- published: 31 Mar 2014
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Bitexco Financial Tower is a skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, owned by Bitexco Group, a Vietnamese company. With 68 floors above ground and three basements, the building has a height of 262.5 metres (861 ft), making it the 124th tallest building in the world. It was designed by New York City based Carlos Zapata Studio, and is located in the business district of the city. The tower was the tallest building in Vietnam from 2010 to early 2011 when Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower topped out on 24 January 2011.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held in September 2005. Two years later, in June 2007, construction of the tower started and was scheduled to be completed in mid-2009. The tower, however, topped out in mid-2010 and had its inauguration ceremony on 31 October 2010.
Bitexco Financial Tower has more than 16 elevators that can reach any position and any floor in the building within 45 seconds. When the building comes into operation, about 10,000 people will work there. Because of its size, the project is designed with three basements covering 33,000 square metres (360,000 sq ft) for parking and for equipment for the building's operation. The tower is located on an area of 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) with the floor area of over 100,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft). Total estimated cost of this project is more than US$220 million. With the completion, Bitexco Financial Tower is the tallest building in Ho Chi Minh City, reaching 262.5 meters (861 ft) in height. The tallest building in Vietnam will still be the Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower at 336 meters (1,102 ft). The tower is mostly made of steel and glass and shaped as a lotus petal. The lotus is considered a symbol of Vietnamese culture.