Złota 44 rises above ground

During the four months since Orco obtained its building permit, the project's underground infrastructure has been completed. The foundation has been laid, two underground parking levels completed and work on the building's 54 above-ground floors has begun.

"The first storeys of the building require a lot of preparatory work, so construction of these lasts the longest. However, we should be ready with the seventh floor at the end of October and at the end of the year we should start the residential floors that will be located beyond the ninth," said Ulrich James Früh, key projects director at Orco Property Group.

The construction of Złota 44 will require a total of 110,000 tonnes of concrete and about 5,800 tonnes of steel. Construction on the building's facade, which will be made of glass and aluminum, is scheduled to begin in 2009.

The general contractor for the Daniel Libeskind-designed Złota 44 is BESIX of Belgium. The firm is also constructing the famous Burj Dubai, which will be the tallest skyscraper in the world when finished.