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Enormous 'vertical city' where 20,000 people live inside one building

An incredible 'vertical city' that wouldn't look out of place on Black Mirror has as many as 20,000 people living there complete with restaurants, gyms, shops and grocery stores

[The Regent International Center is considered the most populous building in the world]

The Regent International Center is considered the most populous building in the world(Image: Nishino Asuka/WikiCommons)

A huge 'vertical city' is taking the concept of overcrowding to a new level. While there are parts of the UK where it's seemingly impossible to find somewhere to live, an insane tower block houses as many as 20,000 people in one structure.

The Regent International Center in Hangzhou, China, is the world's most populous apartment block - and it is easy to see why given its hulking size.

The complex, built in 2013, offers many of the amenities which residents will need to go about their daily lives. It has grocery stores, restaurants, grooming services, internet cafes, swimming pools, gyms and shops.

Theoretically, residents can go about their daily life without ever leaving the building, something which probably came in hand when the Covid-19 pandemic sent the world into lockdown.

The building stands at a gigantic 675ft tall, and 39 stories, and it often goes viral as a symbol of dystopian megastructures, something that wouldn't look out of place in an episode of Black Mirror.

[The Regent International Center ]

The building stands a whopping 675ft tall(Image: Huandy618/WikiCommons)

The building was originally planed to be a luxury hotel, and still boasts some of the features you would expect to see in a lavish hotel like an ornate lobby. In fact the building's architect was Alicia Loo, who also designed the famous Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

For many years, Regent International was dubbed Hangzhou's influencer building because it was the epicentre of livestream e-commerce hosts and content creators. But as bigger studio agencies moved to dedicated tech parks in the city, many influencers relocated out of the building.

YouTuber Where to Next recently visited the impressive structure to discover the current state of play.

He ostensibly went to visit one of the thousands of apartments in the building, and while he was impressed with the view he got from the balcony, it quickly became clear that the decent-sized apartment he was viewing would actually be split into six separate apartments.

This tallies with recent rumours of overcrowding and safety hazards blighting the Regent International.

Local news outlets report that some small apartments go for around 1,5000RMB per month (167.58). There is a small catch though - apartments on the market for that price don't have windows.

[Regent International Center]

The Regent International Center is considered the world's most populous building(Image: Huandy618/WikiCommons)

Some of the larger properties with balconies could set you back 4,000RMB per month (446.88).

One resident said the area really took off when Hangzhou hosted the G20 summit a decade ago.

Piao Pu told Sixth Tone: "In a very short time, that section of Benjing Avenue in front of the Regent had been completed, the surrounding area was beautifully landscaped, and the population was growing. Thats when I decided to buy a place there.

[Hangzhou ]

The building is in Hangzhou, China (Image: China News Service via Getty Images)

Residents are said to be increasingly aware of the Regent's reputation, not just in China, but around the world.

So much so that the building's homeowners association appointed a public relations firm to improve the Regent's image.

One member reportedly said: "We want reporting that reflects the facts, so people can see what the real Regent is actually like."

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