Zhang Yue, chief executive of Broad Group, makes a presentation on Sky City. [File photo]

Authorities have halted construction on what will be the world's tallest building in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province, just four days after it began, a local newspaper is reporting.

According to the Changsha-based Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, the construction company hadn't gone through all the procedures legally required by authorities.

Sources told the newspaper that though the building is privately owned, it must still be inspected for its adherence to safety and environmental regulations, as well a number of other regulations. According to the source, Broad Group, the building's developer, never applied for government approval. Authorities have therefore halted construction until the building plan can be properly evaluated.

Broad's 838-meter-tall Sky City was supposed to be completed in seven months at a cost of 9 billion yuan (US$1.47 billion). The project is being carried out by the Fifth Engineering Division of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). The building’s design calls for it to be about 10 meters taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, currently the world's tallest building.

The skyscraper, should it be approved, will span a total area of 1.05 million square meters and is designed to house various public facilities, including schools, an elderly care center, a hospital, offices, apartments and hotels. It will feature six underground floors and 202 above-ground stories. It is designed to accommodate 30,000 people, who would be transported by 104 high-speed elevators.

Experts, however, have expressed concerns about the project's speed and technology. "Placing the emphasis on fast progress means sacrificing quality," said architect Lu Meng on China National Radio.

But Zhang Yue, chief executive of Broad Group, owner of Broad Sustainable Building, has insisted that, when it opens, Sky City will be so solid that it will be able to withstand a magnitude-9 earthquake.

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