About 175 miles north of Mumbai in the toasty west coast city of Surat, India, a 15-story complex sprawled across 35 acres will soon become the business hub for 65,000 diamond professionals, some of which were likely responsible for cutting or polishing the glittering diamonds on your ring finger.
You see, Surat is where 90% of the world's diamonds are cut, according to CNN.com.
The news outlet reported that the soon-to-be opened Surat Diamond Bourse will occupy 7.1 million square feet, making it the largest office building in the world, overtaking the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, by 600,000 square feet. The interior of the buildings contain 4,700 offices, 131 elevators, along with conference halls, dining facilities and leisure spaces.
An aerial photo of the complex reveals nine mirrored-glass towers — five on one side and four on the other — connected by a central "spine." The spine is curved to funnel the prevailing wind into the structure in an effort to cool the building in an environment that frequently sees outdoor temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
CNN reported that the official grand opening will take place later this year in a celebration that is expected to be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The four-year, $388 million development project was conceived as a convenient work destination for thousands of people in the diamond trade who previously spent three or four hours each day traveling by train to Mumbai.
Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis told CNN that the configuration of the diamond bourse is similar to that of an airport terminal, with all offices accessible from the main entrance in less than seven minutes.
Surat city planners are betting that the Surat Diamond Bourse will become a development hub for additional projects, including a convention center. The city currently has a population of about six million.
Credit: Image by VaishP, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
