The Belgian city of Antwerp may be known as the world’s diamond trading hub, while most rough stones are mined in Russia or Africa. But some 240 km north of Mumbai, India, lies a lesser-known gem capital: Surat, where around 90% of all the planet’s diamonds are cut.

Now, the city in Gujarat state has a record-breaking building to house its mammoth industry.

The newly-opened Surat Diamond Bourse is billed as a “one-stop destination” for over 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers and traders. Featuring a succession of nine rectangular structures spilling out from — and interconnected via — a central “spine,” the sprawling 15-story complex has been built across more than 14 hectares of land.

The trading center’s architects say it comprises over 660,000 square meters of floor space, which would mean it has surpassed the Pentagon as the world’s largest office building. The project is set to welcome its first occupants in November after four years of construction work.

Marble floors and light-filled atriums connect over 4,700 office spaces, which can also double as small workshops for cutting and polishing diamonds. The US$388 million development also houses 131 elevators, as well as dining, retail, wellness and conference facilities for workers.

According to the project’s CEO, Mahesh Gadhavi, Surat Diamond Bourse will save thousands of people from traveling — sometimes daily — to Mumbai by train to do business.

The building was masterminded by Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis following an international design competition. Morphogenesis said its layout creates a “level playing field” for businesses both small and large. With offices connected by a long central corridor — a configuration reminiscent of an airport terminal — occupants have similarly convenient access to amenities and facilities, according to the architecture firm’s co-founder, Sonali Rastogi.

Working there is intended “to be exactly the same for everyone,” she explained, adding that no office takes longer than seven minutes to reach from any of the building’s entry gates.

The design was also informed by Morphogenesis’ research into how the Indian diamond trade operates. Rastogi drew attention to the series of nine 6,070-square-meter courtyards, complete with seating and water features. Resembling a traditional bazaar, these landscaped areas can serve as casual meeting places for traders.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【公平竞争的环境】gōngpíng jìngzhēng de huánjìng level playing field a situation in which everyone has the same chance of succeeding

【集市】jíshì bazaar a market (as in the Middle East) consisting of rows of shops or stalls selling miscellaneous goods

比利时安特卫普是世界著名的钻石贸易中心，而大多数原石都是在俄罗斯或非洲开采的。在印度孟买以北约 240 公里处却坐落着一个鲜为人知的宝石之都： 全球约 90% 的钻石是在苏拉特切割的。

现在，这座位于古吉拉特邦的城市建设了一座破纪录的建筑来容纳其庞大的产业。

新开业的苏拉特钻石交易中心被誉为 65000 多名钻石从业人员（包括切割师、抛光师和交易商）的“一站式目的地”。这座 15 层楼高的建筑群占地面积超过 14 公顷，由九座长方形建筑组成，并通过中央“脊柱”相互连接。

交易中心建筑面积超过 66万平方米，这意味着它已超过五角大楼，成为世界上最大的办公楼。历经四年施工，该项目将于 11 月迎来第一批入驻者。

大理石地板和采光充足的中庭将 4700 多个办公空间连接起来，这些空间还可以作为切割和抛光钻石的小型工作室。项目耗资 3.88 亿美元，配备了 131 部电梯，以及餐饮、零售、健身和会议设施。

据该项目的首席执行官马赫什•加达维称，苏拉特钻石交易所将使成千上万的人不再需要乘火车到孟买做生意，此前他们甚至每天来回跑。

该建筑由印度公司Morphogenesis设计，该公司赢得了针对此项目的国际设计竞赛。

公司表示，其建筑布局为大小企业创造了一个“公平竞争的环境”。该建筑公司的联合创始人索纳利•拉斯托吉称，大楼的办公室由一条长长的中央走廊连接，这种布局让人联想到机场航站楼。

她解释说，在这里工作，“每个人的感受都是一样的”，并补充说，从大楼的任何一个入口到达任何一间办公室都不会超过7分钟。

设计还参考了公司对印度钻石贸易运作方式的研究。拉斯托吉特别提到九个占地6070平方米的庭院，庭院内设有座椅和水景。这些景观区类似于传统的集市，可作为交易者的非正式会谈场所。(SD-Agencies)