Beijing
Rise And Shine

The Chinese capital has truly made its way into the 21st century, with stunning architecture that could well be the modern-day equivalents of the Great Wall.

TEXT BALVINDER SANDHU    IMAGES GETTY, ALAMY, CORBIS

THE STAGING OF THE OLYMPICS IN BEIJING THIS August and the buzz surrounding it has brought much attention to this Chinese capital, making it the destination du jour.
    Cultural and sporting reasons aside, Beijing has of late given visitors even more impetus to drop in — five stunning examples of modern architecture to be exact. No ordinary structures, these edifices boast ‘starchitects’ behind their construction — from Herzog & De Meuron for the National Stadium, to Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren for the CCTV Headquarters; even Sir Norman Foster has gotten in on the act with his realised vision for Beijing Airport’s Terminal 3.
We check out Beijing’s amazing new look.

National Stadium
Covering a total land surface of 258,000 sq m, the National Stadium is often referred to as the ‘Bird’s Nest’ because of its facade of nest-like steel trusses. For billions of television viewers who tuned in to watch the Olympics, it was their first glimpse of the newly-transformed Beijing, as the Stadium was the venue for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Against the stunning backdrop of the Bird’s Nest, the Zhang Yimou-choreographed shows elicited superlative praises the world over for their precision, beauty and inventiveness.
    It’s fascinating to know that such a grand project was conceived as a result of a design competition organised by the Chinese government. In 2002, architects from around the world were invited to submit their designs for the proposed stadium . The winners turned out to be the Pritzker Prize-winning architectural firm of Herzog & de Meuron, in collaboration with ArupSport and China Architecture Design & Research Group.
     Built at a cost of four billion yuan (S$684 million), the 80,000-seat stadium used 36km of ‘unwrapped’ steel and is composed of a grid-like formation that serves as both structure and façade.
    Not only is the stadium soundproof, windproof and rainproof, it is also UVA protected, thanks to a membrane made up of ETFE (a lightweight and transparent Teflon) panels and PTFE material, which contribute to better acoustics and lighting within the venue. Eco-wise, it also boasts green features, including a rainwater collection system and a translucent roof that provides essential sunlight for the grass below.

National Centre for the Performing Arts
Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, this ethereal theatre is often affectionately known as ‘the egg’. The exterior of the building is a titanium-accented glass dome that sits in the middle of a man-made lake — resulting in the effect of an egg floating on water.
    The iconic location makes its ultra-modern design stand out even more, as the arts centre is sited in Beijing’s historical seat — to the west of Tiananmen Square and the Great Hall of the People, and near the Forbidden City.
The sensuous dome measures 212 metres in an east-west direction and 144 metres in the north-south direction and stands 46 metres high. Its three halls — an opera hall, a music hall and a theatre hall — can seat 6,500 people in total. Guests enter the building in a style that’s in keeping with the complex’s surreal ambience — via a hallway that goes underneath the lake.

    At its opening ceremony in December 2007, Chen Ping, the centre’s director, referred to it as “a concrete example of China’s rising soft power and comprehensive national strength”.

National Aquatics Center
Nicknamed the ‘water cube’, the National Aquatics Center’s design is basically a box juxtaposed with an organic ‘bubble’ structure that makes up the building’s cladding.
    It is in fact the largest ETFE-clad structure in the world, with over 100,000 sq m of ETFE ‘pillows’ (each 0.2mm thick). The special teflon cladding allows more light and heat penetration than traditional glass, resulting in a 30 per cent reduction in energy costs. And if that’s not enough, most of the solar energy that falls on the building is in turn channelled to heat the building’s interior.
    In 2004, the water cube achieved an award for ‘most accomplished work (Atmosphere section)’ at the Venice Biennale. Not bad for a ‘bubble-wrapped’ building.
    But if truth be told, the cube will ultimately be remembered as the place where Olympic history was rewritten this year — when American swimmer Michael Phelps garnered a record eight golds for his aquatic prowess.

Far left: the Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3; left: the cantilevered CCTV Headquarters; top: view of The National Aquatics Center.

Four years in the making, the National Aquatics Center is the only Olympic venue that is funded by donations from ‘overseas Chinese’. With the Games over, the venue will be converted into a multi-functional facility for sports, culture and recreation.

Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3
China’s new terminal is the largest airport terminal building built in a single phase, with 986,000 sq m in total floor area. Costing a reported 27 billion yuan (S$5.7 billion), the terminal began operations in February this year as the world’s largest and most advanced airport building.
    But it’s not all modern design without a nod to Chinese culture. The roof of the terminal is red for good luck while the complex itself has a dragon-like form. The overall effect is a sensual, fluid structure that “makes you think of movement, while still appearing serene,” says one industry watcher.
    Environmentally-friendly measures include south-east orientated skylights to maximise heat from the morning sun and integrated environmental control systems that minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions.
British architect Lord Norman Foster, the project’s architect, has said of this project: “This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a 21st century airport that will set global standards in terms of passenger experience, operational efficiency and sustainability. But this airport will also be a symbol of place and togetherness, welcoming and uplifting.”

CCTV Headquarters
It is certainly one of the most interesting-looking buildings, and definitely one of Beijing’s most talked-about. Affectionately dubbed the ‘twisted donut’ with its pretzel-like twists and cantilevered levels, the new headquarters of China Central Television is due for completion end of 2009.
    Architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren (who also designed The Scotts Tower, see box) from the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) designed the building, with Arup providing the engineering design.
    And what a design it is. Forget your usual skyscraper; the CCTV HQ is more like a continuous loop of horizontal and vertical sections which “...from every angle offers a completely different perspective and reading. We are hopeful to see the building emerge as a symbol of collaboration and change,” says project architect Ole Scheeren.
    The distinctive building is the first of 300 new towers in the new Beijing Central Business District. LM

headturner

DIRECTOR OF OMA BEIJING, OLE SCHEEREN, WHO ALSO WORKED ON THE CCTV HEADQUARTERS IN BEIJING, LENDS HIS EXPERTISE TO THE SCOTTS TOWER.