# ??????What do you think of these MAAAASSIVE, COSTLY buildings in Beijing (pics by me)??????



## autumnriver (Dec 20, 2004)

Beijing is a showcase of great-dimension architecture. These are just some examples of the great number of such buildings in the city.

*******PART ONE*******
I took these pics at the end of July 2007.

(For *******PART TWO*******, check Page 3 of this thread:http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=506036&page=3)

1. China National Electric Power Dispatching Centre








2. COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Company) Building
(1)








(2)








3. Capital Museum
(1)








(2)








4. Taikang Life Building / China Merchants International Financial Centre
(1)








(2)








5. A government building








6. A government building








7. Chemsunny World Trade Centre (one of the designers: SOM)








8. Finance Street








9. China Minsheng Banking Corp.
(1)








(2)








10. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, HQ. (designed by SOM)
(1)








(2)








11. Bank of China, HQ. (designed by the I. M. Pei family)
(1)








(2) The glass part is something like BOC Hong Kong.








(3)








(4)








12. People's Bank of China, HQ.








13. Capital Times Square








14. Tianyin Mansion








15. Oriental Plaza








16








17. Parkson Shopping Centre








18. Huanan Building








19. Beijing Books Building








20. Minzu Hotel








21. Cultural Palace for Nationalities








22








23








24








25








26


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## Melbnovo (Nov 22, 2006)

To be honest.........pretty disgusting!! How many variations on a box can you come up with????? The designs are so Soviet-communist with a dose of Chinese tackiness. Way too much beige as well.

The only building that i see as having some merit is number 3, the capital museum.

By the way, what is that hideous rainbow "thing" in pic 23????


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## zergling (Jul 5, 2004)

Great! Much better than what melbourne, sydney or newcastle got in them.


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## raymond_tung88 (Mar 26, 2004)

Melbnovo said:


> To be honest.........pretty disgusting!! How many variations on a box can you come up with????? The designs are so Soviet-communist with a dose of Chinese tackiness. Way too much beige as well.
> 
> The only building that i see as having some merit is number 3, the capital museum.
> 
> By the way, what is that hideous rainbow "thing" in pic 23????


You've got a point, but Beijing also has numerous 'new' style buildings like the CCTV Headquarters, Olympic Village, China World Trade Centre, etc. These innovative designs are rapidly replacing the traditional box design.


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## Melbnovo (Nov 22, 2006)

Oh please Zergling, you obviously have never ventured out of Canada???? Or otherwise you have a thing for totalitarian boxes.

I don't think elements of modern and chinese mix very well together in these photos of Beijing. I mean, look at pic 22, t just looks wrong and very tacky.


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## Melbnovo (Nov 22, 2006)

I do realise this raymond_tung88, but we were asked to give an opinion on the pictures that were presented to us on this thread. 

I know that there is innovative and exciting architecture being constructed in Beijing, especially in relation to the Olympic games, but the above examples are rather bland, monolithic constructions. May I just add that some of the more daring and exciting designs are being proposed by foreign architects, including some Australian practices. I'm not sure what the state of architectural education is like in China because famous Chinese architects are very few and far between on the international stage.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

Why bring Australia into the commentary?

Someone was just looking to ruffle a few feathers. Stupid comment.


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## Kiss the Rain (Apr 2, 2006)

Quite imposing and elegant really, do keep in mind that this the capital of a country with more than a billion people, they need BIG buildings to house the 
BIG crowd.


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## Jakes1 (Apr 28, 2006)

I find these buildings to be cold and almost intimidating... Row upon row, bland, daunting. Yes, they are sparkling and expensive, but yet a grey, concrete feel remains.


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## Giorgio (Oct 9, 2004)

I love them and would work well in Athens where highrise's are not allowed. 
Infact, the buses look ALOT like Athens...almost the same.


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## Brisbaner21 (Jul 17, 2007)

^^ I had no idea Athens didn't allow highrises. I just figured they didn't want take away from the Acropolis. Interesting fact.


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## Octoman (Nov 16, 2006)

I dont think they are particularly bad buildings. Just dull. Typical groundscrapers on a monolithic scale. Unfortunately they dont offer anything particularly unique and could be found in almost any city. Its a shame really because Beijing has such a strong identity. This kind of architecture will just water that down.

More frustrating is that these buildings have sufficient floorplate to be reconfigured into some seriously tall scrapers. A real missed opportunity.


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## alezx (Nov 22, 2006)

Wuau.


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## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

these building fits beijing, musculine, huge, strong,and cool.


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## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Beijing is indeed the capital of BIG buildings. Very impressive, especially in person.


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## Monkey (Oct 1, 2002)

I hate these buildings and this is part of the reason why Beijing is the only really big city in the world that I have visited and did not like. The other reason is the lack of pedestrian space. You often have to walk several hundred metres in order to cross the road over a pedestrian footbridge or underpass. Most of Beijing is like this - loads of straight wide roads with ten lanes of traffic, virtually no charm or streetlife, and lined with massive impersonal and ugly blocks like these. There are thousands of them - very oppressive and vaguely depressing.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Interesting thread... they are a mish-mash of various periods of architectural style, from the 1950's to 1980's PoMo.


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## Jiangwho (Jun 29, 2006)

I love those massive buildings in Beijing. :banana: I think they fit Beijing very well. just HUGE.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

central Beijing has a strict height limit the nearer you get to the Forbidden City, hence the groundscrapers.


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## xfogus (Mar 26, 2006)

Wow great architecture, must be extremely impressive in real life. Also there seems to be a lot of black Audis there


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## Taipei Walker (Mar 7, 2005)

Monkey said:


> I hate these buildings and this is part of the reason why Beijing is the only really big city in the world that I have visited and did not like. The other reason is the lack of pedestrian space. You often have to walk several hundred metres in order to cross the road over a pedestrian footbridge or underpass. Most of Beijing is like this - loads of straight wide roads with ten lanes of traffic, virtually no charm or streetlife, and lined with massive impersonal and ugly blocks like these. There are thousands of them - very oppressive and vaguely depressing.


same feeling


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## PresidentBjork (Apr 29, 2007)

Monkey said:


> I hate these buildings and this is part of the reason why Beijing is the only really big city in the world that I have visited and did not like. The other reason is the lack of pedestrian space. You often have to walk several hundred metres in order to cross the road over a pedestrian footbridge or underpass. Most of Beijing is like this - loads of straight wide roads with ten lanes of traffic, virtually no charm or streetlife, and lined with massive impersonal and ugly blocks like these. There are thousands of them - very oppressive and vaguely depressing.


 Would make Albert Speer proud!


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## Kiss the Rain (Apr 2, 2006)

Monkey said:


> I hate these buildings and this is part of the reason why Beijing is the only really big city in the world that I have visited and did not like. The other reason is the lack of pedestrian space. You often have to walk several hundred metres in order to cross the road over a pedestrian footbridge or underpass. Most of Beijing is like this - loads of straight wide roads with ten lanes of traffic, virtually no charm or streetlife, and lined with massive impersonal and ugly blocks like these. There are thousands of them - very oppressive and vaguely depressing.


Then you have seen very little of beijing, all the activities are not down where the big avenues are.


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## zergcerebrates (Jan 23, 2004)

I love the design of some of the modern styled buildings in this thread. The buildings are huge and grand, very grand. Elegance doesnt have to be skyscrapers or tall buildlings i think these low rise buildings fit Beijing very well. I also believe the wide avenues and the huge spaces between buildings is a good thing, afterall this is THE CAPITAL, everything should be grand and imposing and intimidating, its shows power and authority.


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## Jiangwho (Jun 29, 2006)

^^ yes. I totally agree with you.


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## Cristovão471 (May 9, 2006)

Jakes1 said:


> I find these buildings to be cold and almost intimidating... Row upon row, bland, daunting. Yes, they are sparkling and expensive, but yet a grey, concrete feel remains.


That's How I feel too.


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## SYDNEYAHOLIC (Nov 3, 2006)

Mmmm. The buildings are so cold and sterile and imposing and alien but people still seem to be everywhere.! I'd hate to be lost there though...

What happened to all the bikes? And why are there so many audis?


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## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

SYDNEYAHOLIC said:


> Mmmm. The buildings are so cold and sterile and imposing and alien but people still seem to be everywhere.! I'd hate to be lost there though...
> 
> What happened to all the bikes? And why are there so many audis?


bicycles seems disapear in china these days, in my tiny city, bicycle is very few. chinese people like german car, audi, volswagen ,benz, BMW are our favoriet.


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## duskdawn (May 13, 2006)

Sorry for the bump. But personally this is exactly what I fancy about Beijing. Beijing couldn't go higher so it goes wider. You have to be in person to be intimidated by the huge impressions everywhere in the city. I feel so comfortable when I walk or drive on those widest avenues in the world. If you like local lives you go to Hutongs, Liulichang and many of them still preserve the old tradition.
After leaving Beijing, seriously wherever I travel, I kind of look down upon the tiny streets anywhere in the world. No offense, but I think most native Beijingers will know what I am talking about.
Check my signature to see more of Beijing.


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## Bandit (Dec 6, 2006)

Some of the trolls think this is bad? I've seen worse in cities in the West but don't bother to comment until know. A lot of bad city planning.


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## snow is red (May 7, 2007)

Hey please please don't start the flame. each individual has his/her own opinion, why are u guys complaining ? If you guys think it is nice, then it is nice, for other people it may not be like that. So settle it please.

btw I do like it, but it looks kinda quiet as well, but that is what I like and a bit dull as well. Well I guess those buildings were built long ago right ? 20 years or more so ?

I also really like some western cities as well like London and Paris. I really love Australian cities as well and that opera house as well, so impressive


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## Kheldane (Jul 6, 2006)

Very impressive! I love Beijing, I was there in may, beautiful weather that time of year...
I liked Beijing much better los angeles, which is about the same size...


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## cold (Nov 14, 2005)

China need to stop using red sign. Look pretty boring.:nuts:


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## stone (Jan 1, 2006)

cold said:


> China need to stop using red sign. Look pretty boring.:nuts:


that's true, mate. But as for the buildings, I think they r gr8


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## theworldshallcry (Mar 8, 2007)

I don't mind the architecture itself, but Beijing left a terrible impression on me. It's one of the most inaccessible cities I have visited outside North America. The place is very pedestrian unfriendly, with huge setbacks from the street and vast, bleak, inhuman spaces between buildings. Basically, the whole place felt bleak and dehumanizing, save for a few old parts of town. Even though inhabited by ordinary people, the authorities seem to take pride in Stalinist urban planning.

I'm no proponent of the "safari mentality" of cultural preservation, but Beijing is a truly terrible example of modernization. Lifeless street-fronts with depressing open spaces -- this is even worse than suburbia in America; at least in American sprawl, one can get around easily, whereas in Beijing congestion makes driving just as demoralizing as walking around that city of monoliths. As far as Chinese cities go, Shanghai and Hong Kong are light-years ahead.


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## Joshua_du (May 13, 2007)

> China need to stop using red sign. Look pretty boring


red and yellow r the traditional color of china!


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## cold (Nov 14, 2005)

Joshua_du said:


> red and yellow r the traditional color of china!


Chill....

Every been to Hong kong? They are very traditional they build every skyscraper according to Feng shui, but you will never see them put a horrible loco with red sign on many skyscraper. Their company pick the color that made their loco look good not because is tradition. Plus they make sure that the skyscraper look good with the loco first!

And you will never, never, never!!!!!!! see them put a sign like this!!










Look at the stick holding the loco,satellite, and antenna on the top of the building. it kill the whole building.:nuts:


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## cold (Nov 14, 2005)

It doesn't take a lot to destroy a building look. A great example is the picture of Mao and red sign on the front gate of the forbidden city. Totally **** up the whole place. Yeah you can say he PRC leader well whatever man. I can name many leaders in China history that are better than him. 

Plus his dead body is in there too.. hno:


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## ØlandDK (May 29, 2005)

I don't like most of these building but they are quite impressive standing in front of.


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## duskdawn (May 13, 2006)

Whatever you said Cold, I love Beijing's features so much. Much better than the village where you live I bet. lol


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## zachus22 (Dec 4, 2006)

Some of those buildings are so big and grotesque they remind me of thebigguns that Hitler built during his fascist reign.

...Yes, I just related Beijing to Hitler.


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## ihilaryduff (Aug 13, 2007)

oliver999 said:


> bicycles seems disapear in china these days, in my tiny city, bicycle is very few. chinese people like german car, audi, volswagen ,benz, BMW are our favoriet.



disappear ? no . bike still have many many in china . especially in northern china . beijing , shanghai both have many many bikes . 

呵呵


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## autumnriver (Dec 20, 2004)

zachus22 said:


> Some of those buildings are so big and grotesque they remind me of thebigguns that Hitler built during his fascist reign.
> 
> ...Yes, I just related Beijing to Hitler.


Farfetched remarks.hno: hno: hno:


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## Joe_centennial (Sep 6, 2005)

IMHO, Beijing isn't that bad - in fact, its not bad at all! Mid-rise tend to make a city look more elegant, doesn't make it too money-making, conglomerate, trashy kinda look. BTW, it is the capital of China, right? Even Washington D.C have height restrictions imposed on buildings. Why? So that the more important buildings are not overshadowed by commercial highrises that tend to make these monumental buildings(in Beijing's case the Tiananmen Square etc.etc) look dwarfed(and these buildings are not meant be like that, it should be imposing!).... But besides that, yeah hafta second the fact that the big logos somehow gives a rather "tacky" feel to it.


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## duskdawn (May 13, 2006)

ihilaryduff said:


> disappear ? no . bike still have many many in china . especially in northern china . beijing , shanghai both have many many bikes .
> 
> ??


From my personal experiences, the number of bicycles in Beijing has dramatically dropped since I left the China in 2005. Amount of automobiles almost doubles in these 2 years too.


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## chitrakaar (Apr 24, 2005)

On a crisp clear day - when visibility is high, some of Beijing's buildings look quite impressive - even grand and imposing - but on a day with poor light or poor visibility - their effect is quite the contrary. 

Against grey or smoky skies, Beijing's new architecture ceases to look stunning or creative, because the haze just overshadows everything and leaves a depressing dreary feel.

Going forward, China will have to make some very hard choices - ceaseless growth or more blue skies.....


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## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

i am so glad mainland china has both shanghai and beijing, totally different city,different style,different atmosphere,different building,different expressway. love both.


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## Charles Dubai (Nov 9, 2006)

I like some of the buildings but there are ones very ugly!!!  excellent thread friend


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