China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) won the contract of Alibaba’s Jiangsu headquarters project with a bid of 4.45 billion yuan (US$653 million). The project is located in Jianye district, Nanjing, with a floor space of 850,000 square meters, including spaces for science and technology research, and residential and commercial purposes. It is expected to be completed in four years.

The project is a debut and an important breakthrough for Alibaba in its “new retail” model and smart buildings.