THIS is the Chinese town where all 20,000 residents live under one roof – and you never need to go out.
The Regent International apartment building in Qianjiang Century City, Hangzhou’s central business district, is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
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Initially designed as a hotel, this mammoth structure has been turned into thousands of high-end residential apartments.
The S-shaped Regent International now accommodates for up to 30,000 residents, although it’s current inhabitants stand at around the 20,000 mark.
Nonetheless, the remarkable congregation of locals crammed under one roof makes it one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
But the impressive building, which stands at 675ft tall, is more than just a place to call home.
Also located across its 36 to 39 floors, depending on what side of it you’re on, are a variety of amenities and businesses – just like any normal town would have.
Available for the 20,000 residents is a giant food court, as well as swimming pools, barber shops, nail salons, medium-sized supermarkets, and internet cafes.
With everything quite literally on your doorstep, there aren’t many reasons for people to leave the building.
It’s highly likely that some people never step foot outside at all.
The building was inaugurated in 2013 and designed by Alicia Loo, the chief designer of the world’s second seven-star hotel, the Singapore Sands Hotel.
It is said to be primarily occupied by graduates, or students who are about to graduate.
Young professionals, such as influencers and those in charge of small businesses, are also popular tenants.
According to an article by Chinese news agency Sina, smaller apartments without windows usually rent for around 1,500 RMB (£167) per month, Oddity Central report.
It’s added that larger units with balconies can rent for up to 4,000 RMB (£445) per month or more.
With more than 260,000 square metres of space on offer, the Regent International building is one of the largest in China.
Pictures and footage of the impressive facility have been doing the rounds on social media, with people left dumbfounded as to how so many people can live in one place.
But the innovative approach to urban living, which has quite literally created a self-contained ecosystem, has garnered plenty of praise.
Having seamlessly blended residential, commercial, and recreational spaces, it’s even been described as “the most sustainable living building on earth” by some.
It bears similarities to the remote Alaskan city of Whittier, where all 272 residents live in the same 14 floor tower.
Located at the top of the Passage Canal, the Begich Towers building has everything a town would have, including a church, a post office, a market, a clinic, a police station and a school.
And in Venezuela, an enormous skyscraper known as the Tower of David became home to thousands of people with nowhere else to go.
Left unfinished and abandoned by the government, it became a giant, vertical slum ruled by a brutal former convict.
World’s biggest apartment blocks
You might not find many other apartment blocks that rival the capacity of The Regent International, but there are certainly some that compete for size.
Sillon De Bretagne – Nantes, France
The 32-storey Sillon De Bretagne building in Saint-Herblain in Nantes, France stands at 318 foot and accommodates over 3,500 people.
With a width of 1,394 feet, it remains one of the largest buildings in Europe by volume.
Chungking Mansions – Hong Kong
Rivalling the Regent International in Hangzhou is Hong Kong’s Chungking Mansions, which features guesthouses, restaurants, clothing shops, and financial offices.
Home to more than 4,000 people, the building consists of vie blocks and it 17 stories tall.
Le Lignon – Geneva, Switzerland
Another European powerhouse, Le Lignon is an urban residential development in Vernier, a suburb of Geneva.
Consisting of two large buildings that contain 2,780 units housing more than 6,000 residents, the complex also includes a school and medical centre.
Edificio Copan – Sao Paulo, Brazil
Edificio Copan is a 38-story residential building standing at 459 feet tall – making it one of the largest buildings in Brazil.
As well as 1,160 apartments, ranging from small studios to large units, the complex also hoses over 72 businesses on its ground floor.
Ponte City – Johannesburg, South Africa
Located in Johannesburg’s Berea neighbourhood, Ponte City is the tallest residential building in Africa with a height of 567.6 feet.
The 55-story apartment complex is cylindrical in shape and hollow at the centre to allow for additional light into the apartments.
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