Reuters is reporting that construction on the forthcoming 64-story Elbtower Tower project in Hamburg, Germany, from David Chipperfield Architects has been halted over a payment dispute between its client Signa and a local builder.

The news came last week after more than two years of construction. Work was halted at exactly 100 meters (or 330 feet), which is under half the 245-meter (803-foot) anticipated height of the design for which Chipperfield won the 2018 international competition. The tower was expected to open in 2026, with a 188-room NOBU hotel and restaurant concept and a final price tag of €950 million ($1.015 billion). Once erected, it will become the tallest building in Germany outside of Frankfurt.

Signa’s CEO Timo Herzberg nevertheless posted to LinkedIn that he remains confident in the eventual realization of “Hamburg's future landmark,” Reuters reported. (Signa also operates the Chrysler Building in New York City.)

He was then reminded by Hamburg development chief Karen Pein that the city reserves the right under law to “dismantle the construction work performed to date, sell it to a third party for completion, or complete the construction itself.”

“The city will not assume any financial burdens in this context but will ensure that the contractual regulations are adhered to,” Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher then told Der Spiegel. The city has not provided an immediate timeline for a possible re-start if the payment dispute can be settled.

The 2023 Pritzker Prize winner is also working towards the completion of a multi-building office headquarters complex for Signal Iduna Group in the city’s Eimsbüttel district.