"Men fear time, yet time fears the pyramids" is an ancient Egyptian proverb. Before the pyramids, time loses its destructive power, and at the same time, the pyramids are miracles witnessed by time. As time flows, today in the 21st century, Egypt once again astonishes the world with the "Pyramids of the New Era"...
In 2021, the highly-anticipated Iconic Tower project in Egypt's New Administrative Capital Central Business District (referred to as Egypt CBD) signed a contract with Wholetops, once again demonstrating international trust in Chinese quality.
Figure: Rendering of Egypt CBD
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, stands as one of Africa's fastest-growing cities and ranks among the world's most congested urban areas. To alleviate traffic congestion in Cairo while simultaneously generating employment opportunities and fostering economic development, the Egyptian government has invested $45 billion in the construction of Egypt's New Administrative Capital.
Figure: Rendering of Egypt CBD
On January 21, 2016, witnessed by the leaders of China and Egypt, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (hereinafter referred to as CSCEC) and the Egyptian Ministry of Housing jointly signed the cooperation agreement for the Egypt CBD project. The Egypt CBD project is a key initiative under the Belt and Road framework, and it represents the largest-value construction contract secured by a Chinese enterprise in Egypt to date. The entire project encompasses 12 office buildings, 5 residential towers, 2 luxury hotels, and the landmark Iconic Tower, standing at 385.8 meters tall—the tallest building in Africa.
Figure: Rendering of the Iconic Tower in Egypt
The Iconic Tower covers an area of 65,000 square meters, with a total construction area of 268,000 square meters. It features 78 above-ground floors and 2 underground levels, serving as a mixed-use super high-rise building that integrates office spaces, hotels, commercial facilities, and sightseeing. Upon completion, the Iconic Tower will become a new landmark in Egypt and a symbol of the country's modernization.
1. In May 2018, Dar Al-Handasah Architects (hereinafter referred to as DAR) commenced the design of the Iconic Tower, with its construction starting the same year. By 2019, the project owner initiated audits and evaluations of facade material manufacturers.
As a landmark project, Egypt's New Administrative Capital CBD sets exceptionally high standards for partner enterprises. In 2020, Wholetops participated in the production of visual mock-ups and performance test samples for the Iconic Tower, gradually passing the audits conducted by consultant firm Dar. By May 2021, Wholetops won recognition for its high-standard, premium-quality products, exceptional 3D drawing processing capabilities, extensive international project collaboration experience, and outstanding delivery capacity, becoming the designated Chinese supplier of curtain wall aluminum panels for this project.
2. In March 2019, Wholetops' chief engineer and representatives from the international department arrived in Cairo, Egypt, to conduct on-site research for the Egypt CBD project. They also visited the headquarters of DAR to engage in in-depth and systematic discussions with designers and supervisors regarding the curtain wall aluminum panel solution.
Figure: Representatives from the property owner and contractor inspecting Wholetops
3. In the same year, a delegation from Egypt's New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and DAR visited Wholetops' headquarters in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. Wholetops earned high recognition from the delegates for its outstanding technical capabilities and rigorous quality management system.
Figure: Technical discussion among Wholetops' technical experts
Figure: Rendering of sunshade aluminum panels and zipper aluminum panels supplied by Wholetops
In December 2020, Wholetops stood out among many outstanding aluminum panel manufacturers in China and became the producer of the visual mock-up VMU and performance mock-up PMU for the landmark tower. Facing tight deadlines, Wholetops quickly mobilized its core technical team to study blueprints and discuss processes. Leveraging exceptional 3D drawing processing technology and industry-leading manufacturing capabilities, the company completed the fabrication of structurally complex frame-assembled sunshade aluminum panels and zipper aluminum panel sample areas within two weeks, subsequently passing inspections by consulting firm DAR.
WHOLETOPS·ZHAOQING
Wholetops' Zhaoqing production base in Guangdong undertook the production and processing tasks of the exterior aluminum panels for the Egypt New Administrative Capital landmark tower project. The Zhaoqing base, covering an area of 55,000 square meters, serves as the headquarters of the Wholetops Group. Currently, Wholetops has established a business network radiating from its headquarters to regions including South China, Southwest China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North America, Western Europe, Oceania, and Africa along the Belt and Road routes. Additionally, the Xiaogan production base in Hubei covers business operations across Central China, North China, the central region, Southeast China, Northwest China, and Northeast China.
WHOLETOPS·XIAOGAN
Constructing super high-rise landmark buildings in desert regions presents a tremendous challenge for all parties involved in the project, given the harsh natural environment and the political-economic significance bestowed upon the structures themselves. Both architectural design and construction entail considerable difficulty.
Figure: Wholetops aluminum panels on the spraying line
During the design modification phase for the sunshade aluminum panel light trough scheme of the landmark tower, Wholetops leveraged its deep understanding of the project and drawings, combined with the feasibility of production processes, to propose its own solution. Ultimately, it gained approval from both the supervision team and the construction team. The assembly solution for the sunshade aluminum panel light trough profiles submitted by Wholetops was adopted by the designers.
During the modification stage of the sunshade aluminum panel light trough scheme design for the landmark tower, Wholetops demonstrated a profound understanding of the project and drawings. By combining the feasibility of production processes, they proposed their own solution, which ultimately gained approval from both the supervision and construction teams. The sunshade aluminum panel light trough profile assembly scheme submitted by Wholetops was adopted by the designers.
Figure: Product Inspection During Production
The flag tower frame-assembled sunshade aluminum panels supplied by Wholetops differ from conventional orders in that each panel has unique dimensions, with variable hole positions in the profile processing. Additionally, the precision requirements for hole positioning and profile processing are extremely high, posing significant challenges for design, drawing breakdown, and process layout. To address these issues, Wholetops mobilized its design, technical, and production teams to refine the process, ensuring the high-quality and efficient production of the batch of sunshade aluminum panels, which were promptly shipped to the Egypt site.
Figure: "Zipper Aluminum Panels" on the Production Line
Among them, the framework-assembled free-twisting aluminum panels (hereinafter referred to as "Zipper Aluminum Panels") represent the most challenging and precision-demanding component of the landmark tower's curtain wall aluminum panels, embodying the essence of the tower's curtain wall design.
Due to the accelerated project timeline, the production period for the "Zipper Aluminum Panels" was compressed from the original 5-6 months to just 2 months. The 385.8-meter landmark tower requires over 300 sets of gradually twisting zipper panels, each with unique distortion angles. Each set consists of approximately 280 screws, over 100 types of profiles and fittings, and weighs an average of 200 kilograms—truly a "jumbo" in every sense.
After initial sheet metal and profile fitting production, our third assembly workshop's top-tier technicians began assembly on November 5. The second and third teams, following innovative technical training and optimized teamwork, rapidly scaled up production and joined the effort. After 50 days of relentless work, over 300 sets of highly complex zipper panels were successfully delivered by November 24. This production speed set a record for Wholetops' assembly of similarly difficult aluminum panels—dubbed the "Landmark Tower Speed."
The frame-assembled free-twisted aluminum panels (hereinafter referred to as "zipper aluminum panels") represent the most challenging and precision-demanding component of the landmark tower's curtain wall system, embodying the essence of its design.
Figure: Aluminum panels for the Egypt Icon Tower project being packed
Due to the project timeline being moved forward, the production period for the "zipper aluminum panels" was compressed from the original 5-6 months to just 2 months. The 385.8-meter Icon Tower features over 300 sets of gradually varying free-twist zipper panels, each with unique distortion angles. Every set consists of approximately 280 screws, over 100 types of profiles and fittings, and weighs an average of 200 kg, truly earning its "jumbo" designation.
Following the initial sheet metal and profile fittings processing and production, our Tier 1 technical workers from the third assembly workshop began assembly on November 5. The Tier 2 and Tier 3 assembly workers, through innovative technical training and optimized teamwork coordination, achieved rapid production ramp-up in a short period and gradually entered full-scale operations. After 50 days of arduous effort, over 300 sets of highly challenging zipper panels were successfully delivered on November 24. The production speed of these zipper panels set a "Icon Tower Pace" for Wholetops' assembly of aluminum panels of comparable difficulty.
Figure: Aluminum panel loading for Egypt Iconic Tower Project
Mr. Weng, Chairman of Wholetopss, often motivates himself and others with the phrase "Tackle the toughest challenges to achieve the grandest visions." He advocates confronting difficulties head-on, persistently fighting "hard battles" and overcoming "tough obstacles," maintaining high morale while pursuing ambitious goals. The 17-year journey of Wholetops under Mr. Weng's leadership stands as a powerful testament to this philosophy.
Mr. Weng, the helmsman and chairman of Wholetops, often uses the phrase "Challenge the toughest and strive for the farthest" to motivate himself and others. Tackle the most difficult challenges, persistently fight "hard battles" and conquer "tough bones," face difficulties head-on with full fighting spirit, and pursue greater goals. The seventeen years Mr. Weng has led Wholetops through are a powerful testament to this philosophy.
Overcoming challenges and enhancing quality and efficiency, Wholetops has elevated its brand competitiveness through technological innovation, transitioning from a local enterprise to a national presence and now expanding globally. The supply for Egypt's Iconic Tower once again demonstrates Wholetops' brand strength and the combat effectiveness of its team!
Currently, the Egypt CBD project is still in full swing with production and construction. Through the dedicated efforts of Chinese and Egyptian builders, a modern desert city is about to emerge before the world's eyes. As a Chinese enterprise, Wholetops remains unwavering in its commitment to constructing this "Pyramid of the New Era" with full dedication.
Figure: Egypt CBD project under construction
Figure: Construction of Egypt's Iconic Tower Project
Only through hardship can perseverance be shown; only through tempering can jade be perfected. On the path to becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, the sweat of Wholetops workers is imprinted. High-quality products are our foundation, and the belief that "wherever there is construction, there is Wholetops" remains unwavering. We gaze at the stars while keeping our feet firmly on the ground. Staying true to our original aspirations and keeping our mission firmly in mind. As a Chinese enterprise, it is our deep-rooted conviction to see Wholetops products labeled "Made in China" and "Wholetops" reach the world, and this is also the confidence that keeps Wholetops at the pinnacle of the industry.