists oversaw the process. Giant printers used special reinforced concrete to build the villa before it was painted and given finish touches by decorators.