Camilla Jessen
World’s largest office building opens in India, surpassing the Pentagon.
A massive new office complex in India has taken the title of the world’s largest building, ending the Pentagon’s 80-year reign.
The project was not originally meant to break records, but its sheer scale has set a new global benchmark.
The Surat Diamond Bourse in Gujarat now holds the title as the largest office building in the world.
It exceeds the Pentagon’s floor area by around 55,000 square feet, making it the biggest structure of its kind.
The complex spans more than 35 acres and consists of nine connected buildings.
Designed for industry
The building was created to support Surat’s diamond trade, which handles around 90% of the world’s diamond cutting.
It includes more than 4,700 office units and workspaces for traders and artisans.
Architect Sonali Rastogi of Morphogenesis said: “We decided to create something that is iconic, that borrows … from its context and the community we are working (with).”
The structure is made up of nine rectangular blocks linked by a central corridor.
Its design has been compared to an airport terminal, allowing easy movement between different sections.
Despite its size, the layout is intended to be simple to navigate.
Built for scale
The complex has 131 elevators, helping people move quickly across the 15 floors.
Officials say it takes about six minutes to reach the top of any tower.
It can hold more than 65,000 people, along with thousands of vehicles.
The project cost around 32 billion rupees (about $388 million).
Developers say bringing the diamond industry under one roof will improve efficiency and global trade.
Sources: Surat Diamond Bourse, Morphogenesis statements
