Sometimes architects do go chasing waterfalls: The 397-foot-tall Liebian International Building, located in Guiyang, China, now features a 350-foot-tall waterfall, the water itself being moved with the power of several pumps from an underground storage system.

The water, which is a combination of recycled tap water, rain water and water from other sources, is collected in a tank at the base of the tower. Four 185-kilowatt pumps lift the liquid from a four-story underground storage and drainage system to the building’s peak.

Chasing Waterfalls

Guizhou Ludiya Property Management Co., the firm that manages the waterfall, hopes it will attract tourists to the city’s business district. But visitors should not get used to seeing the sight all the time: The waterfall costs $117 an hour to run, in terms of electricity consumption. As a result, the feature will only be on display for special occasions and only for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. To date, the waterfall has only been run six times.

According to Dezeen, the feature is one of the largest artificial waterfalls in the world, and the tallest to be part of a building. The structure itself is still under development, however, and is managed by Ludi Industry Group. The waterfall has reportedly been functional for the past two years.

Liebian and another nearby tower that is built up from a podium, both collectively part of a larger complex, will house offices and a luxury hotel. The podium will contain a shopping center.  

"Guiyang is a city of mountains, and with many trees, just like a forest," Ludi Industry Group director Cheng Xiamao told The I Paper. "He [the architect] wanted to create a feeling of water and greenery, even when you are surrounded by skyscrapers."