# BEIJING | Projects & Construction



## guokui

very beautiful skyscrapers.i love you __beijing


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## guokui

哈哈


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## Kenwen

omg, these projects are the best u can get from the world, love the future skyline of beijing


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## _docomo

WOW..... seriously, these are impressive. Interesting discussion on the practicality of these designs. I have never been to China, but when I do it will be something I will keep my eye on. It would be awesome to see photos of any new developments in China that are similar to these during the day with pedistrians etc.

Keep up the updates


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## z0rg

Beijing in 2008


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## cellocello

Very impressive. 
Many of them already there.



z0rg said:


> Beijing in 2008


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## Don Omar

great photo^^


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## serdar alt

I am really impressived by that amazing beijing skycraper's. I hope the Beijing or Shanghai(thats my favorite) will be the next generation Metropol as New York was 10 years ago.

Good luck China and please go on for all the architectural lover like me around the world.


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## z0rg

Another render of the biggie approved next to the Swimming Center .










Other projects


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## raymond_tung88

What is this? Can somebody translate the Chinese?


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## ZZ-II

, wow beijing will have a very great skyline until 2008!!


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## Chevin

raymond_tung88 said:


> THis looks amazin.. It some how looks so chinese...no one think?


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## z0rg

7 stars hotel proposed in Beijing. All proposals by HMJM. Client: Ruoychai group.




























I only hope they wont choose a pink color :runaway:


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## z0rg

New Railway Station


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## HKpride

z0rg said:


> I only hope they wont choose a pink color :runaway:




i thought the pink one was hella sexy :drool:


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## TexasSkyWatcher

Wow is right....very nice designs amongst the renders. I realy like the new huge stadium design.

It's really amazing that not only in China but all over the world that residence towers are popping up like mushrooms after a rain!


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## Don Omar

z0rg said:


>


this one looks amazing. however all the projects are great quality and should put on a great display for the Olympics.


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## staff

Beijing WTC, taken today (19/2) by a friend of mine.
This tower is huge!


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## The Cebuano Exultor

*Re: The designs for the proposed 7-star hotel in Beijing*

The first one looks too sexy for my taste. But I still like it. What...with the pink and all. 

The second one is quite tacky.

The third one has the best aesthetics and has the perfect combination of architectural-class, radical design and iconic image.


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## The Cebuano Exultor

*@ z0rg*

Gee, thanks for the updates! If it weren't for you China-fans we would be missing a lot of China's mindboggling developments.

Anyway, are you familiar with the masterplan for Beijing's Olympic Green? If so, how many stadiums will be located within that area? :?


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## bertiboy

I think these projects are one of the most spectaculous I've seen. The skyscrapers are TOP CLASS! Really 'wow'. In a few weeks i'm going to visit Beijing, I hope I can see allready some of these projects


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## z0rg

The Cebuano Exultor said:


> Gee, thanks for the updates! If it weren't for you China-fans would be missing a lot of China's mindboggling developments.
> 
> Anyway, are you familiar with the masterplan for Beijing's Olympic Green? If so, how many stadiums will be located within that area? :?


Hehe, thanks for your support 

You better ask this here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=407521&page=6

^^ Many Beijing experts there. I'm not sure about the final concept of the olympic green.


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## z0rg

Taiwan Center, 50f~

Posted by bluetrout in ss.cn


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## Herr Lind

Plagiarism. it is Commerzbank


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## zergcerebrates

z0rg said:


> 7 stars hotel proposed in Beijing. All proposals by HMJM. Client: Ruoychai group.
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> I only hope they wont choose a pink color :runaway:



I like the pink building its HOT! I hope they don't use the pink tacky reflective glass but use the see through minor pink glass to make it look classy. I usually hate pink but I must say this render make the building look awesome, I bet it looks even better under the fog. Wow. As for the last one I hope they dont pick that it looks just like those sensation condoms. Ack! I hate the middle one just cone so normal.


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## zergcerebrates

GERR_LIND said:


> Plagiarism. it is Commerzbank



It does have some similarities but its not if you look closer. I guess 90% of the world's bldgs plagrize off of each other since they all look squarish, boxy and rectangularish.


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## mightygoose

actually it bears much more in common with the holonic tower, a 600m vision for tokyo.... (which incidentally was also accused of being a rip off of the commerzbank)


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## Jim856796

The Millenium Beijing, 260m, u/c









CBD International Mansion, u/c









World Science and Trade Center, u/c

























Oriental Media Center, u/c

















Beijing Goldfield Plaza, u/c









Beiyuan Beichen Green Estate

















New Poly Plaza, almost finished

























Zhong Guan Cun West Tower









Blue Chinese International Building









Yao Hui International City, u/c









Jingdi International Garden

















Jian Guo Hotel









Huamao Center

















[/QUOTE]

How come I have never heard of these peojects since 2007 started?

About the Millennium Beijing, It is not listed on Emporis or SkyscraperPage, so this may look like a fake project.


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## z0rg

^^ Most Chinese projects are not listed on Emporis. SSP also ignores many of them. On the other hand, there are many fake projects in Emporis, such as several 80f+ approved buildings in Shenyang that doesn't exist. That website is just a big shit.


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## gaoanyu

^^given the knowledge you've had about Chinese construction projects, supertalls and so on, you should really open up a Chinese Emporis yourself


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## loyola

Well, it's not danwei, but for the sake of a 7 star plaza info, just does the job

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCGT012fglQ


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## Pas

I really like the design of Oriental Media Centre! its kinda like a cross between IM Pei + Daniel Libeskind building.


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## paw25694

OML.. Beijing has the best quality designed scrapers in the world!! Not only China! Soo. .the theme is cross and 'X' such as in the CCTV one right?? are the projects located in one CBD or scattered?


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## paw25694

z0rg said:


> Beijing in 2008


mann.. World's Best Skyline..


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## renco

Impressive,looks great kay:


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## Kara

Wonderful update Jim856796, there's some amazing things going on there.


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## z0rg

There is a big project in Beijing listed at News section in urbanus.com.cn However, they only show a little render and no info. Anybody knows anything about this project?

君悦豪庭/Junyue Haoting


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## Ginza

Incredible compilation of projects


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## Adrian Smith fan

does anybody know were the Beijing Airport UC thread is at


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## Gaeus

Adrian Smith fan said:


> does anybody know were the Beijing Airport UC thread is at


Go to SkyscraperCity > World Forums > Infrastructure and Mobility > Airports and Aviation > The largest Terminal will be finished soon!!!!!!


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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo

seeing from 63f of Silvertie


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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## Insane alex

Really nice pics! But again with the multiposting...


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## khoojyh

awesome !!!


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## oliver999

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## The Cebuano Exultor

*@ oliver999*

When was the last time you were in Beijing? :?


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## duskdawn

^^I left Beijing in 2005 and these new changes simply blew me away.
Can't wait for August when I will be finally home...


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## General Huo

Beijing Financial Street
from BeijingUpdates.com


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## General Huo




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## General Huo




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## xiaoluis

Great .... i love Beijing.


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## big-dog

*Beijing Art Gallery extension project*

from beijingupdates.com
subway 6 and 8 will interchange here.


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## CarlosBlueDragon

nice


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## uadsz

good


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## kuw01medan

*EVTHINGS*

*Everythings BIG n BIGGER in BEIJING!!!!*


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## Mr. Met

is this all supposed to be done by the 2008 olympics?


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## big-dog

Nope, the extension is just started, subway 6 and 8 will be finished by 2010-2012.


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## tq

very impressiv...the only thing that I don't like is the form of the skyline which is sort of linear...they should allow some supertalls anyway to make it more characteristic...another thing is to highlight specific bldgs such the CCTV Headquarter as landmark (e.g. not to allow any bldgs around it for a certain distance)...one would completely lost in photos and the city itself...its good for orientation I think.


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## Lope

pauliyas said:


> I love the new railway station.



Yes,I do too.


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## oriental_horizon

nice photos that depicts a very cosmopolitan and upward Beijing. will be as super dense and packed with people and traffic.

but shanghai will still owns in terms of river skyline and industrial prowess.


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## kix111

^^why did you even mention, might trigger a city vs city thread 

anyway awesome updates ppl! =D


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## Jim856796

z0rg said:


> The Millenium Beijing, 260m, u/c


That is not the Millenium Beijing. That is actually the Intercontinental Hotel at Fortune Plaza and the taller Fortune Plaza office building. the number of hotel rooms is unknown.


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## grantl

Hi All, I have just recently found this thread and have just been to Beijing so thought I would add my 2 cents worth: 

New Shopping centre on Wangfujing Road just near the pedestrain section: 










New building in Jinbao Street opposite The Regent Hotel: 










New Extension to the APM Mall in Wangfujing Road


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## gho

Hows the CCTV tower going? Is it complete yet, its a magnificent building.


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## HiTOPHi

^^
6.12 by Peter Frank.










The dedicated thread is here.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=179084


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## Marquinho

any updates on the moma? It should be cladded aldy, right?


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## GreenMonk108

*Linked Hybrid by Steven Holl*

Any update progress on Linked Hybrid apartment buildings by Steven Holl? Any new pictures?


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## cornish pasty

Some of these renders of future buildings/skylines are freaking great

But is Beijing's enjoyability hampered by its sheer size? Or is it more walkable than it seems? I like aimlessly walking around cities just looking at buildings, finding nice spots to stop in the urban jungle, I'm off to Beijing soon and I hope I can do it there too.


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## SilentStrike

Morgan Plaza, 7 star hotel in Bejing, I think it's still UC, mightve finished already.










It's supose to be like a dragon 










The big part of the building is the head, then the smalled ones following are the bumps (waves) that chinese dragons always have. That's at least how I interpreted it.


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## big-dog

^^ this project has been finished. It's supposed to look like a phoenix not a dragon


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## big-dog

don't know if this has been posted in this thread. Very interesting building near Beijing Xuanwu Men, Bread Toaster! 

环球财讯中心 Global Financial Center

renderings








































































September Update








(beijingupdates.com)


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## the spliff fairy

I like it


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## snapdragon

the spliff fairy said:


> I like it


same here even i like it


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## GreenMonk108

What da..? It's done already. That is fast. :nuts:
It like one of my birthday cake that cut into five parts. :lol:


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## big-dog

It's almost donw. The bottom part is also interesting.


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## Jim856796

I don't know much about that "bread-toaster" building. I hope there is more information about that.


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## foxmulder_ms

I love when I see renders and the finished building at the same time  that's really fast for me... in a couple of seconds


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## Chupavi

Do you have some night pics! Or the light are not yet operational?


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## hkskyline

*Developer eyes Beijing spree *
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

SOHO China (0410) will buy distressed assets in Beijing and redevelop such buildings in the central business district as part of this year's top-priority growth plan - with replenishing the land bank taking a back seat.

Chairman Pan Shiyi said although increasing the size of the land bank and developing new projects may increase earnings, buying distressed assets generated profits more quickly.

Chief executive Zhang Xin said: "We see uncertainty in 2009 ... this year's top priority is to buy distressed assets such as office buildings and redevelop them - that's SOHO's strength as well."

Moody's analyst Kaven Tsang said China property prices remain under pressure and inventories of unsold properties are still high, so the recent improvement in sales volume may not be sustainable.

Moody's credit officer Peter Choy said relaxing mortgage lending for second-home buyers has spurred demand, even as offshore funding sources remain shut.

SOHO president Yan Yan said its five projects in the Beijing central business district recorded occupancy rates of 90 to 95 percent this year.

Zhang said SOHO China has 7,000 customers, half of whom have at least two transactions with the company. The firm holds a cash position of 10 billion yuan (HK$11.3 billion) and 10 billion yuan credit lines. SOHO China retreated 3.16 percent to HK$4.90 yesterday.


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## hkskyline

*BEIJING PROPERTY SALES PRICES FALL IN APRIL *

BEIJING, May 18 Asia Pulse - Beijing's property sales prices edged down one per cent year on year in April, but up 0.4 per cent month on month, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

New residential housing sales prices decreased by 0.6 per cent year on year in April, narrowing 0.2 percentage points from March, but increased by 0.4 per cent month on month, marking a two consecutive month growth.

Second-hand housing sales prices fell 2.9 per cent year on year in April, widening 0.2 percentage points over the figure in March.

In the first four months of 2009, Beijing completed a total investment in real estate development totalling 33.82 billion yuan, down 26.5 per cent year on year, compared to 30.2 per cent during the first quarter.

By the end of April, Beijing fostered 638 real estate construction projects, 90 of which were new, respectively decreasing 51 and 28 from the previous year.

The floor space of commercial residential buildings under construction amounted to 74.05 million square meters by April, down 2.1 per cent year on year.

Included were 4.64 million square meters composing new projects, down 41.3 per cent year on year.

However, new projects' floor space expanded 50.4 per cent beyond March to 1.52 million square meters in April.


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## staff

2nd Apple Store Beijing, due to open this fall at Qianmen Jie:


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## the spliff fairy

great, the traditional design should fit in well with the Qianmen district


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## the spliff fairy

I also find it amazing Beijing has 638 real estate projects still, post Olympic makeover and mid global downturn, even if it is down from the previous quarter. 

"By the end of April, Beijing fostered 638 real estate construction projects, 90 of which were new, respectively decreasing 51 and 28 from the previous year.

The floor space of commercial residential buildings under construction amounted to 74.05 million square meters by April, down 2.1 per cent year on year.

Included were 4.64 million square meters composing new projects, down 41.3 per cent year on year.

However, new projects' floor space expanded 50.4 per cent beyond March to 1.52 million square meters in April."


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## Joel que

according to NBC news,the the number of office space for rent in beijing is bigger than manhattan.
possible converting some of the office tower into condo.?


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## the spliff fairy

^well they did build the equivalent to 3 Manhattans in the run up to the Olympics. Its a wonder that office to rent is not larger than Manhattan period.


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## hkskyline

*Developers rush to buy land on inflation concerns *

BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Due to realtor's improved cash flow, loosened credit environment and lesser worries of inflation, China's land transaction hit a new high in May.

Beijing's land sales in May exceeded the total amount sold from January to April, China Daily reported Wednesday.

Data from Beijing land reserve center shows that 28 parcels of land, with a floor space of 1.68 million square meters were sold in May, up 91 per cent from April. Among the 28 parcels, 10 pieces, or 1.01 million square meters, are for residential purpose.

"The big round of property sales in March and April largely eased property developers' cash flow pressure, and the loosening credit environment also encouraged them to increase their land bank," the paper quoted Grant Ji, director of Savills (Beijing), as saying.

A real estate insider believes once the market recovers fully, it would be hard to secure good land in such cities as Beijing and Shanghai. Meanwhile, there are also concerns over inflation.

Prices have been soaring as a result of fast growing land transaction.

Statistics show that the deal price is 59.76 percent higher than the floor price on average. Moreover, the price premium is even above 100 percent for quality land parcels in Beijing.

Pan Shiyi, chairman of China SOHO, said the sharp increase in land transactions and prices indicates the developers' change in confidence and strategy. He also believes that this is the best time for developers to secure and expand land.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing Capital Land Buys Land Plot In Beijing For CNY340 Mln *
13 June 2009

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hong Kong-listed mainland developer Beijing Capital Land Ltd. (2868.HK) said Friday it has bought a piece of land in Beijing for CNY340 million.

The land site, acquired via an open auction, spans an area of about 23,000 square meters, the developer said in a statement. The site, located in Beijing's Chaoyang district, is designated for commercial and residential properties development.

"Currently, market competition for land remains intense," Beijing Capital said in the statement. "In order to increase land resources, the group will acquire land through open auction as well as mergers and acquisitions."


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## baidu

*guomao area*

IS youtube video allowed in this section? 
if not, mod just delete this post
Enjoy:cheers:


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## hkskyline

*BEIJING HOME BUYERS WEIGH AFFORDABILITY, COMMUTE AS CITY SPRAWLS*

BEIJING, June 29 Asia Pulse - Qiao Jian, a secretary at a university in downtown Beijing where her husband is also on the support staff, has to rise before 6 a.m. if she wants to get to work on time. Her daily commute adds up to at least three hours.

She is one of 400,000 residents of the Huilongguan apartment community, Beijing's largest affordable apartment complex. It's located in northern Changping District, outside the Fifth Ring Road.

Technically speaking, she lives outside the central city, since that ring road is considered to be the "outer limits" of the urban area.

Qiao and her husband, both Beijingers, bought a three-bedroom affordable apartment six years ago for 1,060 yuan (US$155) per square meter, less than half of the price of commercial housing at the time in that area.

"This type of apartment was affordable for us, and we can have extra rooms for my son and guests. But we have to commute a long way," she told Xinhua. After the long trip home from work, her first desire was to lie on the sofa, she said.

Many similar urban families in China have bought bigger and cheaper homes, as the country completed more than 60 million sq m of affordable apartments last year and helped 2.53 million low- and medium-income urban families solve their housing problems from 2005 to 2008, Qi Ji, vice minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, told reporters in March at the Second Session of the 11th National People's Congress.

Like many other Chinese cities, Beijing has seen commercial home price hikes in recent years. Second-hand home prices have exceeded 18,000 yuan per sq m, on average, in Qiao's university area. Buying just 3 sq m of apartment space near her job would take her entire current annual income, but an affordable home in Huilongguan, even now, would be only about half of the downtown price.

Qiao takes Subway Line 13, transfers to Line 2, and then changes to a bus to get to her university outside the western Second Ring Road.

TRANSPORT EXPANSION LAGS DEMAND

"We don't want to sit in our car in a traffic jam, as the traffic from our community headed downtown is usually heavy during peak hours, so we normally avoid driving. We need to get on the subway at about 6:30, before it becomes unbearably crowded, to get to our offices before 8 a.m.," she said.

Although the municipal government spent more than 19.8 billion yuan in the first five months of this year, up 28.7 per cent from a year earlier, on transportation, including roads and subways, the rush hour commute is still tough. There are more than 3.5 million cars in Beijing, and another 1,200 go on the road every day.

"My husband and I like to stay at work for an hour or so after quitting time before setting out for the subway, to avoid the crowds. You can get squeezed like a photo stuck in a photo album," she said.

"When we first moved to the area, there were no supermarkets nearby, so we had to get on the subway home in the evening with shopping bags full of food and daily necessities in both hands," Qiao said. But more retailers like Carrefour have appeared around the neighborhood in the past two years.

Residents in the neighborhood would also benefit from a branch of a big public hospital, the renowned Beijing Ji Shui Tan Hospital, which is set to open at the end of the year. The new hospital is to have 500 beds and receive 1,500 patients daily.

PART OF THE BIG PICTURE

Qiao and her community are just a small part of the big picture. Of the 100 billion yuan added to the central budget in the fourth quarter last year, 7.5 billion yuan was appropriated for low-rent and affordable apartments across the country.

The government said last month that 300 billion yuan had been allotted for the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package announced last November, of which 37.5 billion yuan would go to low-rent and affordable homes, including the 7.5 billion yuan allocated in the fourth quarter.

"I know that we can not get everything at one stroke, but I believe my community will become better and more convenient to live in," Qiao said.

NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE

Any observant subway commuter in Beijing would notice that after 7 p.m., Line 5 headed north was still packed, while that line going south was much less crowded.

The 27.6-km Line 5 runs from the northern Tiantongyuan station, another major affordable apartment complex outside the northern Fifth Ring Road, to southern Songjiazhuang, a station outside the southern Third Ring Road.

Qin Rui, a senior analyst with Beijing-based 5i5j Real Estate Service Co., told Xinhua Thursday that Beijingers preferred apartments in the northern part of the city, partly because of a traditional belief that the air and water were better in the north.

This belief dates back centuries: the world-famous Summer Palace, used by imperial families, is in northern Beijing.

"However, in recent years, people's beliefs have begun to change as more housing projects appeared in the southern part of the city and prices were lower compared with other areas. There would be new home projects including some affordable home projects in the coming years in southern Beijing that would attract many potential home buyers," Qin added.

ATTITUDES CHANGE WITH COSTS

Figures from 5i5j showed that among the 10 parcels of land for building affordable homes sold to developers in Beijing last year, four were in the southern Fengtai and Daxing districts, showing the city's efforts to boost less developed areas.

No city-level average data for land prices in the south and north are available, but figures from 5i5j indicate that land in the north is more expensive.

Three parcels of land designated for building affordable homes in Daxing last year fell into the range of 2,119 yuan to 2,449 yuan per sq m, while four sites in northern Changping fell into the range of 2,794 yuan to 4,899 yuan per sq m.

Prices of second-hand homes are now about 9,000 yuan per sq m near Tiantongyuan. A similar residence would cost 11,000 yuan per sq m near Songjiazhuang, while the price in Daxing outside the southern Fifth Ring Road was about 7,500 yuan per sq m, on average, said Qin.

Average prices for second-hand homes in the more developed northern Third Ring Road area exceed 17,000 yuan per sq m.

It would take time for hospitals, schools, banks and other facilities to develop near the new home projects in the southern city and catch up with other districts of the city. But the development of the city's southern half was speeding up, he added.

Many Beijingers will have to compromise on facilities and convenience, like Qiao did, to afford a home of their own. A report released earlier this month by the People's Bank of China, the central bank, discussed a survey of 50 cities nationwide, including Beijing.

The survey found that more than 60 per cent of respondents considered current home prices "too high" and expressed the intention of getting affordable homes.

Qiao has been worried about how to help her 20-something son, Fanfan, set up a home in the coming years, given high urban prices.

However, Fanfan, born and bred in Beijing, did not rule out the possibility of buying a relatively cheap apartment in the southern part of the city. His main concern was easy access to subways for going to work and socializing.

Fanfan would likely take heart from the city's massive subway expansion plans that will improve service in the south. The 28.2-km Subway Line 4 is scheduled to go into operation in September, linking Fengtai, southwestern Xuanwu, western Xicheng and northern Haidian districts.

A 21.8-km subway line connecting Daxing with Subway Line 4 is set to go into service at the end of next year.

So Fanfan will be able to skip the bus and take subways to visit his parents, if he buys an apartment in Fengtai or Daxing in the future.


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## staff

I'm guessing this will not be reported in any Western media. :lol: 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-06/30/content_11629871.htm


> *Beijing records best air quality in nine years*
> 
> www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-30 23:52:30
> 
> BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Beijing saw 146 "blue sky days" during the first half of the year, which means the city's residents breathed in the least amount of pollutant in nine years, an environment official said Tuesday.
> 
> The blue sky days so far this year was 23 days more than the corresponding period last year and 47 days than the average level in recent years, said Du Shaozhong, deputy chief of Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau.
> 
> In June, Beijing saw 25 days, or 83.3 percent of the total, with blue skies, which was the best among the corresponding months since 2000.
> 
> Air quality in January, March, April, May and June this year are all better than corresponding months in the last decade, Du said.
> 
> Beijing has a five-grade classification of air quality: a reading below 50 is "excellent;" from 51 to 100 "fairly good;" 101to 200 "slightly polluted;" 201 to 300 "poor;" and more than 301 "hazardous." Days with excellent or fairly good air quality are counted as blue sky days.
> 
> Environmental protection experts attributed the improvement of air quality to the reduced emission of pollutants and the after effect of measures taken during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
> 
> The amount of pollutants related to vehicle emissions has not grown so far this year although the city has registered 200,000 more vehicles, because 55,000 heavy polluting vehicles were phased out.
> 
> Sandstorms during spring decreased from last year's 11 to this year's 6, which also benefited Beijing's blue sky drive.


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## z0rg

Actually in the last days they are publishing that the air quality is even worse now, lol. They have no limits.


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## hkskyline

*New bubbles rising in China property market: state media *
3 July 2009
Agence France Presse

China's recent moves to ease curbs on the real estate sector have sent prices soaring recently, stoking fears that new property bubbles are forming, state media reported Friday.

Residential property prices in Beijing's Central Business District rose 6.5 percent in the past week and demand for second-hand houses in some other areas is four times the supply, said the China Daily, citing brokerage Homelink.

It said a land parcel in Beijing, which was withdrawn from a public tender due to a lack of bidders only 15 months ago, was auctioned off Monday for a record 585 million dollars.

"The bidders have gone irrational. A bubble in Beijing's property market is definitely there," Pan Shiyi, one of the bidders that day and chairman of leading developer SOHO China, said after the auction, according to the report.

In Shanghai, developers of the luxury Tomson Rivers apartments, priced at over 14,600 dollars per square metre (about 1,360 dollars per square feet), sold at least 10 units in June, the report said.

That compared with sales of only four units since the project was marketed four years ago, it added.

In the southern city of Guangzhou, the downtown housing price reached 1,600 dollars per square metre in May, close to the record high of 1,700 dollars in October 2007, the report said.

"One thing we are concerned about is whether there is a new bubble being shaped," the report quoted Gu Yunchang, secretary general of the China Real Estate Association as saying. "The possibility of a bubble is pretty big."

China's house prices have been rising fast in recent years with the country's economic boom.

The trend accelerated in 2006 and 2007, partly spurred by a growing stock market that prompted investors to place their windfalls in property.

As a result, the average home price in Beijing was 23 times a local family's average income in 2007, compared with levels of four to six times average incomes internationally, state media reported.

Fears the property market would suddenly collapse, Beijing launched a number of measures from September 2007 to curb speculation, including raising downpayments on second homes and banning loans to developers for land purchases.

The policies affected the industry severely, causing sales to slump and house prices to drop in dozens of major cities.

However, the financial crisis has forced authorities to relax the curbs, with local governments relying on preferential policies to boost demand.

Stamp tax on property purchases and value-added tax of land on property sales was lifted from November 2008 and minimum deposits for first-time home buyers was also slashed.


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## hkskyline

*Developers pay 5.4b yuan for three Beijing sites at auction *
7 July 2009
South China Morning Post

Poly Real Estate, Sino-Ocean Land and Shanghai Greenland Group separately snapped up three residential sites in Beijing's suburbs for 5.4 billion yuan (HK$6.12 billion) in a government auction yesterday.

Unit prices of two sites in Daxing district acquired by Shanghai Greenland Group and Poly Real Estate hit a record high. An airport will be built in the district.

Poly Real Estate bought its 91,011 square metre site, south of the capital city, for 1.63 billion yuan. The site could provide a total gross floor area of 224,883 sq metres, translating into 7,248 yuan per sq metre, 15 per cent higher than a nearby site acquired by China Resources Land at the end of 2007.

Shanghai Greenland won a 162,263 sq metre residential and commercial site for 3.02 billion yuan, 116 per cent higher than the opening price of 1.4 billion yuan. The site could provide a total gross floor area of 457,961 sq metres.

Property prices in Daxing district range between 10,000 and 11,000 yuan per sq metre, according to Li Wenjie, general manager at Centaline (China).

"It showed how aggressive the developers are in land bidding. Developers cannot generate reasonable profit unless their projects fetch 12,000 yuan per sq metre," he said.

The sites were made attractive by the government's decision to build Beijing's second airport in the district, which was scheduled to open in 2015, Mr Li said.

Sino-Ocean Land bought a 40,985 sq metre residential site in Shijingshan district for 748.25 million yuan that could produce a gross floor area of 140,579 sq metres.

Wang Zhufeng, an analyst at Evolution Securities China, said land prices in Beijing were expensive.

He said the municipal government had sold many prime sites in the past few months, sparking concern supply would drop in the second half of this year.

Property prices in Beijing would be boosted by rising land prices, Mr Wang said.

Mr Li of Centaline said Beijing property prices rose about 20 per cent in the first half of the year and he was expecting a further increase of 10 per cent in the second half.


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## hkskyline

*Reflections too close for comfort for some *
8 July 2009
SCMP
How close is too close? Beijing Capital Land has an answer.

The developer will offer 10 units in two towers of its three-block luxury Beijing development, The Reflections, to Hong Kong buyers this weekend at an average price of 70,000 yuan (HK$79,488) per square metre.

You may ask why the developer is offering units to Hong Kong buyers in only two blocks of its development in Haidian district and not all three.

The answer, Ah Pak understands, is that the third tower is too close to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a key venue for diplomatic activities.

Since occupants of the third tower, facing the Beijing Yu Yuan Tan Park, will be able to see the guesthouse, the government is not recommending the sale of the units to non-mainlanders, including Chinese from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Diaoyutai was originally a holiday home for emperors during the Qing dynasty and was converted into a guesthouse in 1959.

Since then it has served as a venue for leaders to receive visiting foreign guests and officials.

It has housed many dignitaries from the mainland and abroad.

During the Cultural Revolution, Jiang Qing, wife of chairman Mao Zedong, chose the guesthouse as a residence.


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## hkskyline

*Poly, Greenland Buy Land in Beijing with Record High Offers *

BEIJING, July 7, SinoCast -- Poly Real Estate Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600048) and Greenland Group, two leading real estate developers in China, won bidding for land plots in Beijing with record high offers on July 6.

Greenland Group offered CNY 3.025 billion or CNY 6,605 per square meter for a commercial financial and integrated project-designed land coupled with a residential project in the suburban Daxing District. The offer renewed the record CNY 6,353 per square meter land price in the district, said people familiar with the matter.

The project will enable Greenland Group to expand its reach to Beijing, said market observers. The Shanghai-based real estate developer, which has developed projects in Hebei and Tianjin, has not made a presence in Beijing yet.

Later on the day, Poly Real Estate won bidding for land designed for residential and infrastructure projects in the district with an offer of CNY 1.63 billion or CNY 7,248 per square meter, breaking the just-set record.


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## hkskyline

*Hoteliers in China's interior gain more from stimulus *

BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) - Hoteliers in secondary cities are benefitting more from China's stimulus measures, with larger markets in Beijing and Shanghai weighed down by past construction booms, said Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels on Friday.

Tier-two and tier-three cities are benefiting from massive infrastructure spending, while the massive hotel expansion ahead of the 2008 Olympics saturated the Beijing market, said Andreas Flaig, Beijing-based managing director at the consultancy, a unit of Jones Lang LaSalle .

"Certainly for Beijing and Shanghai, one ought to be very cautious," he told Reuters, referring to investors and developers looking at the hotel market.

From 2006 to 2008, the number of hotel rooms doubled in Beijing and will grow another 23 percent through 2011, said Flaig. That buildout has pushed occupancy rates in Beijing to 47 percent for five-star hotels, and 50 percent in the four-star market.

"Once you drop below 50 percent occupancy, then you start to seriously impact the profitability of a hotel," said Flaig. "We are way off the 75-ish occupancy the city has enjoyed before."

But the economies in secondary cities such as Sanya, Dalian and Hangzhou are still growing around 15 percent, bouyed by domestic demand, central government stimulus measures and a lower reliance on export industries, he said.

"It is a reflection of the government stimulus and banks pumping in trillions of renminbi (yuan)," said Flaig. "Therefore, buying land to start new projects is easier now than six or nine months ago."

Global hoteliers are betting on Asian growth markets such as India and China to offset falling revenue as vacationers and business travellers cut back during the global downturn.

China represents approximately 5 percent of the total business of Intercontinental Hotels , the world's largest hotelier, a figure that could grow to 15 percent in two years. ($=6.83 yuan)


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## hkskyline

*Kerry resumes marketing of Beijing project*
22 July 2009
SCMP

Banking on improved sentiment among property buyers in Beijing, Hong Kong-listed Kerry Properties last week began a second round of marketing to sell units in Gemini Grove - its majority-owned luxury residential project in the city.

The units will be marketed to both mainland and Hong Kong buyers.

Kerry Properties and joint venture partner Beijing-based Huayuan Real Estate launched six units in the new West Tower of Gemini Grove on Thursday.

The units ranged from 71.56 square metres to 84.67 sqmetres and their average selling price was about 41,379 yuan (HK$46,944) per square metre, the developers said.

That is about 11.84 per cent higher than the average of 37,000 yuan per square metre achieved for units sold since the first launch in the middle of last year.

Gemini Grove is in the Yansha commercial area in Chaoyang district, an upmarket residential section neighbouring the second embassy district.

The project is 71 per cent owned by Kerry Properties and consists of two towers offering 317 units ranging from 71 sqmetres to 182 sqmetres. Completion is due next year.

About 150 flats in the East Tower had been sold so far, allowing the developers to reap about 500 million yuan in sales, said Kerry Real Estate Agency executive director Chu Ip-pui. During the weekend, the developers offered more units for sale and secured buyers for 12 flats.

Kerry Properties is part of the Kerry Group, the largest shareholder in the SCMP Group, publisher of the South China Morning Post.


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## erbse

I'd like to see some renders of new projects. Way too much text on this page for lazy erbse.


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## hkskyline

erbse said:


> I'd like to see some renders of new projects. Way too much text on this page for lazy erbse.


Here is the website : http://www.gemini-grove.com/

Rendering from the website :


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## the spliff fairy

I think you'll find much more on here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=65748&page=18


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## big-dog

CBD enlargement project: 

------------------------

Demand for CBD space is still healthy: official

By Lan Tian and Wang Sujuan 

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-27



> PrintMailThe global economic crisis has had little impact on Beijing's central business district (CBD), but limited space in the financial hub is hampering development, said officials.
> 
> Currently, 80 percent of office space in the CBD's 77 buildings is rented out and more than 90 percent of space in high-end buildings - including China World Trade Center and Fortune Plaza - is occupied, said Liu Chuncheng, executive deputy director of Beijing CBD Administration Committee.
> 
> Liu added that rents had not fallen in the CBD, which occupies 3.99 sq km near the city's East 3rd Ring Road.
> 
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> The area is home to much of the city's finance, media and business services sector and was established by the government eight years ago.
> 
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> Some reports pointed out that multinational companies, including Kodak and Motorola, had moved out in apparent cost-cutting measures with experts predicting the area's vacancy rate would rise to 40 percent this year.
> 
> However, Liu said the reports were inaccurate.
> 
> "Yes, some companies like Kodak and Motorola moved their offices out of a CBD building, but then they moved into another CBD buildings where the rent was cheaper," Liu said.
> 
> Wu Guiying, vice governor of Chaoyang district, where the CBD is located, said the financial crisis was having little impact. A shortage of land was more of a problem.
> 
> "It directly leads to congested traffic and a short supply of office space," she said.
> 
> The Beijing CBD Administration Committee said that in the first half of the year, more than 1,000 companies were registered in the area. Seven Fortune 500 companies, including Luxembourg-based steel giant ArcelorMittal, had set up offices there.
> 
> According to real estate management and consulting firm Savills, the A-grade office vacancy rate in Beijing was 19.4 percent in the first quarter, up 3.9 percent on last year.
> 
> Savills predicted that the vacancy rate would remain around 20 percent.


(For more biz stories, please visit Industries)


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## hkskyline

I thought they're working on the Finance Street area west of Tiananmen Square? So they're expanding the east side as well?


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## Jim856796

I didn't know the Beijing CBD had more than doubled in size fro its original boundaries. And one note is that the Beijing CBD may hold a maximum of 500 buildings. The report said there are 77.


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## Severiano

我覺得他們需要在吸屄地建更高的樓，北京是中國第二最大的城市可是北京的天際線不如 上海，重慶，廣州，深圳或香港。


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## hkskyline

*Soho China Buys Beijing Property For CNY4 Bln - Chairman *
3 September 2009

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Beijing-based commercial property developer Soho China Ltd. (0410.HK) has acquired a land site in Beijing for CNY4 billion, which it plans to develop into a commercial property, Chairman Pan Shiyi said.

In a telephone conference, Pan said the land, located in Beijing's Chaoyang district, has a gross floor area of 500,000 square meters, and the launch is scheduled for 2011.

The deal comes less than one month after the firm announced its acquisition of a commercial property project from Morgan Stanley (MS) for at least CNY2.45 billion.


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## ginger biscuit

Beijing rocks!!!!


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## staff

Has this been posted? The new 人民日报 / People's Daily building in Beijing.. claimed by some netizens to be a copy of Burj al Arab in Dubai. I don't see it though.


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## Herzarsen

I walked around the Sanlitun area yesterday and saw at least four major developments in above ground construction humming along. I dont expect them to be very tall but they will complete the area now that the Sunlitun Village has expanded.

Would anyone know more about these two projects in that area?

1. Gong San Plaza
2. Tun San Li


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## staff

SOM's winning proposal for the new CBD


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## big-dog

*Conrad Hotel (U/C)*

106m,
construction: 4.22.2009 ~ 2011

renderings



















(beijingupdates.com)


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## Nordicon

Jim856796 said:


> ^^That Z15 Tower needs a spire.


No, it looks wayyyy better without...


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## hkskyline

*Mainland prices drop as cooling measures bite*
16 March 2011
SCMP

Non-stop policy measures aimed at curbing demand and price growth in the mainland property market have finally forced developers to cut asking prices at new residential projects - a clear signal that market-wide price corrections are now under way, analysts say.

"China Vanke, the largest developer on the mainland, started to cut its asking prices at new projects two weeks ago and other privately owned developers have followed," said Alan Chiang Sheung-lai, the head of residential property at consultant DTZ on the mainland.

Kenneth Pak Kei-yuen, a general manager at Midland Realty on the mainland, said price cuts in new suburban projects were becoming common in Beijing.

Among the sharpest of the price-cutting measures so far has been at the second phase development of Sino Ocean Land's Poetry of River residential project in Beijing. The developer is offering a 17 per cent discount for buyers paying in cash, while buyers with mortgage plans will get a 16 per cent discount.

Under the discount scheme, the average asking price of the project was cut to 21,000 yuan (HK$24,920) per square metre this month, 16 per cent below the prices at which flats were sold in the first phase of the project last year.

Pak said other developers were offering discounts of 2 per cent to 4 per cent.

On Monday, China Evergrande Real Estate chief executive Xia Haijun said discounts of between 5 per cent and 20 per cent would be offered on some projects.

Beijing Roaming Wonderland, a project developed by China Vanke and Beijing Urban Construction Group, is offering a 4 per cent discount to full-payment buyers and a 2 per cent discount for buyers with mortgage plans.

Dickson Wong Hung, the chief executive of Centaline Property's China office, said developers had begun to lower their asking prices because banks had tightened conditions on property loans and restrictions were imposed on purchasing second homes. "Previously, about 30 per cent to 40 per cent of buyers in Beijing were foreigners or mainlanders from other provinces. However, we lost these buyers after the government imposed restrictions on buying homes," he said.

According to the firm, the absence of these buyers contributed to a 60 per cent fall in sales on the secondary market in the first half of this month, compared with the same period in January.

"We saw some developers begin to face capital pressure after the banks tightened property-loan conditions early this year. We now expect to see more developers cut their asking prices on new projects in the second quarter."

Wong said property prices in Beijing were now likely to fall by 10 per cent to 15 per cent by the end of this year from their price levels in January, and a similar correction was likely in other first-tier cities.

Alan Chiang of DTZ believed pressure on developers to continue cutting their prices would likely increase in the middle of this year, traditionally a peak season for new releases.

"Currently, most of the new housing supply is large residential flats. But we will see plenty of small and mid-sized flats released on the market in June and July. That will lead to a sharper fall in property prices."


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## Þróndeimr

Home of the future

This is LAVA's (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) proposal for the Home of the Future, a showcase home for future living, with nature, 
technology and man in a new harmony. Its located on the rooftop of a new furniture mall in Beijing and is planned to start construction in late 
2011.

An ETFE geodesic skydome provides a year-round microclimate that opens up the home to a garden filled with sun, light and fresh air, away 
from the pollution and noise of the city. Visitors will experience fifteen different living spaces, from internal/external bathroom zones to 
kitchens flowing to veggie patches and bbqs to sunken bedrooms with dream inducing lighting.

At night the home and the tropical garden turn into an otherworldly experience, with the underlying technology, the electronic veins of the 
system, coming to life.

The design is inspired by nature’s efficiencies – corals, cells and bubbles – and creates an environment where technologies are invisibly 
integrated to satisfy everyday needs and senses.

Its fluid design and organizational strategy based on cells is easily modified to suit specific requirements.

The Home of the Future integrates the latest improvements in comfort and instantaneous information technology with a space that embraces 
nature.

Chris Bosse, Director of LAVA says: ‘The Home of the Future acts as a metaphor for the questions of our times, our relationship with nature, 
with technology and with ourselves’.

View renderings in high resolution


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## Jim856796

Nordicon said:


> No, it looks wayyyy better without...


Then it needs a new design.


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## delores

looks like someones been watching too much avatar.


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## CoCoMilk

^^ thats good lol

Beijing would be like 
Ancient + Modern + Future


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## Þróndeimr

delores said:


> looks like someones been watching too much avatar.


And Tron!


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## hkskyline

*China to invest more than 10 billion yuan in aerospace park*
2 April 2011
People's Daily Online

The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation announced on March 31 that it will invest more than 10 billion yuan in constructing the Beijing Aerospace Industrial Park (BAIP) during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period.

It will allow a batch of high-tech projects such as safe city and emergency equipment, the Internet of Things, digital city and satellite applications to settle in Beijing, and achieve industrialization.

The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, its Second Institute and Third Institute as well as its branch company Aisino signed agreements with several Beijing departments to carry out the comprehensive cooperation in launching the construction of the Beijing Aerospace Industrial Park, promoting the construction of the Zhongguancun National Self-Demonstration Core Area and jointly promoting scientific research and industrial development.

According to sources, the concentration of these aerospace high-tech projects in Beijing will provide 15,000 jobs opportunities.

According to the agreements, the two institutes will be in charge of building the Beijing Aerospace Industrial Park, and are expected to finish the first phase of the project by the end of 2012. It is estimated that the total investments in the park will reach 11.1 billion yuan by 2015, and the park will generate gross sales of up to 20 billion yuan.

The park will be divided into nine different areas, namely the Safe City and Emergency Facilities Area, Internet of Things Area, Numerical Control and Industrial Automation Area, Radar and Industrial Irradiation Facilities Area, Unmanned Vehicle Equipment Area, Power Equipment Area, Live Power Line Maintenance Facilities Area, Electromechanical Device Integrated Manufacturing Area, and Microwave Imaging Facilities and Energy-conservation Controller Area.

Aisino Corporation will focus on carrying out emerging industrialization projects including the digital city, radio-frequency identification (RFID), smart card, enterprise informalization, satellite application, and digital media projects in Haidian District, in hopes of using its technological advantages to promote the construction of the core area of the Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone. The total investments on these projects will reach 1.5 billion to 2 billion yuan during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, and they are expected to bring in gross revenue of 5 billion to 7 billion yuan.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing wants private investments in public housing *
6 April 2011
Copyright 2011 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved. 

Beijing is seeking nongovernment capital to contribute 60 percent of the budget and may encourage it to fund the city's subsidized housing construction, media reported on April 2.

Beijing-based private enterprises may be allowed to build public rental housing on their own land, said Song Yu, vice-director of the municipal development and reform commission.

The municipal government will also broaden the investment fields for private capital funds. The proportion of the total budget that came from private investors rose from 43.2 percent in 2009 after the financial crisis hit the global economy to 57.9 percent in 2010. The city plans to increase that number to 60 percent of the budget this year, according to the report.

In addition, the municipal government will also encourage non-governmental investors to take part in some reconstruction projects, including the reconstruction of shiheyuan, media reported.


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## z0rg

Beijing's vacancy rate keeps falling on huge demand. 

After stronger than expected performance last
year, the latter half in particular, Beijing’s office
property market saw a further boom in 1Q11,
demonstrating signs of another prosperous
market cycle. The overall vacancy rate experienced
a dramatic decline of 9.61 percentage
points y-o-y, underpinned by demand from
both indigenous and overseas enterprises with
genuine business opportunity and consequent
headcount increment in the capital. On the other
hand, sustained landlord-favourable market
conditions combined with the increasing number
of tenants with adequate budget pushed rentals
to the highest ever level as of end-1Q11. The office
property investment market remained active
while capital values witnessed significant y-o-y
growth of more than 20% during the quarter.

[...]

Correspondingly, the overall
vacancy rate of Beijing’s office property market dropped by 2.75 percentage
points q-o-q, or 9.61 percentage points y-o-y, to 7.10% as of end-1Q11.
Meanwhile net absorption peaked at 492,905 sqm, with that in the CBD and
Lufthansa areas accounting for 44.70% and 21.91% of the total, respectively.

Charts inside
http://www.colliersinternational.co...DFs/The-Knowledge-Report-Office-BJ-1Q2011.pdf

0.5 million sqm absorbed during Q1. That's roughly half of the whole floor area of the WTC redevelopment, or 150% of Burj Khalifa's floor area. No wonder why Beijing must extend its current CBD asap, and those claiming Beijing is building too much office space are total idiots.


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## azzuracapri

How far is this from the bird's nest?


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## hkskyline

*Beijing underground street development has big potential*
2 June 2011
Copyright 2011 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved.

There is big room for Beijing to develop underground shopping center and the underground street will bring great business opportunities, said Shigetaka Sato, chairman of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI).

Sato, together with his delegation, visited Beijing from May 18 to 20 and exchanged opinions with Gou Zhongwen, vice mayor of Beijing, Yang Liuyin, secretary of Dongcheng District on the development of underground street. He also made an on-the-spot investigation of the situation in the development of underground street.

According to Sato, developing underground streets will improve the effective use of the land and ease congestion on the ground.

Sato said that underground street development requires a lot experiences and technologies, including the government's urban planning, regulation and standard, architectural technology, disaster management, attracting investment, management of the stores, etc. The government of Osaka and private companies have accumulated rich experiences in developing the underground streets and the underground shopping malls in Osaka are the first-class in the world.

Sato also said that in the future, Osaka is willing to cooperate with other Chinese cities such as Shanghai in the development of underground streets.

"The cooperation with Chinese companies to achieve development in both countries, or investment of Chinese companies in Osaka are increasing", said Sato.


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## big-dog

Block A has topped out










photo from Pan's micro blog (SOHO developer)



big-dog said:


> *Beijing SOHO III project* U/C
> 
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> (from beijingupdates.com)


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## Julito-dubai

http://www.beijingupdates.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=70606&extra=page=1

New SOHO project, 200m high....


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## hkskyline

_How will this impact Beijing's urban planning going forward?_

*Population increases to be biggest worry for Beijing*
08:46, July 19, 2011 

China's think tanks called on Monday for stricter steps to be taken to control the capital's fast-increasing population and said population pressures are likely to become stronger in the next 20 years.

Population increases will be the biggest worry for Beijing administrators during the period covered by the municipality's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), according to the Annual Report on Analysis of Beijing Society-Building, also known as the Blue Book of Society Building, which was published by the Social Sciences Academic Press on Monday.

Since 2000, the population of the capital has increased by 700,000 residents a year on average.

That is putting strains on the economic, social and environmental resources of Beijing, the report said.

About 61.5 percent of Beijing residents live in six districts in the city's center, where the population density is at 7,837 persons for each square kilometer, according to the report.

Beijing's population density has surpassed London's - at 5,437 persons for each sq km - and Tokyo's - at 5,984 persons for each sq km.

By 2011, 40 percent of the Beijing population consisted of migrant workers who had been officially registered with the municipal government.

In a move to reduce the population pressure on the city, a series of strict limits are expected to be placed on new residents who are considered to be part of the "floating", or migrant, population.

For example, fewer university graduates in 2011 will get Beijing hukou, an official residence permit. The capital plans to only encourage those who have diplomas in fields deemed important to economic development to remain after graduation.

"High housing prices and increasing rental costs have automatically squeezed us out," said Li Yurong, a graduate from Hubei province who was looking for a job that would provide him a Beijing hukou.

"And we couldn't enjoy many public services without having a Beijing hukou."

He said the slogan, "Beijing welcomes you!", which was used during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, is close to becoming ironic for many like him.

"In a move to reduce population pressures, Beijing should get 'low-end industries' and 'low-end workers' to leave the city," said Yin Zhigang, deputy director of the Beijing Administrative College's Beijing population and development research center.

"Some private universities, some hospitals (specially hospitals specializing in treating infectious diseases) and some official departments should also leave the capital," he said.

"Beijing hasn't set a concrete limit on what the population can increase to during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan because the city failed to meet a previous plan's goal to keep the population within 18 million before 2020," said Liu Jinwei, a researcher with the Beijing University of Technology and the writer of the report.

He called on administrators to adopt policies that treat the floating population more humanely and to reduce population pressures by moving some industries into places around Beijing.

Source: China Daily


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## lianli

hkskyline said:


> About 61.5 percent of Beijing residents live in six districts in the city's center, where the population density is at 7,837 persons for each square kilometer, according to the report.
> 
> Beijing's population density has surpassed London's - at 5,437 persons for each sq km - and Tokyo's - at 5,984 persons for each sq km.


Higher population density than Tokyo!?! Can someone confirm this?


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## hkskyline

lianli said:


> Higher population density than Tokyo!?! Can someone confirm this?


Tokyo is actually not that dense as they have far fewer skyscraper residentials. In fact, there are plenty of low- and mid-rises with quiet alley neighbourhoods. Sometimes it's hard to believe 30 million people live in the bay area.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing to establish 'tide lanes' to alleviate traffic jams*
16:19, July 22, 2011 
People's Daily 

In order to alleviate the "tide phenomenon" traffic jams caused by too many vehicles entering Beijing in the morning and exiting from Beijing in the evening, Beijing will study the feasibility of establishing "tide lanes" in major arteries for vehicles entering and exiting from Beijing.

Afterward, the driving direction of the vehicles in the lanes of the major roads could be controlled and the signal lights could also adjust the number of lanes so that the efficiency of the roads would be improved.

In the 26th session of the 13th Standing Committee of the Municipal People's Congress of Beijing held on the morning of July 21, Liu Xiaoming, director of the Municipal Transportation Committee, made a report on the further work planned for alleviating traffic jams.

Liu said that Beijing will prioritize perfecting the signal system of the driveway stations among the next round of actions and will study the feasibility of setting tide driveways in the major radiating roads for vehicles entering and exiting from Beijing.

"Tidal flow lanes" to ease traffic pressure in Beijing

"Tidal flow lanes" refer to control the run direction of main lanes in conditional roads through changing the giving directions of traffic lights to adjust the number of lanes and increase the service efficiency of lanes in accordance with different situations of traffic flow in morning and evening.

For example, as there is relatively high traffic flow to downtown in the morning, related departments can ease the traffic pressure through increasing the number of lanes downtown and adopt the reverse lane deployment in the evening peak.

The so-called "traffic tidal phenomenon" refers to the traffic phenomenon of high traffic flow to downtown and low traffic flow to suburb every morning, and high traffic flow to suburb and low traffic flow to downtown every evening.


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## z0rg

Samsung will develop a 260m, 57 floor tower close to the CCTV Headquarters. We should open a thread as soon as they release a render.
http://office.focus.cn/news/2011-07-14/1384972.html
http://www.jingoffice.com/news/4766.html


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## hkskyline

*Relocation reform to benefit homeowners*
Updated: 2011-07-04 06:58
By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)

Beijing - The government can only ask Beijing residents, whose houses are designated to be demolished, to move out after paying them satisfactory compensation, according to a notice issued on Saturday by the Beijing municipal government.

The notice is a guide on how the Beijing government will implement a new regulation on urban home demolitions that was approved by the State Council in January. The regulation is designed to better protect homeowners' rights and to end forced relocations by governments.

The previous regulation, now abolished, authorized the government to enforce relocations without asking for court rulings, which led to some people who disagreed about the amount of compensation being forced to move out. Some had to move out before they received any payment.

Chen Zhi, deputy secretary-general of Beijing Real Estate Association, said its research showed that many construction enterprises used to cheat residents by promising them good compensation but refusing to pay after they had moved out.

"By stipulating strict procedures, this decision by the Beijing government will guarantee homeowners' rights," he said.

The guide also stipulates that only the government has the right to discuss compensation deals with residents and finally confiscate their houses, a process in which construction enterprises and real estate companies have no right to participate.

The Beijing government must discuss compensation with residents and together they must choose a real estate evaluation institute to estimate the worth of their property, which, according to the regulation, should not be below market price. If no agreement can be achieved, the government will pick an institute through a lottery.

"I see this as an improvement as it lets residents have a say in choosing institutes, and a qualified institute is crucial to making a fair property evaluation," said Wang Xixin, a law professor at Peking University.

"However, transparency during that process, including the lottery, is very important to ensure it is not just a show case."

After a compensation plan is made, residents will be given a 30-day notice, during which they have the right to suggest revisions to the plan. Those who disagree with a final plan can ask for an administrative re-ruling or sue.

The court has the right to force a relocation if a resident who disagrees with the compensation refuses to move and doesn't ask for a re-ruling or file a lawsuit.

Housing demolitions have aroused heated discussion in China, especially since the revision of the previous demolition regulation at the end of 2009, after five law professors wrote an open letter to the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, urging reform.

A series of shocking tragedies in which people killed themselves during forced relocations had captivated public attention.

One person died and another two were injured when three members of a family surnamed Zhong doused themselves in gasoline and set themselves ablaze to protest against a forced demolition in Yihuang, Jiangxi province, on Sept 10, 2010.

Tang Fuzhen, 47, a resident of Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, died in 2009 after setting herself on fire to protest against the forced demolition of her house.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing uses trees to hold back encroaching sands*
People's Daily Online
10:46, August 08, 2011

Beijing has afforested nearly 3,700 square kilometers of land in its northern suburb counties over a 10-year period, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry.

The construction of a 200-kilometer forest belt has been completed surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, which will act as the front line of defense for sand storms and dust.

Under the Beijing and Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control Planning, the shelter belt will cover Beijing's six suburban districts and counties: Changping, Mentougou, Huairou, Pinggu, Miyun and Yanqing.

The shelter forest will mainly combat local winds carrying sand from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi and Hebei provinces and also aims at local sandstorm source control.

Historic achievements have been made in the past 10 years: Comprehensive treatments were carried out on 439 square kilometers of grasslands and a 2,010-square-kilometer small watershed was achieved. More than 4,700 water-saving irrigation and water resources projects have been completed and nearly 12,500 people relocated, said Gan Ging, deputy director of Beijing Capital Greening Commission.

The planning has greatly improved the local environment. Figures from the bureau show that the Beijing urban greening rate and forest cover rate are 71.35 percent and 51.75 percent, respectively, and increase of 14 percent and 10 percent over year 2000 figures. The accumulated days for air quality level II and above have hit a 10-year-record high of 286 days, accounting for 78.4 percent of the whole year.

Forestry has also become an important approach to enriching farmers. According to the bureau's statistics, the planning has brought a tourism income of 9 billion yuan and an annual 14.9 percent increase in peasants' income to 10,971 yuan.


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## hkskyline

*China to construct museum highlighting history of overseas Chinese* 

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Construction of a planned museum that will highlight the history of overseas Chinese will kick off in downtown Beijing in September, according to the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.

The building will be constructed near Dongzhimen in Dongcheng District with a projected cost of 220 million yuan (about 34.36 million U.S. dollars), which will be mainly-funded by the government, said Qiao Wei, vice chairman of the federation, at a press conference Friday.

Qiao said the news of the inception of the museum's construction, for which the proposal was first raised by Chen Jiageng, a famous overseas Chinese leader, in 1960, has been met with active responses from overseas Chinese.

Nearly 5,000 people have volunteered to donate to the project so far, and among the donations are more than 10,000 antique items for the museum, Qiao said.

The museum will serve not only as a new base for patriotic education, but also a window for overseas Chinese to express their feelings and cultural identity towards the motherland, Qiao said.

Currently there are around 10 museums, exhibition halls and memorial halls on overseas Chinese across China.


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## hkskyline

*Expo Special: Beijing eco-friendly area now in the limelight*
Updated: 2011-08-26 08:02
China Daily

Beijing will be starting its 9th China International Garden Expo, in the Fengtai district, in April 2013, with the emphasis on developing a friendly environment and resource-balanced approach to life, the organizers have said.

This biennial event first began in 1997 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development sponsorship in cooperation with local governments and has grown into an important international gathering of people in the gardening industry. It will run from April 2013 to October 2013.

This year's expo will be in the municipality of Chongqing in September. Previous sessions have been held in the cities of Dalian (the first), Nanjing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Jinan.

Thanks to Beijing's 40 prominent parks and 300 temples it won the bid for the 2013 expo two years ago, in December 2009.

The expo venue, in the southern part of the capital, near the Yongding River, is a key part of the government's restoration and development program and eco-friendly system around the river. The 267-hectare expo site is near the historic Lugou Bridge.

Construction work has begun and is expected to be finished by the end of next year. Some of its major elements are the following:

Garden Museum

The expo will contain the first national garden museum, with an area of about 6.5 hectares.

The China Garden Museum will use various high-tech methods to give a panoramic view of landscape gardening and the industry's achievements in China.

Exhibition Hall

The main exhibition hall has a planned area of 3.2 hectares and will describe the art of landscaping and leading technologies, new materials, and the most recent achievements.

It will also be the site of forums, seminars, business meetings and cultural shows on landscaping, the organizers have said.

Yongding Tower

The tower is another must-see item on the expo's itinerary. It is being built on Yingshan Mountain, on the expo site, as a museum at the centering of a group of other towers.

Planning Center

The west bank of the river will have an 8,000-square-meter center with the overall design of the expo and the new, eco-friendly Yongding River region.

The region is expected to be an ideal combination of traditional landscaping and modern high-tech development and a new attraction in Beijing when the expo site is unveiled in 2013.


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## lianli

^^
This has nothing to do with Beijing.


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## Divineator

Dont blame him, there's still alot of people in this world who still believes that Shanghai is a city in Japan, for instance.


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## Herzarsen

*CBD fest to mark start of core project
Updated: 2011-09-14 13:46*

By An Baijie (China Daily)

BEIJING - Work to build the core area of the capital's central business district (CBD), which includes 18 new low-carbon buildings, will start on Thursday, a city official has announced.

"Preparation for the design and demolition, which started in March last year, has finished," Wu Guiying, Chaoyang district's executive deputy governor, said on Sept 13. "Construction on the (30-hectare zone) should be completed in 2015."

Wu, who is also director of the CBD administrative committee, was speaking at a news conference ahead of the 11th annual CBD Business Festival on Sept 15.

*When finished, the zone will be home to the headquarters of 27 companies*, including China Minsheng Bank and China Investment Corp, while it is also expected to attract investment of 100 billion yuan ($15.6 billion), with annual tax revenue of more than 50 billion yuan.

*A total of 18 new buildings will be built, with companies set to sign low-carbon pledges on Thursday to show their determination to saving energy, land, water and other resources.*

"*Our goal is to save 65 percent of energy in the construction and maintenance of the buildings,*" Wu said. "Companies working in the zone should also be from low-carbon emission industries, such as finance and insurance, and be regional headquarters of international companies."
*One of the green structures will be Beijing's latest skyscraper, a 510-meter office tower owned by CITIC Group that will have 104 floors above ground and four basement levels.*

The final design for the core area, chosen from 203 options provided by 60 domestic and overseas agencies, will be unveiled during the festival, Wu said.

*Work on the underground section, which will go down five levels and connect all 18 buildings, has already started. The project includes parking lots and emergency escape routes and will cost 4 billion yuan.

"People can drive underground from one building to another after the construction, which will definitely alleviate traffic above ground," Wu said.

An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people will work in the core area, with 85 percent expected to commute using public transport, he said.
*
More than 180,000 people already work for about 15,000 companies in the CBD, making traffic congestion a pressing issue. Three new subway lines and three new bus stations will be built in the zone by 2015, Beijing Youth Daily reported. The west-to-east Line 6 will be put into use next year.

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2011-09/14/content_13685191.htm


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## vizionaru

really great architecture in Beijing, i would love to go visit one day


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## Munwon

I can't wait to see the master plan!!!


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## lianli

Munwon said:


> I can't wait to see the master plan!!!


Actually there is already a final masterplan by SOM:

http://www.som.com/content.cfm/pr_som_wins_beijing_cbd_urban_planning_competition

http://www.som.com/content.cfm/beijing_cbd_east_expansion_competition


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## Newcastle Guy

I thought Terry Farrell's plan had won? I prefer their design for the main tower.


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## lianli

Newcastle Guy said:


> I thought Terry Farrell's plan had won? I prefer their design for the main tower.


No, SOM plan won. But it's just a masterplan, so the designs for the towers aren't final.


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## Ewan117

Doesn't China take the SOM plan and make adjustments to it? Like the Shanghai expo, it was a fusion of three or four designs. 

Yeah, designs aren't final, thank goodness. Some of the designs in SOM's plan are pretty average for the location they belong to


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## Munwon

The SOM plan is for another part of the CBD. Beijing is going to have a huge skyline in the future!


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## daccounting

DesignBuild Source said:


> *Spiral Garden Museum in Taiwan by French Architecture Firm Influx_Studio*
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> International architecture projects have a modern history of being incredibly competitive. Although the industry in entirety has a competitive edge, architecture is the stand out sector in terms of intensive contest. Not only does it offer a wide range of different initiatives being developed, but pushes the boundaries of traditional architecture...
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> Read the full article at http://designbuildsource.com.au/french-architecture-spirals-win


that is really so unique and fascinating!


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## lianli

*Phoenix International Media Center*



















(for more render and construction pics for this project see the source link below)

Location: Beijing
Architects: BIAD UFo
Client: Phoenix Satellite Television
Project Year: 2009-2012
Project Area: 64973 sqm
Photographs: Courtesy of BIAD UFo

Phoenix International Media Center locates in the southwest corner of Chaoyang Park; the site area is 1.8 hectares. The total floor area of the building is 65,000m2 with a height of 55m. Apart from the media office, the broadcasting studios and the production offices, the building provides abundant of open spaces for the public to get interactive experiences, which expresses the unique operation concept of Phoenix Media. The logic of the design concept is to create an ecological environment shell embraces the Individual functional spaces as a building-in-building concept. The two independent office towers under the shell generate many shared public spaces. In the east and west parts of the shared spaces, there are continuous steps, landscape platforms, sky ramps and crossing escalators which fill the building of energetic and dynamic spaces. Furthermore, the building’s sculptural shape originates from the “Mobius Strip”. The sculptural shape provides the building a harmony relationship with the irregular direction of the existing streets, the sitting corner of the site, and the Chaoyang Park.

Source: http://www.archdaily.com/165746/in-progress-phoenix-international-media-center-biad-ufo/


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## Herzarsen

^^

Amazing project!

Here is a link to article with some more latest photos.

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/16042/biad-ufo-phoenix-international-media-center.html


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## Herzarsen

Can someone identify the following Beijing CBD projects?

The foundation east of CCTV tower.


onthebund said:


> from www.gaoloumi.com
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> Photo by Mori


Posted by OntheBund on August 17th, 2011



onthebund said:


>


This is old image from Google Maps. But the bottom left project is also progressing quiet well. The right side plot is the same as image above which is recent.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing's housing sales down 12% in Jan-Sept*
Updated: 2011-10-25 10:13
Xinhua

BEIJING -- Commercial housing sales in Beijing fell 12 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of the year, a sign that the red-hot property market has begun to cool down, the municipal statistics bureau said Monday.

The total area of commercial housing sold slumped to 6.32 million square meters during the January-September period, the Beijing statistics bureau said in a news release.

Prices of new homes in the city have shown zero month-on-month growth for four straight months, while prices of pre-owned homes fell 0.4 percent month-on-month in September, according to the National Statistics Bureau.

The slump has been attributed to the government's tightening measures, which include higher mortgage rates, a ban on third-home mortgage loans and purchase restrictions.

However, sales of affordable housing for low-income earners jumped to 1.98 million square meters during the January-September period, up 120 percent year-on-year, the press release said.

Construction began on 13.75 million square meters of affordable housing during the nine-month period, up 470 percent year-on-year, as the city government has been building more such housing to help tame high housing prices.


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## Þróndeimr

OMA's design of the new National Art Museum of China.


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## Þróndeimr

UN Studio's design for the new *National Art Museum of China*. This is their proposal in an ongoing competition for the site.

*Description by UN Studio*
The architectural concept in the design for the NAMOC is based on uniting dualities; past and future, day and night, inside and outside, calm and 
dynamic, large and small, individual and collective. The two volumes of the building reference ancient Chinese 'stone drums', large drum-shaped 
stones bearing inscriptions in ancient Chinese. The exteriors of the two volumes are illuminated by art projections, creating a vast media facade as 
a contemporary translation of the ancient stone drum inscriptions.

Whilst the architecture of the museum is represented by the ancient artifact of the stone drum, the art within represents its spirit, or its “essence”. 
In the same way that the agile strokes of ink in a Chinese painting give spirit to a blank piece of paper, the art collection gives spirit to the museum. 
The main focus of the design is to create optimal and varied spaces for the display of art; Spaces of different character, but all offering extensive 
lighting possibilities and ample wall space in order to provide artists and curators with the optimal conditions in which to display their work and 
communicate their ideas. 

The design further incorporates high levels of circulation space, with the internal organisation divided into different routes, each guiding the varying 
visitor groups around themed sequences of art and additional programmes. The NAMOC is strongly embedded within its cultural and urban context. 
The public urban plinth plateaus of the cultural district act as 24/7 connectors and attractors between the levels of the street, the underground, 
and the museum volumes.

*View the renderings in high resolution*









Illustration by UN Studio









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR


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## Þróndeimr

Schmidt Hammer Lassen's design for *The Danish University Centre in Beijing*. This is a competition entry (proposal). The competition status is 
as of now ongoing.


*Description by Schmidt Hammer Lassen*
The creation of a Danish university building in China as a beacon for Danish architecture, research and technology is an example of how respect, 
openness and quality expressed by architecture can contribute to cultural understanding and exchange. The building is designed as a meeting 
place for a diversity of cultures, users, and functions and it expresses this interaction through a simple yet dynamic architecture.

The 8000 m² Danish university building is situated on a newly established university campus outside central Beijing. The red brick of the building’s 
exterior gives kinship to the rest of the campus while large glazed facades and green terraces provide poetic contrast and character. 

The idea behind the design of the building is simple but creates an informal architecture full of expression and tension. Like bricks in production 
are stacked by twisting each layer to stabilize the pile, boxes are stacked with spaces in between each level, creating an atrium building with a 
maximum of contact and synergy between the functions. On the outside, the rotation of boxes creates a row of green terraces or shelves to 
enjoy at leisure. The stack of boxes is slightly tilted towards the south and west to provide solar shading on the facade facing in those 
directions.

The building is organized in order for the more public functions to greet the visitor on the ground level and to turn increasingly private as you 
ascend. It creates an exciting environment for students, researchers and companies where architecture supports cross-disciplinary learning and 
contributes to informal surroundings for open learning. The students will experience an inspiring and open environment where they can take part 
in the active life unfolding in and around the atrium or retreat to quiet corners facing the terraces for peaceful studytime. 

The building is designed to be robust and sustainable in terms of energy consumption by means of a pragmatic approach to technique, materials 
and detailing. Natural ventilation during the night will cool down the thermal mass of the heavy brick boxes and thus diminish the need for 
mechanical ventilation during the daytime. The rooftop produces energy by means of solar cells.

*View the renderings in high resolution*









Illustration by Schmidt Hammer Lassen









Illustration by Schmidt Hammer Lassen









Illustration by Schmidt Hammer Lassen


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## el palmesano

every project is wonderul!!


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## hkskyline

*Chinese developers bid farewell to autumn sales blitz amid tightening measures * 

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese developers used to proudly describe their brisk autumn housing sales as "golden September and silver October." This year's autumn sales, however, were all but satisfactory as a result of the government's tightening measures, which were implemented earlier this year to cool down the property market.

Analysts said that developers will encounter increasingly severe capital shortages in light of poor sales volumes and lower prices during the autumn sales season.

Housing sales in Beijing from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30 totaled 12,099 units, representing a plunge of around 40 percent from the same period last year, according to data from the website of Beijing Real Estate Transaction Management. The data is published by the city's housing authority.

The Beijing Centaline Property Agency Company forecasted that Beijing's total housing sales in September and October will be around 27,000 units, down 46 percent from a year earlier.

Sales in other major cities have also plummeted.

Last month, sales of new homes in Shanghai were nearly halved in comparison to a year ago, while sales in Shenzhen dropped about 65 percent year-on-year, according to a report released on Monday by the China Index Academy, a leading property research center.

Hu Jinghui, a senior real estate expert with B.A. Consulting, told Xinhua that sales volumes have always changed sooner than prices, judging from past performances.

"The drop in sales volume is a process that must take place before there can be any substantial price cuts in cities with runaway housing prices," Hu said.


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## Minsk

*Sparch unveils plans for large urban shopping mall in north west Beijing*

With rapid economic growth, Beijing city has become increasingly crowded in the last few years, encouraging urban migration to suburban satellite towns located around the capital. Where satellite towns are commonly viewed as mere commuters' hubs with little retail activity, the client seeks to provide richer entertainment experiences for the residents.

Vanke Super City is a 100,000 sq m shopping mall located in the satellite town of Changping that lies 50 km north of the Forbidden City. Sparch is given an opportunity to rethink the conventional mould of a ubiquitous shopping mall; in the typical mall where entertainment and F & B is located at the top levels, customers patronising these shops would have to navigate difficult journeys through darkened shopping spaces and secondary exits after standard shopping hours.

So Sparch proposes a win-win design solution for Vanke Super City's shoppers and retailers, by introducing two separate retail circulation routes - a 12-hour daytime route and a 24-hour route. The design incorporates the daytime retail programs - shops and department stores - into the mall typology with an interwoven 12-hour route forming the mass of the podium architecture.

Circulation routes and terraces are carved out of the podium, facilitating access to the elevated rooftop courtyard, around which interlocking boxes create a visually dynamic entertainment destination containing the 24-hour functions (e.g. cinemas, KTV, restaurants).

When the daytime retail functions have closed for the day, customers are provided with an alternate outdoor animated route lined with shops and terraces snaking along the podium façade (24-hour route). This increases the extent of shop frontage along the streetscape and generates valuable visual connections.
In the spirit of Archigram's ‘Moving Cities' and Rogers and Piano's Pompidou Centre, the outdoor escalators along the façade express movement and energy. The façades of Vanke Super City are articulated using a varied palette of materials in layered bands reminiscent of folded geological plates.


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## Joel que

do anyone watch CNBC about the garbage problem in beijing? according to the reporter Beijing is producing 15,000 ton of garbage a day,and may runiing out of land fill.
other large cities in china may facing similiar problem.


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## hkskyline

*Lack of enforcement lets dust fly at Beijing*
Updated: 2011-11-22 07:59
China Daily

BEIJING - A lax enforcement of the law has allowed more construction dust than usual to pollute the city's air, an environmental watchdog said on Monday.

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau said that has been in part responsible for the hazy days that have roused the public to anger in the past month.

On Friday, the bureau issued a warning to 17 construction sites that had failed to bring their release of construction dust under control, asking them to eliminate the violations in three days.

The bureau conducted an inspection of several of the sites on Monday and found that none of them had complied with its orders.

Zhao Chengyi, an official with the environmental protection bureau, said the bureau does not have the right to enforce laws, only to supervise what takes place at construction sites.

"Without the right to punish the wrongdoings at these construction sites, we can do nothing but issue warning after warning," Zhao said. "This has become a long-standing problem."

Zhao's remarks followed complaints about the bureau's alleged failure to take steps to improve the city's air quality in response to the heavy fog that shrouded the capital for several days this past month.

Six years ago, a reorganization of government departments gave the Beijing Municipal Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement and Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development the right to enforce environmental protection laws.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said on Monday that it is working harder to crack down on releases of construction dust.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement released no comment on Monday.

In Beijing, more than 5,000 construction sites covering 150 million square meters of space release about 40 percent of the particles in the city's air. They, along with auto exhaust, coal emissions and industrial pollution, are the chief causes of air pollution in Beijing, according to Fang Li, deputy director of the environmental protection bureau.

"If the dust at the construction sites is not well controlled or the dust on the ground is not hardened, it can be easily blown into the air and increase the particle concentration," Fang said. "It's especially hazardous to people's health on dry winter days."

According to Wang Xiaoming, another official with the environmental protection bureau, fighting construction dust is one of the bureau's priorities.

"We're paying attention to the dust pollution created by construction in residential areas, downtown and at some large construction sites in the capital," Wang said. "Those companies all know the regulations, but they simply don't follow them."

Some think the pursuit of profits is driving their actions.

"To have the roads hardened at this construction site, which covers about 1,000 square meters, we need to invest at least 300,000 yuan ($47,000), which is a lot," said a staff worker at Haohai Construction Group, which is building the second phase of the Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park. The staff worker declined to give his full name.

The project, designed as an incubator for high-tech businesses, has released large amounts of dust and the company has been the subject of many warnings from the environmental protection bureau. The bureau's inspection on Monday found that no improvements had been made to the site.

A company that does not clean up construction dust will be fined 20,000 yuan at the most, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement.

The environmental protection bureau is now asking the public to help it supervise construction sites. A reward of up to 300 yuan will go to those who report large cases of dust pollution.

"We want to fully mobilize the public," said Li Hua, head of the bureau's environmental protection monitoring team.


----------



## Julito-dubai

http://inhabitat.com/beijings-massi...ng-national-hotel-with-rainforest-3/?extend=1

Anyone ever heared of this? It is called Beijing National Hotel and is located close to the airport....


----------



## little universe

*Beijing Phoenix International Media Center (Hong Kong Based Phoenix TV's new headquater in Beijing).
The Building locates in the southwest corner of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District.*

From archdaily.com

*Design Concept*










*Plans*


























*Section*










*3D Renderings*


























*Google Earth Image*










*Prefabricating Steelworks in factory*




















*Under Construction*


----------



## Atmosphere

Holy! Amazing! Love the effect of the curves.


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## Bluemooncm78

Wonderful design!


----------



## little universe

From archdaily.com

*Beijing Wangfujing Mixed-Use Center by Latitude Studio with BIAD*


















































































*The render image is a bit wrong by putting shanghai's the bund as background:lol:*









*Roof*


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## hkskyline

*Exorbitant land costs burden developers*

BEIJING, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A popular saying is echoing in Beijing as property tycoons enter a weak spell: "It is mostly an appalling death for real estate developers to be stuffed (with land), but not hungry."

Plots of land in Beijing and other major Chinese cities have been bought at record-high prices, but have become a burden for struggling developers.

On March 15, 2010, the final auctions of three plots of land in Beijing hit 11.08 billion yuan (about 1.75 billion U.S. dollars). Just about one month after the sky-high bidding commenced, China imposed a raft of measures aiming to cool property prices in April 2010.

The government has repeatedly stressed its efforts to contain the runaway property market, including tighter monetary policies, higher down payments, a ban on third-home purchases, price control targets and a trial property tax.

Under the government's strict tightening control policies, the development pattern of China's real estate industry is expected to be more reasonable and rational under the guidance of the government, insiders said.

RE-SOLD, BUT STILL UNTOUCHED

Left untouched for nearly two years, the 104,537-square-meter Dongsheng township residential and commercial property, one of the three plots of land sold at record-high prices, was covered by weeds and light snow in early December this year.

The World Expo Hongye Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. won the plot with a bid of 1.76 billion yuan in 2010.

"We paid such a huge sum just hoping to create a high-end real estate project," Wang Dan, the development company's vice president, said after winning the bidding war on the massive urban plot.

The exorbitant winning bid means that the prices of apartments built on the plot will have to factor in about 30,000 yuan per square meter just to cover land costs, a reality that shocked many other property tycoons at the auction.

Fortunately for its initial buyer, Poly Real Estate Group, China's second-largest listed developer, said in a statement in August that it had "gained the Dongsheng plot project through 100-percent equity acquisition from the World Expo Hongye Real Estate Development Co., Ltd."

In the real estate industry, the piece of land always decides the fate of the developer, and land price can sometimes be the straw that breaks the camel's back, said Zhang Dawei, an analyst with Beijing-based Centaline Property.

Compared to most property projects, these plots of land sold at record-high numbers require more capital and are an even heavier burden for the developer, he said.

SLOW START, COLD SALES

Crazy land prices are not always followed by crazy sales. Another two costly pieces of land sold the same day as the Dongsheng plot are encountering their own difficulties, such as slow construction or cold sales.

"It is hard to say when it will go to market and harder to predict the sale price," said a saleswoman for the 4.08-billion-yuan unfinished housing project in the Wangjing area of Beijing.

Nearly two years after the bidding, only two huge pits have been dug for its foundation. And its developer, a company affiliated with real estate giant Sino-Ocean Land, has pushed the date for it to hit the market from 2011 to 2012.

The exorbitantly-priced plots are now major burdens for developers whose profit margins have been extremely compressed by declining housing prices, said Zhang, adding that, in some cases, the land price alone equals the price of newly-built apartments for sale nearby.

Meanwhile, the land for the Daxing Yizhuang residential and commercial project (X1-1B) might be the fastest mover of the three wildly expensive plots.

It was purchased by CITIC (China International Trust and Investment Corp) Real Estate for 5.24 billion yuan, a record-setting figure for a single piece of land in Beijing.

As of Nov. 30, only 89 units, or about one-quarter of the total volume, had been sold, and that income is still far from covering the cost of the land.

"Cutting the land cost and other expenses, the project is now something of a 'chicken rib' and of little interest to developers," Zhang said, adding that some real estate companies are "reaping the harvest of their own misdeeds."

GOVERNMENT WORKS TO COOL PRICES

China's residential housing prices dropped for the third consecutive month in November amid government tightening efforts designed to cool the market, said a report released by the China Real Estate Index System on Dec. 1.

The average price in 10 first-tier cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, fell 0.36 percent month-on-month to 15,663 yuan per square meter from October to November.

The Chinese government has repeatedly pledged to continue these market curbs until housing prices reach a "reasonable" level, said Chen Liang, director of the market research department of 5i5j Real Estate Service Company in Beijing.

The only way out for the developers of these pieces of expensive land is to readjust product positioning and institute a reasonable pricing policy, Chen said.

"Dropping the housing price is a must, and will be effective in easing increasing financial pressure," he added.


----------



## hkskyline

_This is getting a bit absurd : _
*'English only' town planned in Beijing*
Updated: 2011-12-15 17:36
China Daily

A tourist town that allows people to speak only English will be built in Miyun county, northeast Beijing, the Beijing News reported.

The town will try to attract English lovers in China and provide a "best place to practice English," said Wang Haichen, head of the county.

The "English only" town will have a European architectural style and contain 16 blocks, he said. Each tourist will get a passport before entering the town, and speaking Chinese will lead to point deductions on the passport.

"The idea is to avoid competition with other European-style towns at home," Wang said. The construction of the town is expected to take five years.


----------



## ganghui

hkskyline said:


> _This is getting a bit absurd : _
> *'English only' town planned in Beijing*
> Updated: 2011-12-15 17:36
> China Daily
> 
> A tourist town that allows people to speak only English will be built in Miyun county, northeast Beijing, the Beijing News reported.
> 
> The town will try to attract English lovers in China and provide a "best place to practice English," said Wang Haichen, head of the county.
> 
> The "English only" town will have a European architectural style and contain 16 blocks, he said. Each tourist will get a passport before entering the town, and speaking Chinese will lead to point deductions on the passport.
> 
> "The idea is to avoid competition with other European-style towns at home," Wang said. The construction of the town is expected to take five years.


 Will they be allowed to use Facebook inside there too?


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## Restless

ganghui said:


> Will they be allowed to use Facebook inside there too?


It's unlikely.

They wouldn't want to risk a repeat of the London riots earlier last year, which were planned on Facebook/Twitter/Blackberry.


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## Kohen_Heim32

sweet Beijing!


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## CoCoMilk

hkskyline said:


> _This is getting a bit absurd : _
> *'English only' town planned in Beijing*
> Updated: 2011-12-15 17:36
> China Daily
> 
> A tourist town that allows people to speak only English will be built in Miyun county, northeast Beijing, the Beijing News reported.
> 
> The town will try to attract English lovers in China and provide a "best place to practice English," said Wang Haichen, head of the county.
> 
> The "English only" town will have a European architectural style and contain 16 blocks, he said. Each tourist will get a passport before entering the town, and speaking Chinese will lead to point deductions on the passport.
> 
> "The idea is to avoid competition with other European-style towns at home," Wang said. The construction of the town is expected to take five years.


Absurd indeed...*sigh*


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## Joel que

CoCoMilk said:


> Absurd indeed...*sigh*


samsung of korea also has english language only,but this is corporation..


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## Engineer23

Beijing should be ashamed of itself for promoting such a project. It's amazing these countries are promoting a language that has nothing at all to do with the country in such a drastic manner, and if you go to an English language speaking country they couldn't speak a second language if their life depended on it.


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## z0rg

Are they providing eye pins to westernize your eyes too?


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## Aleksey

Thank you very much! :master:


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## hkskyline

*Bulldozers to move on campus tenants*









_A sofa belonging to former Tsinghua University employees is abandoned near their homes beside the CCTV Tower on Thursday. Thirteen households refuse to vacate the property set for demolition. (Source:China Daily / Wang Yuanzheng)_

BEIJING, March 28 (China Daily) -- Demolition is to begin immediately on the campus homes of former employees of Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Bulldozers are due to move on the homes of two of the 13 residents and their families, who have been fighting for more compensation, on Wednesday.

"We will not accept it and ask for help from the municipal government. It's unfair," said Wan Xiaohui from one of the families who were asked to move out of their dormitory buildings in July.

A court ruled on Tuesday that developers could begin demolition before compensation to the residents was settled.

Negotiations began on Monday between the university and the residents about the amount of compensation they will receive.

The university sold 36,000 square meters of land on its Guanghua Road campus, near the China Central Television Tower, to Beijing CBD Development and Construction in July for 2.4 billion yuan (381 million U.S. dollars) and the developer promised to construct an office building for the university.

Thirteen residents on the property, mostly former university canteen and maintenance staff, and their families have refused to move out, claiming that the compensation offered is too low for them to buy new apartments.

The developer has sued the university and the residents for not clearing the premises by the time stipulated in the contract, which was October.

At a hearing on March 19, the Nanmofang court in Chaoyang district told the university and residents to settle their dispute. On Tuesday, it allowed demolition to proceed.

Tsinghua University stands by the contract it made with the developer, its representative said at the court. Li Yiying, a manager with the developer, declined to comment.

"We will discuss the compensation with every single household before next hearing. The negotiations will go on for three days," Chen Yu, the attorney for Tsinghua University, told China Daily on Sunday.

But he declined to give details, because the negotiations are ongoing. "We'll make some adjustments to reach a satisfactory conclusion with all of them."

The houses are dormitories varying from eight to dozens of square meters that were rented to the staff members. The university initially promised to give the residents about 50,000 yuan for each square meter as compensation.

"The residents don't own the property, and considering the small size of their dorms, the university is offering them higher compensation than was paid with similar projects in the area," Chen said.

The residents expressed their anger about the compensation and the university.

"No official from Tsinghua University talked with us about demolition until the court summons were delivered," said Wang Yiqin, 49, an art teacher in a Beijing-based university. "The compensation isn't enough. I can't afford a new house in Beijing where home prices are surging."

Wang, who shares an 80-sq-m apartment with her ex-husband, a former teacher at Tsinghua University, said she hoped to get another home with two bedrooms and a living room.

Wan Xiaohui, a former accountant at the university, echoed Wang, saying none of the residents knew anything about the demolition.

"We had no idea about the demolition and compensation details. What we got was demolition starting Aug 11 and several court summons," he said. "We'd like to move, but we also have the right to know the compensation details."

Wan said no one had come to measure the rooms.

Wang Yu, a property lawyer at Beijing Dacheng Law Offices, said similar compensation and demolition cases are common with the development of the domestic property market in recent years.

"Compared with the developers, residents are more vulnerable to economic loss, so they need more help during the negotiations," he said. "Seven out of 10 cases are settled out of court, with tenants ending up getting higher compensation."

"But it requires considerable negotiation skills from these tenants and takes a long time."


----------



## Atmosphere

little universe said:


> ^^
> 
> That's the 243M Tall Observation Tower under constrcution at Olympic Park.


WOW! There really should be a thread for this building!


----------



## deepblue01

^^ Why wasn't it constructed for the Olympics?

What's the point constructing such a nice tower 4 years after its been held?


----------



## Сталин

deepblue01 said:


> ^^ Why wasn't it constructed for the Olympics?
> 
> What's the point constructing such a nice tower 4 years after its been held?


Well its better than canceled.


----------



## el palmesano

wow!! this tower is amazing! incredile!!


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## Herzarsen

^^ Was this idea even presented before the olympics? There was another short olympic green obervation tower that was build for the olympics. I think they are trying to build on the popularity of the area and create a place for culture and tourism. Part of the watercube has a been converted to a public waterpark. There are plans for a national art museum. This will be another attraction for tourists to visit...

ThyssenKrupp Elevator continues its success in introducing TWIN to elevator market in China

2 TWIN systems for the Sightseeing Tower in the Beijing Olympic Park

ThyssenKrupp Elevator (China), a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG, has recently secured the contract to supply and install two TWIN panoramic systems for the Sightseeing Tower situated in the Beijing Olympic Park.

*Located in the northeast of the Olympic Park, with a site area of 6,600m2 and an estimated built-up area of 18,900m2, the Sightseeing Tower consists of five independent towers attached together by aerial terraces. The main and tallest tower in the center, at 258 meters high and surrounded by four supporting towers of different heights and sizes, contains two observation decks at the height of 222 meters and 228 meters respectively. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the Sightseeing Tower resembles the five Olympic Rings from a bird’s eye view, symbolizing the union of the five continents and the spirit of the Olympic Games.* 

Exclusively available from ThyssenKrupp Elevator, the 2 TWIN panoramic systems – in which two cabs travel independently of each other in a single shaft – can take visitors swiftly to and from the observation decks while enjoying the surrounding scenery all the way up and down the tower. *Visitors can get a panoramic overview of both old and new Beijing from the observation decks where they can also have drinks and snacks in the international food and beverage chains.* After two TWIN systems were supplied to the five-star luxury Bayshore Hotel in the coastal city of Dalian earlier this year, this prestigious contract marks the second TWIN project in China.

*Originally built for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, the Olympic Park is becoming a microcosm of Beijing's urban construction in the new century, being multi-functional, combining business and trade, office, exhibition, sports, exposition and entertainment in one location. The centerpiece of this park is Beijing National Stadium (also known as “Bird’s Nest”), National Aquatics Center ("Water Cube"), National Grand Theater, the Convention Center, etc. The Sightseeing Tower, designed by the China Architecture Design and Research Group, will become yet another iconic architectural landmark in the Olympic Park upon its completion in September 2012.
*
The Elevator Technology business area brings together the ThyssenKrupp Group's global activities in passenger transportation systems. With more than 46,000 employees, sales of EUR 5.3 billion in fiscal 2010/2011 and customers in 150 countries, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is one of the world's leading elevator companies. The company's portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. 900 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers. ThyssenKrupp Elevator (China) is active in the local market with a dense network of branches and offices offering new installation, modernization and service business for the complete product range. 

Source: http://thyssenkrupp-elevator.co.in/en/press_release-11132


----------



## Whiteeclipse

*On higher ground*

Greening more rooftops can help the capital clean up its air, Cheng Anqi reports in Beijing.

As public debate on air pollution heats up, many are increasingly looking to the Chinese capital's skies to cool rapid urbanization with more greenery. The Beijing municipal government has already announced plans to improve the quality of the city's air by covering 100,000 sq m of roofs with greenery by the end of this year. "Plants and water have been proven to be one of the most effective measures to degrade and dilute PM2.5," says Tan Tianying, president of Beijing Green Roof Association, referring to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less that are small enough to enter the smallest airways.

"If the city can make better use of building facades and rooftops for greening the environment, or add to the vertical landscape, carbon dioxide can also be greatly reduced."

Greening rooftops in cities, or maintaining "living roofs", includes partially or completely covering them with vegetation planted over a waterproofing membrane. Similarly, the vertical landscape, designed to be modular, involves cultivating a garden that grows on walls.

Both methods can filter pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air. This can help people suffering from related afflictions such as asthma.

There are nearly 140 million sq m of bare roofs and walls that are not used for vertical landscaping in Beijing, Tan says.

The exposed spaces not only mar the beauty of the city, but also can add to an unhealthy environment.

"Vertical landscaping and green rooftops hold great potential in urban areas," Tan says. "They benefit more than just their owners."

If each person in Beijing grows just 1 sq m of green area, he says, the capital will be guaranteed with another 20 million sq m of greenery, equivalent to the park area of "dozens of Summer Palaces".

Rooftop plants can also alleviate the urban "heat island effect", Tan says. A layer of plants and earth can cut the rate of heat absorption through the roof in summer by 84 percent, he says. The greenery becomes a great way to stay cool.

Beijing also started to convert 13,000 hectares of land along its 6th Ring Road into forest this month. The green moves are part of a major development program under the capital's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), which has set a target of afforesting 67,000 hectares of land.

Wang Xianmin, secretary-general of the World Green Roof Association, says that 13,000 hectares of trees can absorb 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and release 1.09 million tons of oxygen every year.

"The recently announced afforestation and roof greening projects are some of the greatest moves I have seen in 60 years since I've been living in Beijing," he says.

"Rooftop greening is one of the most effective ways to reduce the concentration of PM2.5."

Wang offers Canada's rooftop greening efforts as an example for Beijing.

Canada is a heavily forested country, with a total forest coverage of 44 percent, but it still promotes rooftop greening and vertical landscaping in its cities' downtown areas.

Only 3 to 5 percent of negative ions of oxygen - which are beneficial to humans - can reach the downtown areas from forest regions near cities like Toronto, Wang says.

As a result, the Canadian government calls for greening roofs to control the emission of PM 2.5 and reduce the "heat island effect".

The amount of negative ions of oxygen measured at noon one day last summer at Beijing's Tiananmen Square was merely 600 units per cubic centimeter but reached 70,000 units in Miyun district, a suburban area two hours' drive from downtown, Wang says.

In the Greater Hinggan Mountains in northeastern China, the level can easily hit 110,000.

"I hope that the successful experiences of Canada can give us some inspiration on how to improve air quality in the country," says Wang, who believes that the continuous increase in the number of vehicles is one of the major reasons behind the city's air pollution.

The number of vehicles in the country already hit 217 million in 2011, industry figures show. During a traffic congestion, Beijing, which has more than 5 million vehicles, would experience PM 2.5 levels that were up to six times of what was measured on normal days.

The Great Wall Hotel on the capital's 3rd Ring Road was a pioneer of rooftop gardens in northern cities in 1983, when there were less than 200,000 vehicles in Beijing.

"People often held parties on the hotel roof at night, which seldom happens today as the air pollution is getting worse," Wang says.

Beijing Asia Hotel by the 2nd Ring Road is held up as another good example of rooftop greening. The hotel turned the roofs of its office building into a chain of gardens in 2004.

As part of a pilot project in Beijing's Dongcheng district, the roof gardens also feature a 800-sq-m coverage of needle stonecrop (Sedum lineare), an attractive plant that is also popular for its ability to contain water, the hotel's guest service manager Wang Hui says.

"We regularly invite horticulturists to advise us on roof garden cultivation and maintenance," he says. "So we don't spend much money on repetitive works."

While the temperature on conventional roofs can reach 40 C at 1 pm in summer, the hotel's green rooftop is usually much cooler, Wang says.

While a number of real estate agencies believe that vertical landscaping is not worth the expense, that is a misconception because the greenery can protect buildings as well as increase the value of the property, Wang says.

The development of rooftop greenery in Beijing is held back by other wrong practices, including inadequate waterproofing that leads to leakage. All these serve to discourage more people from greening their rooftops, he says. 










Green rooftops in cities can filter pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air and help reduce the concentration of PM2.5, the fine particulate matter that can be harmful to humans

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-04/02/content_14969425.htm


----------



## idoke

I took some photos of the Observation Tower.
Should I post them here?


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## skyridgeline

^^ please do..ty.


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## idoke




----------



## CarlosBlueDragon

^^

when will completed??


----------



## :jax:

:jax: said:


> I would expectYizhuang, the metro/CRH station not opened yet, having lots of enthusiastic construction in the neighbourhood.


Yep, definitely Yizhuang. See the map in this video at 1:25. This is the unopened CRH station at Yizhuang. It has a Yizhuang look to it as well.


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## little universe

The Old Sightseeing Tower, Linglong Tower/玲珑塔 Visually juxtaposes with the arising New Sightseeing Tower at Olympic Park


Olympic Torch and Cranes by carfull...Wyoming, on Flickr


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## hkskyline

*China builds first aerospace medical lab*

BEIJING, April 10 (Xinhua) -- China has established its first national key lab in fundamental and applied studies of aerospace medicine, which is set to provide significant research support for astronauts' health during space missions, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The ministry signed off the lab as up to standard on Tuesday. Construction of the lab began in September 2009.

Built in the China Astronaut Center of Beijing Aerospace City, the lab is the country's first lab dedicated to aerospace medical research, said Li Yinghui, a senior scientist with the China Manned Space Engineering project.


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## erbse

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!


I'd like to see an independent thread for this observation tower. Someone, please collect some info, renderings and images and open one, thanks!


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## little universe

Martijn said:


> more pictures of the Conrad hotel
> 
> on archello.com :
> http://www.archello.com/en/project/conrad-hotel


^^

This guy is making progress

From www.beijingupdates.com


----------



## Herzarsen

Galaxy SOHO Updates

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=90465958#post90465958



Herzarsen said:


> December 2011
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Source: http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2011-12/05/content_24074663.htm
> 
> February 2012
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Source: http://www.nathanielmcmahon.com/blog/tag/soho-galaxy/


----------



## hkskyline

For the observation tower project, please refer to its dedicated thread in the Skyscrapers section : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1504640


----------



## little universe

CarlosBlueDragon said:


> ^^
> 
> when will completed??



By the end of this year!


----------



## little universe

little universe said:


> From www.beijingupdates.com
> 
> 
> *Galaxy SOHO at East Second Ring Road*



*Galaxy SOHO /银河SOHO Updates*

From www.beijingupdates.com


----------



## erbse

No need to quote all the renderings all over again. Thanks.


----------



## little universe

*More Galaxy SOHO Updates*


IMG_8349 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8319 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8327-28 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8332-44 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8353-54 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8348 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8342-43 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8324 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8327-28 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


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## wenna

hello, i would like to ask.. is there any possibilities i could have the info on CCTV building, building services? where should i get it.. its for my case study.. thank you!


----------



## little universe

*Yue Art Gallery/悦.美术馆 in 798 Art Zone Designed by Local Architects Tao Lei Architect Studio, Converted from an old military factory warehouse*

It is the finest *Minimalism Design* i've found in Beijing by local Architects so far. The Design *"implying a renewed spirit born in the old building, which is also showing the instinct strength in the 798 art area"*(Quotes from the achdaily website).

From www.archdaily.com


----------



## little universe

*Beijing Conrad Hotel Updates (Designed by Local MAD Architects)*




IMG_8046-47 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8037-38 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8063 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8034 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8065 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8061 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


IMG_8062 by trevor.patt, on Flickr


----------



## little universe

*China Mobile Headquarters Expansion*

From Archdaily.com


----------



## italiano_pellicano

wow amazing


----------



## little universe

Anyone has any ideas what this building is in Beijing?









http://www.flickr.com/photos/k-ly/7154037313/sizes/z/in/photostream/


----------



## italiano_pellicano

wow looks really nice


----------



## little universe

*China World Trade Centre Phase 3B (next to the Phase 3 Building, which is currently the tallest building in Beijing) by SOM. *

*Ground will be broken on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 for Skidmore Owing & Merrill LLP (SOM)’s newest building at Beijing’s China World Trade Center (CWTC) complex.* The 58-story Phase 3B Tower features sleek horizontal bands of canted glass that wrap the building’s square floor plates. The 918-feet (280-meters) tall icon will be located immediately northeast of the 74-story, SOM-designed China World Trade Center Tower 3, completed in 2010—which is the tallest building in the Chinese capital. More images and complete press release after the break. (quotes from Archdaily.com)


----------



## KillerZavatar

^^

on the first render it looked taller than the world trade center :nuts:


----------



## everywhere

Nice renders. I think this part of the Beijing World Trade Center complex right? 



little universe said:


> *China World Trade Centre Phase 3B (next to the Phase 3 Building, which is currently the tallest building in Beijing) by SOM. *
> 
> *Ground will be broken on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 for Skidmore Owing & Merrill LLP (SOM)’s newest building at Beijing’s China World Trade Center (CWTC) complex.* The 58-story Phase 3B Tower features sleek horizontal bands of canted glass that wrap the building’s square floor plates. The 918-feet (280-meters) tall icon will be located immediately northeast of the 74-story, SOM-designed China World Trade Center Tower 3, completed in 2010—which is the tallest building in the Chinese capital. More images and complete press release after the break. (quotes from Archdaily.com)


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## el palmesano

beautiful tower!!


----------



## everywhere

little universe said:


> *China Mobile Headquarters Expansion*
> 
> From Archdaily.com


When will its construction starts?

Do we have a thread of this project?


----------



## Minsk

*Iconic building reaches completion*

The Beijing CCTV tower, a building that has been iconic since its conception back in 2002, has officially been completed. The project which has been 10 years in the making saw its official construction completion marked with a ceremony today in Beijing....http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19799


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## JPBrazil

^^

Wanna see more interior pics. :cheers:


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## Minsk

*Sasaki designs National Creative Cluster*

Located near Songzhuang, a quiet village on the outskirts of Beijing, a unique opportunity exists to create a new urban district dedicated entirely to the cultivation of new ideas. The National Creative Cluster (NCC) is envisioned as China's preeminent knowledge hub, making the district a center for the country's innovative home-grown talent and a destination for the world's most creative thinkers.

Sasaki's master plan for NCC - selected in May 2012 as the preferred scheme for implementation - focuses on principles that underscore and support the overarching philosophy of the district: to bring industries with shared values and complementary skills and technologies together to help spark new ideas.

Acting as an incubator, the success of the district is tied to its openness, where people can interact in both structured and spontaneous ways to exchange ideas and have constructive dialogue. To attract a talented workforce, NCC will also provide institutes for continuing education, museums and galleries for inspiration, entertainment venues to encourage social interaction, and bold landscapes to help recharge the mind, body, and spirit.

The district's diversity of industry, people, and spatial relationships are aimed to foster creativity and encourage an endless stream of new ideas. Sasaki's master plan integrates the urban form with the surrounding landscape by creating a series of green wedges, interspersed within the urban clusters and forming a series of community parks.

The landscape is both beautiful and functional - it encourages biodiversity, filters stormwater, and provides seasonal interest and color. The landscape also forms a strong connection between humans and nature, which fuels innovation and creativity. A new transit loop is also a key element of the plan, and establishes a connection between the hubs of NCC to the existing core of the Songzhaung Artists Village to enhance the movement of both people and ideas.

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19810


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## CoCoMilk

A lot of state of art project being made in Beijing


----------



## everywhere

CoCoMilk said:


> A lot of state of art project being made in Beijing


Right. I do hope there could be more projects like this in second and third-tier cities of China.


----------



## hkskyline

*China to address public toilet woes for female*

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A sign at a KFC restaurant lavatory in east China's Zhejiang Province has been put up telling female customers not to use the male restroom.

Located in a shopping mall in the downtown Beilun District in Ningbo City, the KFC restaurant put up a placard reading "For the comfort of the male consumers, girls please don't use the male toilet."

Staff of the fast food restaurant explained that female consumers were using the male restroom because they could not find enough toilets elsewhere. This prompted complaints from men who felt embarrassed seeing women in their restroom.

However, some netizens have vented their frustration, arguing that women have no choice but to use male restrooms.

"Has the restaurant ever thought about the female consumer? They'll only do this if it's an emergency," a posting on the Internet said.

"But it's normal. I often think about using the male's restroom when I have been standing in a long queue for the female's lavatory, while the men's is empty," a Weibo user with the screen name "Miss Toothpaste" said on Sina Weibo, a twitter-like microblog service.

Similar predicaments appear in cities across China.

In Beijing, female citizens and tourists complain about waiting in queues outside public toilets.

"I'd like to let my wife use the male's toilet rather than waiting outside the female's toilet for almost half an hour in the park during a weekend," said a Beijing native surnamed Wang.

*In the latest effort to solve the toilet woes, the Beijing Municipal Commission of City Administration and Environment is considering increasing the number of public toilets for women.

The new standard will make the ratio of female to male public toilets 1.5 or two to one.

Statistics show that Beijing has more than 12,000 public latrines. Most of them are located along main roads, squares, residential communities, parks, tourist attractions and markets in the urban areas.*

But the number is obviously not enough for women, as long queues are often seen outside the public latrines.

The scarcity of public toilets has prompted many to use washrooms at KFC and McDonald's, as they have branches throughout cities and are regularly serviced and cleaned.

*Beijing will build more than 2,000 public lavatories by 2015, and some old lavatories will be renovated, said Cui Xuan, deputy director of the sanitation bureau of the commission.

Cui said, each of the newly-built toilets will be around 300,000 yuan (47,870 U.S. dollars), and 100,000 yuan for a renovated one. He added that people wil be able to find a public toilet within an eight-minute walk. *

In addition, visitors will be able to use a text messaging service to find public toilets around Beijing's tourist attractions, Cui said.

Guangzhou, the largest city in southern China, has a population of 12 million people, but only 907 public toilets in its downtown area, 2011 official statistics showed.

To address this imbalance, more than 5,000 toilets throughout 195 communities will be constructed or renovated to meet the needs of 450,000 citizens.

Earlier in February, several female undergraduates from universities of Guangzhou City launched a movement of "occupy men's toilets". In August, college student Huang Huanting and 14 friends staged a performance in the front of the gate of the city's administration committee with her self-made toilet. She appealed for fair use of public latrines and more toilets for women.

Latrines are also being constructed in the cities of Shenyang, Zhuhai, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

There should be unisex toilets in places where there are large numbers of people, such as shopping malls, scenic spots and cinemas. Unisex toilets could ease the long queues and increase the usage rate, said a Weibo user named "Stanley Xiao".

"It's more humane to build more toilets, especially for females. For Beijing to become a global city, such fundamental facilities should be constructed first," said Wang Yukai, a professor of China National School of Administration.


----------



## dm civil

Nice and advanced


----------



## little universe

big-dog said:


> "Fish" shape Linda Haiyu Plaza 林达海渔广场
> 
> Located at North 4th Ring, it's a Shopping mall/5-star hotel/Office/Apartment/Ocean park complex.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CRI online


Linda Haiyu Plaza! That is what this guy called! More looks like a coral than a fish to me!

Finally have someone solved my long lasting puzzle! Thx big-dog!


----------



## little universe

*Galaxy SOHO Updates*









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053162294/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053159364/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053160248/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053154435/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053156391/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053163668/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053152841/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/rashiq/8053157596/sizes/l/in/photostream/


----------



## little universe

*‘Ban’ Pavilion*

from archdaily.com



> *Architects:* Orproject
> *Location:* Beijing, China
> *Project Manager:* Shuai Yang
> *Project Team:* Kevin Wang, Marian Ma, Qiuwen Shi
> *Material:* PETG
> *Sponsors:* SK Chemicals, Penghao Theatre
> *Date:* October 2012
> 
> Constructed for Beijing Design Week 2012, the ‘Ban’ pavilion draws inspiration from floral petals in the way the shape of the flower is created by its bent petals. Designed by Orproject, Ban is constructed from bent polymer sheets which form a self-supporting structure and create shapes and volume from a multitude of leaves. More images and architects’ description after the break.
> Based on Orproject’s research into anisotropic sheet morphologies, the geometries have here been used in a structural orthogonal orientation and form a system of columns, arches and vaults, all based on single-curved elements. The resulting field of lines takes the viewer’s eye across the structure and into the sky, and like a giant flower Ban is hovering in the air above Beijing’s ancient Hutong roofs.


----------



## italiano_pellicano

wow amazing projects thanks for the photos


----------



## little universe

*Galaxy SOHO opened to the public!!!*




Emloto said:


> Beijing 北京


----------



## teddybear

Soho looks amazingly futuristic!


----------



## el palmesano

^^ I agree


----------



## little universe

Again, what is this building rising next to Sanlitun SOHO? Anyone knows?









http://www.flickr.com/photos/ursblick/8142358859/sizes/l/


8I7A9660 - 版本 2 by pangzi3, on Flickr


soho22 by jonyinbeijing, on Flickr


----------



## Minsk

*Galaxy Soho / Zaha Hadid Architects*

*Architects:* Zaha Hadid Architects
*Location:* Soho, Beijing, China
*Area:* 332857.0 sqm
*Year:* 2012
*Photographs: *Iwan Baan, Courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects

*Source: *www.archdaily.com


----------



## hkskyline

A reporter from south China's Hong Kong takes photo of ironmaking equipments at the former factory of steel-maker Shougang Group in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2012. More than 1,000 foreign journalists and 400 from southeast China's Taiwan and south China's Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions had applied to cover the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) by Friday. With the invitation of the media center for the meeting, some of them on Saturday visited a planned animation city where a factory of Shougang Group used to be located. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) 










Reporters stand beside a sand table about the innovation project of former plant site of steel-maker Shougang Group in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2012.


----------



## Andre_idol

Galaxy Soho looks AMAZING!


----------



## Caravaggio

What an amazingly beautiful and curvy building once again Zaha Hadid designs a landmark edifice


----------



## big-dog

^^ SOHO










by anli


----------



## digory

*5+design Reimagines Retail for China World Trade Center*

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/6/prweb9586807.htm


----------



## Minsk

*Daxing Mixed-Use Development forms the centrepiece for Beijing's new retail development*

Daxing Mixed-use Development Located off of the 5th ring road in southeast Beijing, the Daxing Mixed-use Development is intended to be the anchor project for a future retail centre in Beijing.

The site is located at the southern edge of the district fronting a new urban green corridor. The project, which consists of 150,000 sq-m retail, 180,000 sq-m office and 35,000-sq-m hotel, strives to serve as both an urban stitch with the green space to the south as well as a commercial threshold into the retail centre to the north.

The site is split into two plots and utilises a common language to unify the development, which are office towers on the west and a horizontally dominated retail program to the east. The project plays formally with north / south striated, geological forms which emerge out of the landscape to the south while maintaining a more defined urban edge on the north.

*Source: *www.worldarchitecturenews.com


----------



## el palmesano

wow!


----------



## RobertWalpole

Beautiful!


----------



## teddybear

+1. I think it will be a match if it is next to Soho...


----------



## hkskyline

cfredo said:


> ^^
> So it already reached max capacity in 2012. Probably faster than they thought.


Yes! Considering the last big expansion - Terminal 3 - only opened before the Olympics!


----------



## little universe

*Phoenix International Media Center / Phoenix TV Beijing New Headquarters Updates*



From Achdaily.com















DSC_3830.JPG by plate of the day, on Flickr


----------



## Joel que

if top tier city like beijing have problem, then consider that as warning to other cities like wuhan or changzha (or any 2nd or 3nd tiers city) planing 100 flr. plus skyscraper.
that remind me,few years ago. forbes (?) magazine feature article about the estate development in China,a US based architecture firm claim that vast majority of real estate developer in China knew nothing about the market.


----------



## cfredo

Yeah, Beijing has a problem: It hasn't enough office space. Beijing has a vacancy rate of about 3%...that's lower than most cities around the globe.


----------



## TheZoolooMaster

little universe said:


> #beijing #photooftheday  #igersbeijing   by wangchaoirwin, on Flickr


Now you have no excuse 

These are the coolest triage trash cans I've ever seen.


----------



## Minsk

*Beijing Agriculture University Library Winning Proposal / Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute*

*Architects: *Tongji Architectural Design and Research Institute
*Location:* Beijing, China
*Site Area: *20,000 sqm
*Built Area:* 49,000 sqm (42,200s sqm above ground and 6,800 sqm underground)
*Height:* 30m
*Books:* 2,000,000
*Seats:* 3000
*Parking Lot:* 200 (166 underground, 34 on-ground)
*Budget:* 2.45 billion RMB (245,000,000)

archdaily


----------



## sepul

Beijing is freaking cool


----------



## little universe

From archdaily.com




> *Sales Gallery and Showroom of Tian Yangbei Garden*
> 
> Interior Design: BLVD International
> Location: Chaoyang, Beijing, China
> Creative Director: Honglei Liu
> Design Director: David Perera
> Senior Interior Designer: Jiayi Hu
> Junior Interior Designers: Yachun Zhang, Huichao Liu
> Area: 1300.0 sqm
> Year: 2012
> Photographs: Sun Xiangyu
> 
> Contractor: Skyocean Land Real Estate Investment Co., Ltd.
> Lighting: Beijing Leuchte Lighting Design Co.,Ltd
> Engineering: Spark
> Landscape Design: Miland Design Beijing
> Budget: USD 516,000
> 
> 
> A unique piece of architecture with its prismatic shapes, irregular planes and undulating volumes, evoking thoughts of an untouched gemstone nestled in a garden, was the challenge presented to BLVD’s Interior Design Studio. The primitive and pure tension of a “rough diamond” was the inspired beginnings to the journey to create an interior worthy of transforming the energy within the three dimensional space and stimulate each available corner. The resulting interior is an interpretation of the “Diamond Lattice” – the carbon atoms arranged in variations of a face centered crystal structure – creating a dramatic, theatrical and sculptural space which manipulates light and shadow, solid and void and seamlessly integrates with the architecture.
> 
> The design language, style and the ambience of the Sales Gallery and Showroom promoting contemporary residential properties to young, dynamic and upwardly mobile professionals in their twenties and thirties needed to communicate the trend and the lifestyle that was on offer. Prismatic geometry which is strong, bold, confident and definitive, much like the traits that are needed in today’s professional world, reflecting the crystallization inherent in a rough diamond was the inspiration for this dynamic interior. Triangulated sculptured irregular surfaces – vertical, inclined or horizontal, fused together or free; whether used as a wall, window and ceiling or as a piece of furniture – defines, demarcates and dramatizes a strong visual identity and disseminates the initial conceptual idea. An abundance of natural light from all sides of the pavilion embraces the interior space creating further animated patterns across the surfaces as the sun moves across the sky.
> 
> The space planning is quite straight forward with most of the guest spaces located on the ground floor level and the staff and administrative spaces on the first floor with the exception of two VIP rooms and the showpiece conference room being the only guest areas on the upper level. At the entrance the guest is greeted at the model display with its overhanging triangular canopy and an inclined wall which doubles as the map exhibit, while to the left, the monolithic wood veneered prism like reception desk “grows” out of the surface of the floor and guides you to the main lounge space, the heart of the Sales Gallery, while the desk, now finished with the act of receiving, morphs into a water bar serving the lounge. When one finds their way to the lounge, the three dimensional volume of the Gallery also evolves unnoticed into a dramatic double height space embraced on all sides by solid and transparent faceted planes of the rough diamond. A conference room resembling a cut gemstone overhangs on the opposite end as if to notify the end of the journey or the final result of the lattice that crystallizes into the finished diamond.
> 
> Triangular lounge seating akin to fallen shards of glass, fragments from the creation of the ceiling, are arranged in a privacy encouraging fashion to assist with the serious task of negotiation. Polished chrome and white leather lounge seating and coffee tables, of a sophisticated modernist epoch, make up the remaining, more conventional, lounge space adjacent to the landscaped courtyard. Beyond the seating areas, forming a striking backdrop to the lounge, discreet VIP rooms are cocooned in sculptural, wood veneered enclosures providing a warm, secure environment that such spaces demand. The contrasting dark stripes in the ceiling with nestled lighting, define the sculptural facets while echoing the vibrant blue triangulated lattice pattern on the carpet bringing a touch of colour to the otherwise overall pure white space. Immediately to the right of the entrance the journey to the first floor begins via a sculptured conduit like stairs which seems to be carved from a single block of solid wood adding a touch of warmth and texture to the interior. Concealed edge lighting on the ceiling and the handrail, hollowed out of the side surface, guides to the guest to the VIP rooms and the main Conference Room on the upper level.
> 
> Dynamic and imaginative lines were drawn, shapes were molded and a sculpture that can be inhabited was created reflecting the timeless power, vitality and ageless beauty of a precious object born from the Earth itself, hopefully pointing the way and opening a door to an optimistic life of the future to a younger generation. A jewel sits patiently in a beautiful garden waiting to be discovered once again.


----------



## Сталин

Nice images!


----------



## little universe

from archdaily.com




> *Johnnie Walker House in Beijing *
> 
> 
> 
> Interior Designers: Asylum
> Location: Beijing, China
> Client: Diageo
> Year: 2013
> Photographs: Diageo
> 
> 
> 
> Following the success of the award-winning Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai, creative firms Asylum and LOVE once again teamed up to design the world’s largest ultra premium whisky embassy. Launched by Diageo as the largest, most luxurious Johnnie Walker House, the House is located in Beijing and imbued with whisky knowledge and historical elements throughout the sophisticated spatial design. Conceived with the intent to immerse consumers in the world of Johnnie Walker whisky through bespoke experiences, the latest House provides an experiential and interactive journey for consumers in the world’s most powerful market for luxury goods.
> 
> The Location
> 
> The Johnnie Walker House Beijing is located at Ch’ien Men 23 – a historical meeting point of East and West in China. Spanning a total floor area of almost 16,000sq ft, the building provided the perfect industrial platform to bring to life the beauty of the architectural vision – the Whisky Distillery.
> 
> The Concept
> 
> Creating a highly contemporary space, rich in authentic whisky story telling for the discerning Chinese consumer, the heart of the architectural vision was the Whisky Distillery. Continuing to create premium whisky conversations, essential ingredients to whisky making and historical archives provide the foundation for the introduction and education of whisky. Further enhancing the Johnnie Walker whisky experience, the physical space includes elements of Scottish history and culture, while remaining attuned to the discerning Beijing consumer. The House blends a bar, museum, retail outlet and an exclusive members club.
> 
> Entrance: The Beginning of the Journey
> 
> Leading to the entrance of the House, the iconic Striding Man is placed next to six individual copper-clad structures. Inspired by the traditional Chinese gateway, each structure is engraved with the details of the six Master Blenders of the Walker legacy; paying homage to the unbroken lineage of blenders.
> 
> vel 1: A Recreation of John Walker’s Grocery Shop
> 
> The first experience guests will encounter is a contemporary recreation of John Walker’s original grocery shop in Kilmarnock. Engaging the senses, the space contains essential ingredients of whisky, including teas and spices. A reception desk clad in copper tiling contains the replica of the original shop inventory, bringing the visitor back in time to the roots of the brand.
> 
> 
> Basement: The Reimagining of a Distillery
> 
> With the whisky distillery being at the heart of the whisky making process, the Distillery Bar contains a beautiful ceiling feature of 10,000 vertically hanging copper pipes. Cut to varying heights, the copper pipes form a wave-like sculptural feature, leading guests to the bar. From the void space of the bar, an overhead magnificent view of a feature structure spanning across 3 floors is filled with tiers of premium whisky bottles, beautifully lit. Atop the impressive void structure, sits a distillery model that peeks into the Blending Floor, on Level 1.
> 
> Blending Floor: Immersive Whisky Education
> 
> Beyond the distillery inspired sliding brass door stamped with Alexander Walker’s quality statement, is the blending floor for immersive whisky education. Upon entering, barley encased in resin forms the floor surface – similar to barley laid out to dry in distilleries. The distillery model from the void structure is the dominant feature of the room, whilst the constellation wall, indicating the different distilleries across all of Scotland, surrounds the blending table to assist with the educational journey through the flavours of the blended whisky.
> 
> Blending Floor: Master Blender’s Office
> 
> Designed to the master blender’s specifications, inspiration was drawn from the original Walker blender rooms and those at the Royal Lochnagar distillery in Scotland. As guests are seated at the Master Blender’s table, displays of bottles and blending equipment are displayed, enhancing the education process. A Hall of Fame of the six Master Blenders and their awards further demonstrate their blending expertise.
> 
> Mezzanine: Striding Man Bar
> 
> Located on the mezzanine, the key feature of the Striding Man Bar is the Smoke ceiling, inspired by the bold flavours of the liquid. Adapted from historical Chinese Johnnie Walker ads stemming from 1910, the graphics are cleverly integrated in the wallpaper and lampshades. Further adding to the historical archives, are the 1910 and Churchill Rooms, filled with artifacts of the time period, coupled with dated pictures of old Beijing, relating both ends of world at once.
> 
> 
> Odyssey Lounge
> 
> Leading to the lounge is the members-only whisky vault; a locker wall filled with luggage trunks, containing the purchased bottles of their distinguished guests. Commissioned intricate Beijing House illustrations are etched onto the copper wall, just before entering the lounge. The pinnacle feature of the room is the ceiling covered with globes, and beautifully lit from above. A marble and copper compass sits in the centre of the floor, stating the direction and distance from Cardhu, Scotland to Beijing. Private dining rooms serve up whisky-inspired dining experiences whipped up by the brand’s in-house chef, and guests can enjoy their newly acquired whisky knowledge, with a Trunk bar in each private room.


----------



## the spliff fairy

all classy buildings


----------



## little universe

from archdaily.com




> *Cloud Room at the old National Art Museum of China*
> 
> Architects: One Design Inc
> Location: Beijing, China
> Photographs: Shen Zhonghai
> 
> 
> 
> The Cloud Room designed by Shanghai-based architect Bing Bu sits on the roof terrace of the National Art Museum of China, a historical landmark from the 1960’s in Beijing.
> 
> The outside white polycarbonate panels follow a computer generated cloud-like profile. Each piece revolves according to the wind, casting moving shadows and reflections onto a second layer of translucent polycarbonate. Standing inside, people can think of this cloud room as an apparatus of urban observation or meditation – the translucent interior screen gives a mix of vague pixel urban image intertwined with wind and sun.
> 
> This Beijing installation can be a starting point of a sequence of works. As the exhibition is travelling to Taiwan this summer, The Cloud Room is expected to transform and to dialogue with the mild and warm environment of Taichung.


----------



## hkskyline

Updated: 2013-03-12
China Daily
*Beijing officials laud continuing afforestation projects around capital*

Authorities have hit back at criticisms of Beijing's ambitious tree planting campaign, claiming the majority take root.

Over the past 32 years, 78 million people have planted 189 million trees throughout the capital, with a survival rate of 88 percent, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry said on Monday.

To further improve the survival rate and biological diversity, the bureau has been increasing the varieties of trees, according to Tong Haiming, deputy director of publicity for the bureau.

"We have more species of trees, including pagodas, poplars and pines," Tong said at a news conference.

Beijing has undertaken ambitious reforestation initiatives. According to the bureau, the forest coverage rate rose from 12.83 percent in 1980 to 38.6 percent by the end of 2012. The percentage of green coverage in urban areas rose from 20.08 percent to 46.2 percent in the same period.

However, environmental NGOs have raised doubts about the impact of the projects.

One of the concerns regards the planting of non-native trees, which experts say struggle to survive because of their high water demand, especially in arid regions such as Beijing, said Dong Yunlan, a researcher with the Henan Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences.

Tree planting has also started to focus more on the planting itself rather than the benefits it brings to the ecological environment, said Yang Heng, a researcher with the Nature University, an NGO in Beijing.

"Many trees are pulled out or eradicated not long after they are planted, when the land falls into the hands of property developers," said Yang. "With poor maintenance, many trees simply die after a few days."

Instead of encouraging the public to plant more trees, the government should better preserve the existing ones and stop them from being pulled out, she said.

"Many of the trees are just planted for the sake of planting," said Feng Yongfeng, founder of the Green Beagle, an environmental protection NGO based in the capital.

"No one takes good care of the trees after they are planted and the survival rate is pretty poor because of the lack of later maintenance."

He said on National Tree Planting Day, March 12, a day dedicated to planting trees, people across the country, from college students to the elderly, are encouraged to plant trees, but no one really cares if the trees survive or if the ecological environment is improved.

He also said many old trees have been removed as "weeds" simply to make room for the planting of new trees.

"These are not scientific or correct ways of tree planting," he said.

Some residents said they felt the same way.

"We seem to plant millions of trees, but the environment does not seem to improve," said Shao Hui, a 27-year-old computer programmer. "It makes little sense if we plant millions of trees and see half of them perish later."

According to Feng, despite the fact the government has picked a single genus for tree planting - poplars and willows account for some 95 percent - the city has gradually increased the variety to increase the survival rate.

The government will further improve its maintenance to better protect the trees, he said.

Cities across China are boosting tree planting.

Hebei province will plant more than 100 million trees in areas surrounding the capital this year to help prevent sandstorms, the provincial forestry bureau said.

Planting has already begun for the new greenbelt, which will cover a total area of 280,000 hectares.

The province launched 10 green projects focused on environmental protection during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-15), increasing the forest area by 1.4 million hectares in the province.

By 2015, Hebei province will have 5.8 million hectares of forest, giving it a coverage of 31 percent of the province's area.

According to the State Forestry Administration, last year the afforestation area nationwide was 6.01 million hectares.

Zheng Jinran and Yang Yao contributed to this story.


----------



## hkskyline

* Airport to boost Beijing's south area*
2013-03-12 
China Daily










Beijing's new airport will greatly boost the development of the city's high-end manufacturing and strategic industries, as well as urban services in the southern part of the capital, municipal authorities said.

Air transportation and logistics, tourism, exhibition and conference sectors, and imports and exports, will be boosted when the airport opens, according to the Beijing Commission of Development and Reform, the top economic planning agency in the city.

The city government announced in December that it had approved the new airport south of the capital.

According to Civil Aviation Administration of China News, the airport is scheduled to open in 2018.

The construction will cost at least 70 billion yuan ($11.2 billion).

The airport will have six runways for civil and one for military use, and it will be able to handle 70 million passenger trips a year by 2025, the newspaper reported.

The city will set up a rail line connecting the airport to the downtown area, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. It will take only 30 minutes by subway for passengers to reach the airport from the Beijing South Railway Station.

Kang Kaiyi, a Tianjin businessman, said the new airport will be convenient for him.

"I sometimes fly from Beijing, and it usually takes hours to get to the airport in the north of the city from my home in Tianjin.

"Now that an airport will open in the southern part of Beijing with a rail line linking it to the Beijing South Railway Station, it will take about one hour to get to the airport from Tianjin, saving me a lot of time," he said.

Experts said the new airport will significantly ease pressure on the current one.

"The Beijing Capital International Airport has already been functioning near its utmost capacity," said Liu Weimin, a professor of Civilian Aviation Management Institute of China.

The capital's existing airport has been ranked as the second-busiest in the world for three consecutive years - Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in the United States is the busiest.

Beijing Capital International Airport handled 81.8 million passenger trips last year, a 4.2 percent increase from the previous year, while Shanghai's two airports handled more than 78 million passenger trips that year.

In addition to diverting passenger flow, the new airport is expected to promote the development of industry and regional economic growth in Langfang and Baoding in Hebei province, according to the Beijing government.

Located near the border of the capital's southern suburban Daxing district and Hebei, the new airport is expected to further connect the capital with its neighboring cities, it said.


----------



## Xtartrex

Will Beijing ever get rid of the smog anytime soon? There are many beautiful buildings all over the city, but smog really destroys a good picture, any new project should push the envelope to clean the air.


----------



## hkskyline

Xtartrex said:


> Will Beijing ever get rid of the smog anytime soon? There are many beautiful buildings all over the city, but smog really destroys a good picture, any new project should push the envelope to clean the air.


Well, there have been days this past winter that were smog-free, when cold, arctic air from Siberia came in strong.


----------



## Xtartrex

:nuts:Wind is helping just like where I live, but it jumps back on as soon as the wind says bye bye, smog don't like being dethroned for long periods of time :lol:

You mean something like this?



from qq files by QQlover, on Flickr


----------



## Xtartrex

Is it my imagination or is Beijing becoming a mecca for artsy buildings, throught this thread I found more than average.


----------



## hkskyline

By *黑水* from a Chinese photography forum :


----------



## aweselamat

http://xl.skyscrapercity.com/?page=oneonone&otherday=20130324
please vote for this...tq


----------



## little universe

What's that high-rise behind the Sanlitun SOHO?










http://www.flickr.com/photos/auburn492/8584364559/sizes/l/in/photostream/


----------



## little universe

The Repairing work on TVCC (the little guy behind the CCTV) is almost done! 



CCTV tower from above by anaadi+, on Flickr


----------



## hkskyline

Quite crazy that it took 4+ years to fix that building. Don't think it even took that long to build. Would it still be the Mandarin Oriental?


----------



## the spliff fairy

they must have changed the architecture of the interior at much greater cost and effort than just rebuilding from new. Basically the materials needed all to be replaced (titanium zinc alloy that sent down so many dripping embers), and Rem Koolhaas's design of the giant atrium right to the roof, that acted like a giant chimney.


----------



## :jax:

little universe said:


> What's that high-rise behind the Sanlitun SOHO?


I believe it is the InterContinental hotel.


----------



## Avemano

little universe said:


> The Repairing work on TVCC (the little guy behind the CCTV) is almost done!
> 
> 
> 
> CCTV tower from above by anaadi+, on Flickr


These two towers on the right are funny ! :lol: :cheers:


----------



## :jax:

hkskyline said:


> Quite crazy that it took 4+ years to fix that building. Don't think it even took that long to build. Would it still be the Mandarin Oriental?


One thing is that it took long to rebuild, another how long it will take for the reputation to rebuild. A fire like this is not what you like to think about when checking in ot a hotel.


----------



## the spliff fairy

Thank god it went up before it opened, rather than after. Koolhaas's hothouse n all that. It would could have had the potential to be the worst building fire in history. I think many lessons were learned - no more illegal fireworks, no more zinc alloy, no more giant atrium's through to roof height.


----------



## Þróndeimr

z0rg said:


> Samsung will develop a 260m, 57 floor tower close to the CCTV Headquarters. We should open a thread as soon as they release a render.
> http://office.focus.cn/news/2011-07-14/1384972.html
> http://www.jingoffice.com/news/4766.html


Any idea which of the plots is by Samsung? This is NBBJ's proposal for Samsung HQ (not sure if they won the competition since the renderings are dated June 2012).








Illustration by MIR









Illustration by MIR


----------



## Þróndeimr

Another project by SOM that i can't find any info about. If you recognize it, please reply with some info! 









Illustration by Kilograph, Courtesy by SOM









Illustration by Kilograph, Courtesy by SOM









Illustration by Kilograph, Courtesy by SOM









Illustration by Kilograph, Courtesy by SOM


----------



## el palmesano

^^ beautiful!!


----------



## little universe

*New National Art Museum of China Winning Proposal by French Architect Jean Nouvel *



From sina.com.cn


----------



## little universe

*

Conrad Hotel by Beijing-based MAD Architects *










http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_gloww/8590192978/sizes/l/in/photostream/


Beijing 20130418 by CathySweetie, on Flickr​


----------



## hkskyline

*New Beijing airport targets 2018 opening*
Updated: 2013-04-11 01:40
Xinhua

BEIJING - Construction of a new airport in south Beijing will start next year, and the facility is expected to be completed and put into use in 2018, local authorities announced on Wednesday.

Preliminary work prior to the construction of the airport, located in Daxing district, bordering Hebei province, is under way, sources with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform said.

They added that the airport will be linked with three expressways, including one that will be newly built along the southern central axis of Beijing.

Under-way discussions over an urban rail transit to connect the airport are likely to be finished within the year.

The new airport project was approved at the end of 2012, as part of efforts to spur the development of Beijing's southern suburbs.

Meanwhile, an air transport-related economic zone is also planned, with an investment of 84 billion yuan ($13.39 billion).

Upon completion, the new airport is expected to ease traffic pressure on Beijing Capital International Airport, which remained the world's second-busiest airport in 2012 in terms of passenger throughput. Its passenger volume reach 81.8 million last year, according to a statement published by the airport in January.


----------



## little universe

*

Iberia Center for Contemporary Art / 伊比利亚当代艺术中心 at 798 Art District*

By Local *Approach Architecture Studio / 场域建筑*


from archdaily.com



> Architects: Approach Architecture Studio
> Location: Beijing, China
> Architect In Charge: Liang Jingyu
> Art Director: Lu Qiong
> Design Team: Peng Xiaohu, Zhao Ning, Li Honglei, Yang Jieqing, Zhou Yuan, Gu Wei
> Engineers: Beijing Jiuyuan Tri-Star Architects Partnership
> Photographs: Courtesy of Approach Architecture Studio
> 
> 
> Iberia Center for Contemporary Art is a re-development project located in the 798 art district, Beijing. The original site was composed by a group of industrial buildings, The biggest one is around 1000 square meters area with 8 to 11 meters ceiling height.
> 
> The concept of the re-development is to convert these separated buildings into an integrated art exhibition space while keeping the industrial appearance as much as possible. A 50-meter-long brick wall was introduced to the street interface in order to join the 3 old individual buildings into one single continuing façade. The new façade, however, is not completely replacing the old façades, rather, interacting with the old one by its shape and tectonic concept.
> 
> The interior wall was preserved while a few new function boxes were inserted into the lofty space. Besides the exhibition space, it has offices, library, auditorium, café, art shop, etc.


----------



## little universe

*Tree Art Museum / 树美术馆 at Songzhuang Art Colony / 宋庄, Suburban Beijing.*

By Local Architect Daipu / 戴璞


from archdaily.com



> Architects: Daipu Architects
> Location: Song zhuang, Beijing, China
> Design Team: Dai Pu, Feng Jing, Liu Yi
> Area: 3,200 sqm
> Photographs: Shu He
> 
> Structural Engineer: Huang Shuangxi
> Water Engineer: Lei Ming
> Mechanical Engineer: Wang Gepeng
> 
> 
> Located in Songzhuang, Beijing China, Tree art museum lies beside the main road of the area. Original village has vanished, replaced by big scale blocks which better fit for cars. Even if renowned as artist village, it’s difficult to stay or enjoy art exploration without local artist friend’s introducing. So, the first idea was to create an ambient, a public space where people would like to stay, date and communicate.
> 
> I hope people might be attracted into the museum by the view at the entrance. Their eyes would follow the curvy floorslab coming from the ground all the way up to the roof. People could choose getting into the space either through the ramp or the courtyard with a pool and tree on the first floor. Sky is reflected onto the ground, with reflecting pool together, helping people to filter their mind and forget the environment out there.
> 
> The first courtyard was separated with the main road and dust outside by a bare-concrete wall. People would stay and chat under the tree in the courtyard, or, just feed fishes by the reflecting pool. Meanwhile, they could enjoy artworks and watch other people lingering inside the building through curtain wall. In the bare-concrete wall, there is a corridor which could be utilized to exhibit books and small sculptures. The curvature varies slightly along the path.
> 
> The second courtyard introduces nature light to the back exhibition hall and meeting room on 2nd floor, while separating the public and privacy needed. The curvy wall implies people to the other side of the building, and introduces them to come to the public stairs-plaza on the roof, where people could sit and enjoy sunshine, or look down to the pool or even chat with people down in the courtyard.
> 
> There are six and half courtyards on 2,695 square meters site. Besides the two bigger ones for exhibition, there are four more courtyards lying on the upper part. Two yards apply sunlight to the back space and introduce skylight to the exhibition hall below. The other two yards are on the top of the floor, which also open to sky. By taking real and pure expression, this project hopes to create a place where local people and visitors would communicate with nature light, trees, water, and contemporary art. This simple and plain idea will spread out through their experience of this space.


----------



## el palmesano

Iberia center?? why "Iberia"?


----------



## little universe

^^

Because the curator *Xia Jifeng / 夏季风*, being a writer, poet and art critic himself, he has this strong affection for iberian culture, especially the Spanish Art. 

And he organized dozens of Chinese contemporary art exhibitions in Spain.


----------



## little universe

*Beijing North Star Shopping Centre / 北辰购物中心*











http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8703333241/sizes/l/in/photostream/









http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8704454318/sizes/l/in/photostream/










http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8704454146/sizes/l/in/photostream/​


----------



## idoke

*People's Daily headquarters*

Chinese Newspaper People's Daily Builds 'Giant *****' Building; Censors Block Internet S******ing 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...aper-building_n_3197840.html?utm_hp_ref=world


----------



## :jax:

(Ironic that a title beginning with "Censors Block..." is itself censored by SSC filters.)


----------



## Loathing

That Jean Nouvel art museum is a disappointment. I don't believe I like anything that weird man has designed. I don't understand how that man managed to gain a reputation.


----------



## little universe

*The InterContinental Hotel Behind the Sanlitun SOHO*


Soho Sanlitun New Beijing by Kenfar, on Flickr


----------



## little universe

*The Lushi Hill Club / 庐师山庄会所*

By Local Architects *Atelier Fronti / 方体空间*

from archdaily.com




> Architects: Atelier Fronti
> Location: Beijing, China
> Area: 1600.0 sqm
> Photographs: Courtesy of Atelier Fronti
> 
> 
> This club is located in a residential area in the west outskirts of Beijing and is a activity site for 52 villas there. The building area is 1600m2. This building includes three floors and consists of coffee halls, meeting rooms and four guest rooms. A three-floor hall at the entrance of the club is separated from the out by a whole glass curtain wall. The main point of this building is the vesion relations between the outdoor and indoor objects .
> 
> The club faces to the center green land of the whole area which reserves old trees with nice sceneries. Thus a slope connected to F2 in the hall is designed to enable people to experience the sceneries outside the glass wall. There are many construction difficulties of this club. The 3.6m-wide and 3.6m-high door at the entrance experienced difficulty in designing and making phase. The 11m-high. glass wall is suspended in the west. The upper glass wall is 7m high and need to be tempered according to the standard, but only 6.8m tempered glass can be produced by the tempering furnace, thus the curtain wall challenges the limit of this era unintenionally.


----------



## paris_nombril

*NAMOC*

Following little universe post #532,
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=101853966&postcount=532

New renders are available on the following links, even if you don't read french, the slideshow (10 pictures) is obvious on the first source, and the same goes for the picture on the other source.

source: Le Figaro
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2013/05/14/03004-20130514ARTFIG00235-les-tribulations-d-un-architecte-en-chine.php

source: Le Moniteur
http://www.lemoniteur.fr/155-projets/article/actualite/21151381-jean-nouvel-la-chine-et-le-namoc


----------



## little universe

^^

Thanks for your french sources about the project...it seems they changed the cladding from black metal alloy to translucent/perforated whatever. 





*New National Art Museum of China Winning Proposal*
By French Architect Jean Nouvel



Image credit: Le Figaro


----------



## little universe

*Phoenix International Media Center Updates*

Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV's New Beijing Headquarters










IMG_6885 by indianer67, on Flickr
​


----------



## little universe

*Anybody here has any idea about that big construction site across the road of the Guanghua Road SOHO as showing on the bottom left of this picture??? *












Beijing by jzahary, on Flickr​








http://www.flickr.com/photos/awvdm888/9126870140/sizes/h/in/photostream/


----------



## little universe

*Beijing CBD Eastwards Extension Updates*










Downtown Beijing After Rain by Stuck in Customs, on Flickr​


----------



## little universe

*Beijing Galaxy SOHO *

At East 2nd Ring Road




XSJV5 said:


> By：http://www.gaoloumi.com/viewthread.php?tid=664865&extra=page=1


----------



## SkyscraperSuperman

The Intercontinental Tower at Sanlitun, from the roof of my apartment block yesterday evening:


Sanlitun SOHO and the Intercontinental Hotel by Skyscraper Superman, on Flickr


----------



## little universe

^^

Very nice! 

Your apartment offers the million-dollar-view of Beijing. :applause:

Have a nice summer in Beijing btw! 




I just photoshoped a prospective "*BEIJING CBD SKYLINE 2016*" based on the photo you took yesterday.


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## SkyscraperSuperman

Thank you!  The photoshop looks fantastic - I can't wait to see CITIC Plaza on the skyline! :cheers:


----------



## little universe

*Phoenix International Media Center Updates*

Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV's New Beijing Headquarters











Beijing ... by Dennis Deng, on Flickr
​


----------



## RobertWalpole

Great projects. The SoHo building is awesome.


----------



## hkskyline

*Project may be redesigned around tomb*
Updated: 2013-06-24 07:13
China Daily










_Archaeologists study the cover and base of the inscription stone for the wife of Liu Ji, a major military governor during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). The base has peony patterns. Cheng Gong / for China Daily_

Well-preserved site was resting place of Tang Dynasty military governor, wife

A multibillion yuan construction project in Beijing is likely to be redesigned to protect an important ancient tomb site, which was discovered during a preliminary investigation for the project.

"We'll soon coordinate with the relevant sectors to adjust the original construction plan to protect the tomb on its original site," said Yu Ping, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Cultural Heritage Department.

Yu said she hoped a museum for the tomb would be built and opened to the public in the future.

Because of its large scale and the diverse relics excavated, the tomb is very rare and has high heritage and historical value, said Song Dachuan, director of the Cultural Heritage Research Institute of Beijing. The tomb's main structure has remained basically intact, which is rare among similar archaeological sites, Song added.

The tomb was discovered in 2012 by the local cultural heritage department while they were helping the project planners undertake a preliminary investigation for the "The Cultural Silicon Valley", a large integrated cluster for cultural and creative industries in Changgou town, Fangshan district.

The planned industrial cluster, designed to cover an area of 160 hectares and consisting of 12 smaller projects, had an investment of 13.7 billion yuan ($2.23 billion).

After nearly a year of excavation, relics including delicate frescos, rare inscription stones, pottery, porcelains, bronze, jade and iron pieces have been excavated from the tomb even though it had been raided several times.

The entire structure consists of tomb paths, a tomb gate, a niche, main room, back room and side rooms. The tomb's top was destroyed.

Stone inscriptions confirm the tomb to belong to Liu Ji, a major military governor during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and his wife.

The inscription stones in the tomb have two layers. The cover on top is inscribed with the tomb owner's name and status, while the lower part records the life and achievements of those interred.

The cover stone for Liu's wife is vividly carved, colorfully depicting people and patterns around the face, with sunken characters decorated with gold in the center. Weighing more than two tons, it is 1.62 meters wide and 0.225 meters high. It is unparalleled by tomb stone inscriptions of the same period ever found in China, Yu said.

"Tang Dynasty tomb inscriptions of such scale are very rare in Beijing." 

Through further study of the stone inscriptions, it is possible to learn more about the history of Liu's time, especially the history of Beijing, Yu said. 

The base for the coffin is also unusual. It has six layers, which was rare even for emperors. Every layer is carved with patterns such as Buddhist images and lotus flowers.

The excavated pieces will be protected after scientific testing and identification. Among them, the protection of the delicate frescos has posed challenges for archaeologists.

The frescos depict musical performances, daily life, buildings, animals and plants. They provide important material for the study of noble people's lives at that time and in that region, Song said.

Unlike those uncovered in other regions, the frescos are painted on the walls without any underlayer, Song said.

Archaeologists said they would not rule out the possibility of stopping the excavation temporarily until they find an ideal way to prevent the pictures from oxidation.

Experts also need more clues to explain strange things found during the excavation, such as why the bones of Liu's wife are missing and why the tomb inscription for her is more extravagant than for her husband, which was rare according to the feudal customs of the time.

Only a male skull was found in the joint burial tomb. Song said it will take further tests to confirm whether the skull belonged to Liu.

"The questions remain to be answered with later research. The results will be released to the public as soon as possible," Yu said.


----------



## bozenBDJ

^^ Nice find


----------



## little universe

*Phoenix International Media Center Updates*

Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV's New Beijing Headquarters





Phoenix International Media Center 凤凰国际传媒中心 by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr


Phoenix International Media Center 凤凰国际传媒中心 by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr


Phoenix International Media Center 凤凰国际传媒中心 by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr


Phoenix International Media Center 凤凰国际传媒中心 by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr​


----------



## Highcliff

has it already been posted?......


mibome said:


> The question is justified and the answer is not easy. To install and support that huge mass of glass is one of the most difficult construction challenges. What the renders of ST suggest is a construction that is unheard of until now.
> 
> The most impressive free glass construction that I have ever seen is that of the beautiful and fantastic *New Poly Plaza* building in Beijing, the freely self-supporting glass frame construction is about 15 stories high. It is a plane, two dimensional glass frame, still the construction was utmost difficult and expensive to calculate and to build. Here are two photos I took:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> With ST we will have several sections of – what? – 14 – floors, and the skin will wrap around the whole building. To design, build, and fix a support frame that is flexible but also sturdy enough and yet strong enough to carry huge masses of glass but also to withstand temperature differences and hugh weather forces without pressurizing the glass itself is a thing that I cannot yet imagine to work as the renders suggest. This is something that I am very much looking forward to seeing during the build process.


----------



## Highcliff

Minsk said:


> *Iconic building reaches completion*
> 
> The Beijing CCTV tower, a building that has been iconic since its conception back in 2002, has officially been completed. The project which has been 10 years in the making saw its official construction completion marked with a ceremony today in Beijing....http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=19799


cctv is one of the best buildings in all over china....:drool::drool::master::master::cheers::cheers2:

look at this window on the floor....:drool::drool:


----------



## hkskyline

*Beijing land sales soar on tough bidding *
The Standard
Thursday, July 25, 2013

Total land sales in Beijing since January have already exceeded those for the whole of last year as some state-owned enterprises have been aggressively bidding for fresh plots, mainland media reported. 

Land revenue in the capital amounted to 85 billion yuan (HK$107.41 billion) from January 1 to July 23, versus 65 billion yuan in 2012, 21st Century Business Herald reported yesterday.

In Shanghai, the land market is also heating up with active transactions. A joint venture between Sunac China (1918) and Green Town China (3900) bid for a plot in the downtown area for 1.04 billion yuan, a report said.

The commercial-use site, with an area of 10,239 square meters, finally went for 26,832 yuan per sqm - 49percent above its opening price. The Shanghai government also put an idle plot in Xuhui Region for auction, with an opening price of 17.5 billion yuan. 

Total investment in the commercial project is expected to hit 25 billion yuan, said CRIC senior analyst Xue Jianxiong.


----------



## little universe

Anybody knows the name of the rising tower at the Financial Street Area on yr lower right hand side?





By fellow member *SkyscraperSuperman*









Beijing CBD by Skyscraper Superman, on Flickr
​


----------



## little universe

*"Family Box": A Kindergarten in Beijing*


By Beijing-based Sino-German Architects: * Crossboundaries Architects *



from archdaily.com


> Architects: Crossboundaries Architects
> Location: Beijing, China
> Architect: Crossboundaries Architects
> Collaborating Architects & Engineers: BIAD International Studio & BIAD TSH International Studio
> Client: Children Enterprise (UK) Limited
> Area: 2,300 sqm
> Year: 2011
> Photographs: Chaoying Yang
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _“We have learned that to raise a happy, healthy and hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers, it takes clergy, it takes business people, it takes community leaders, it takes those who protect our health and safety, it takes all of us. Yes, it takes a village to raise a child.” _ – Hillary Clinton
> 
> 
> 
> Family Box functions both as an indoor playground and a kindergarten for children up to twelve years old, while accomodating their parents’ needs. It hosts different kinds of activities – from swimming, playing games to various classes ranging from music, dancing, crafting to cooking. Furthermore, it has a big play area, a reading area and a generous café area. Located at the outer corner of a park it is placed in a natural environment, which enhances the visibility of the building.
> 
> The different size and height between adult and child and their different angle of view was the starting point for considering Family Box should be made by two types of spaces: a kids-scale space and an adult-scale space. How to find an inspiring balance between them? How to combine the different needs?
> 
> Despite the complex program another challenging part of this project was to deal with an existing structural system, column grid and also the building footprint – due to a different original function of the building and the involvement of another design institute in an earlier project stage. The rigid concrete structure of the building did not seem the most suitable for the design purpose, that was counterbalanced in different ways. Since the two upper floors where not yet constructed, floor plates were shifted up and down and cut outs in the floor allowed views between the two floors.
> 
> The use of independent rooms in the shape of free-standing boxes allows the activities to run parallel and it offers the most suitable environment for each. The rooms have their own program or theme, they all differ from the outside space in terms of color and furniture. They have their own story and inside life and allow the children to concentrate on the program offered. At the same time, small square window openings allows maintaining contact with the outside, and parents can have a peep inside to see what is going on.
> 
> The box locations are meant to break the rigid layout of the concrete columns, which is also camouflaged with a series of arches that give a different rhythm to the environment. Visually, the common areas are treated with low contrast finishes in order to enhance and balance the space and equipments for the children.
> 
> The glass façade is wrapping all of the functions like a skin, following the given building perimeter. It has a printed pattern, which was developed out of simple single-line drawings made by children. They were modified into a pattern consisting of two different sized squares, the graphic motif is reversed: the background is white-translucent and the drawing is transparent. From far away the objects on the facade are recognizable, they indicate a building function related to children, fun and recreation


























































































































































































































​


----------



## hkskyline

*Beijing invites foreign bids for $55 bln in infrastructure projects*

SHANGHAI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Beijing's Commission of Reform and Development, the city's economic planner, will invite foreign investors to bid on 126 urban infrastructure projects collectively seeking 338 billion yuan ($55 billion) in financing, the China Daily said on Monday.

The projects include rail transport, roads, rail transit complexes, drainage treatment facilities, waste disposal and heat supply.

The report said private bids will be treated on an equal footing with bids from state-owned firms, and predicted an internal return rate of 8 percent.

"The Beijing government will take measures to ensure investors get a reasonable return," the report quoted Yang Xihui, commissioner of the economic planning agency, as saying.

Policymakers in China are struggling with a quandary; they want to increase infrastructure spending to prop up economic growth rates which have been sagging this year, but they don't want to put more high-risk debt on the books of Chinese banks, which are still struggling to digest the bad loans made during the last infrastructure binge in 2009-2010.

Regulators are signalling increasing openness to foreign money, taking a series of steps to make it easier for money to get into the country through a variety of channels, including both portfolio investment and direct investment.

However, an analysis of economic data has shown that capital began to flow back out of China in June after pouring in to chase a massive rally in the value of the yuan earlier in the year. Some economists believe the outflow is set to continue for the near future as investors reduce their exposure to China.

($1 = 6.1294 Chinese yuan)


----------



## Þróndeimr

*UNstudio* won first prize in a competition to redesign Scitech Plaza, a shopping mall located in the centre of Beijing. The project consist of the 
shopping mall and two high-rise towers, 220m and 145m tall.

Thread about the project *here*!









Illustration by Methanoia, Courtesy by UNstudio









Illustration by Methanoia, Courtesy by UNstudio


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## bozenBDJ

^^ The design looks sleek and futuristic :drool:  .


----------



## skyscraperus




----------



## big-dog

^^ lol that guy is really funny, building a cave on top of the building.


----------



## ZZ-II

bozenBDJ said:


> ^^ The design looks sleek and futuristic :drool:  .


not the tallest but an incredible cool design!


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## Whiteeclipse

big-dog said:


> ^^ lol that guy is really funny, building a cave on top of the building.


Not funny at all, could end up being dangerous due to pieces falling down.


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## hkskyline

skyscraperus said:


>


*TCM chain probed after illegal house exposed*
14 August 2013
China Daily

Beijing authorities have begun investigating a traditional Chinese medicine chain after learning its founder built an illegal house on top of a 26-story apartment building.

The Qijingtang TCM chain is being investigated by the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce's Chaoyang branch, a spokeswoman named Song said.

The authority will investigate the chain's licenses and release the results as soon as possible, Song said.

Zhang Biqing, the chain's founder, said he will demolish the illegal house within 15 days, as ordered by the authority, Mirror Evening News reported on Tuesday.

Haidian district chengguan, or urban patrol officers, issued a notice on Monday that Zhang should demolish the house within 15 days, as it was illegal.

The house, on top of a 26-story apartment building in the Renji Shanzhuang community, was built with rock and decorated with trees and bushes, covering more than 800 square meters.

Neighbors complained about the home as it was being built in 2007, and later about music and singing late at night after it was finished.

Zhang said he was aware of the problem and will demolish the illegal parts of the house, Mirror Evening News reported, but he dismissed allegations that he had beaten a neighbor who argued with him over the illegal building.

Zhang is a former member of a district branch of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the political advisory body, according to chengguan authorities.

His case became a hot topic among Chinese netizens, who also questioned his experience in curing diseases, which was mentioned on Qijingtang's website and the website of a medical research academy he headed.

According to its website, Qijingtang has 11 stores in Beijing and many others across the country.

"We have our own legal representative. The operation of this shop has nothing to do with Zhang," said a woman named Zhao, who is in charge of the Qijingtang chain store in the Hujialou area of Chaoyang district.

"We only introduce his therapy, but we have no contact with him now," Zhao said.

"Our massage therapists have all received formal medical training."

Zhao said the store uses magnetic acupuncture therapy to relieve pain in the cervical vertebra and omovertebral bone.

According to the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the store has been approved for prostate disease therapy.

Healthcare products on the shelves of the store in Hujialou cost from several hundred yuan to more than 2,000 yuan ($327).

The store's reception hall covers about 10 sq m, with three rows of benches for waiting patients.

According to its website, Qijingtang has a training department, which charges 3,000 yuan for a course.

People who complete the course receive training and occupation qualification certificates for therapists, which say they have been approved by the Ministry of Human Resource and Social Security.

The website was closed on Tuesday afternoon for an upgrade, according to a Qijingtang employee.

The Chaoyang branch of the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce said it will investigate Qijingtang's training program.


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## hkskyline

*Hadid's grand design in Beijing slated by Chinese *
2 August 2013
The Independent

A Chinese heritage group has accused architect Zaha Hadid of "destroying" Beijing's old town after a futuristic new development created by her practice was honoured with a top award.

Galaxy Soho, a panoramic 330,000 sq metre entertainment and office complex in the heart of Beijing, is a typically avant-garde design by the British-Iraqi architect responsible for the Olympic Park's Aquatics Centre.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) recognised the spectacular construction, designed to project "an internal world of continuous open spaces", with its International award.

The Institute has also shortlisted Galaxy Soho, Hadid's first shopping complex, for the prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize, awarded in September to the best new building outside of Europe. However, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre said it was "shocked" that Riba had chosen to honour Hadid's complex.

"The Galaxy Soho project has violated a number of heritage preservation laws and regulations," the organisation said in a letter to Riba, published by Building Design. "It has caused great damage to the preservation of the old Beijing streetscape, the original urban plan, the traditional Hutong and courtyard houses."

The scheme was a "typical unfortunate example of the destruction of Beijing old town". RIBA was "encouraging" developers to carry on with the "destruction of cultural heritage sites".

The letter said: "Many of us in Beijing are very disappointed and offended. We strongly believe this award by your institution will encourage developers and authorities to continue to commit... wrongs... and will increase the difficulties of cultural heritage preservation in China."

A spokesman for Zaha Hadid Architects said: "Throughout the design process, ZHA worked with the Local Design Institute (LDI) to ensure the project complies with all government building regulations and planning requirements. When ZHA was appointed to the project, no buildings existed on the site which is adjacent to large scale commercial/civic buildings and one of Beijing's busiest motorways."

Hadid's scheme, featuring her signature curving forms, was designed to reflect Beijing's architectural heritage. Its four oval domed towers "have a curving and organic shape without corners, a concept derived from the traditional Chinese courtyard." In its Lubetkin commendation, RIBA said: "The light and airy public spaces are truly innovative in a sprawling, dense urban context - cities in the West could learn much from this project." Hadid, 62, has become an architectural "superstar" in China. Her work is taught in design courses and when she gave a talk in Beijing, 15,000 architects, artists and fans attended. Her asymetrical Guangzhou Opera House won acclaim in 2010 and designs like her Wangjing SOHO towers complex have been "pirated" and produced in carbon copy forms by Chinese construction firms.

However Hank Dittmar, special adviser to Prince Charles's urban building foundation, warned that cities like Beijing, in seeking statement buildings to project their new global capital, are in danger of becoming "architectural trophy rooms" for star architects like Hadid. He said: "Addressing the lowest common denominator effect by reflecting what was destroyed in the abstract, either formally as in Galaxy Soho's courtyards, or through interpretation, is merely writing an obituary, not keeping the culture alive."

If Hadid triumphs in the Lubetkin, it would be the second year in a row that a Chinese project has won the award. Last year Wilkinson Eyre won for its Guangzhou International Finance Centre and the practice is again listed in 2013 for its Cooled Conservatories Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. In 2009 the Lubetkin went to Herzog & de Meuron's Bird's Nest in Beijing, the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympics, despite complaints that the infrastructure required for the Games had been built at the expense of the city's historic quarters.


----------



## bozenBDJ

Zaha 's work is just so popular among the Chinese architects and her 'fans' .


----------



## Highcliff

this one...:drool::drool::master::master::cheers::cheers2::cheers:


Minsk said:


> *Green features are adopted in creating a sustainable mixed-use development*
> 
> Parkview Green
> 
> *Source: *www.worldarchitecturenews.com


----------



## Julito-dubai

hkskyline said:


> *Hadid's grand design in Beijing slated by Chinese *
> 2 August 2013
> The Independent
> 
> A Chinese heritage group has accused architect Zaha Hadid of "destroying" Beijing's old town after a futuristic new development created by her practice was honoured with a top award.
> 
> Galaxy Soho, a panoramic 330,000 sq metre entertainment and office complex in the heart of Beijing, is a typically avant-garde design by the British-Iraqi architect responsible for the Olympic Park's Aquatics Centre.
> 
> The Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) recognised the spectacular construction, designed to project "an internal world of continuous open spaces", with its International award.
> 
> The Institute has also shortlisted Galaxy Soho, Hadid's first shopping complex, for the prestigious RIBA Lubetkin Prize, awarded in September to the best new building outside of Europe. However, the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre said it was "shocked" that Riba had chosen to honour Hadid's complex.
> 
> "The Galaxy Soho project has violated a number of heritage preservation laws and regulations," the organisation said in a letter to Riba, published by Building Design. "It has caused great damage to the preservation of the old Beijing streetscape, the original urban plan, the traditional Hutong and courtyard houses."
> 
> The scheme was a "typical unfortunate example of the destruction of Beijing old town". RIBA was "encouraging" developers to carry on with the "destruction of cultural heritage sites".
> 
> The letter said: "Many of us in Beijing are very disappointed and offended. We strongly believe this award by your institution will encourage developers and authorities to continue to commit... wrongs... and will increase the difficulties of cultural heritage preservation in China."
> 
> A spokesman for Zaha Hadid Architects said: "Throughout the design process, ZHA worked with the Local Design Institute (LDI) to ensure the project complies with all government building regulations and planning requirements. When ZHA was appointed to the project, no buildings existed on the site which is adjacent to large scale commercial/civic buildings and one of Beijing's busiest motorways."
> 
> Hadid's scheme, featuring her signature curving forms, was designed to reflect Beijing's architectural heritage. Its four oval domed towers "have a curving and organic shape without corners, a concept derived from the traditional Chinese courtyard." In its Lubetkin commendation, RIBA said: "The light and airy public spaces are truly innovative in a sprawling, dense urban context - cities in the West could learn much from this project." Hadid, 62, has become an architectural "superstar" in China. Her work is taught in design courses and when she gave a talk in Beijing, 15,000 architects, artists and fans attended. Her asymetrical Guangzhou Opera House won acclaim in 2010 and designs like her Wangjing SOHO towers complex have been "pirated" and produced in carbon copy forms by Chinese construction firms.
> 
> However Hank Dittmar, special adviser to Prince Charles's urban building foundation, warned that cities like Beijing, in seeking statement buildings to project their new global capital, are in danger of becoming "architectural trophy rooms" for star architects like Hadid. He said: "Addressing the lowest common denominator effect by reflecting what was destroyed in the abstract, either formally as in Galaxy Soho's courtyards, or through interpretation, is merely writing an obituary, not keeping the culture alive."
> 
> If Hadid triumphs in the Lubetkin, it would be the second year in a row that a Chinese project has won the award. Last year Wilkinson Eyre won for its Guangzhou International Finance Centre and the practice is again listed in 2013 for its Cooled Conservatories Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. In 2009 the Lubetkin went to Herzog & de Meuron's Bird's Nest in Beijing, the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympics, despite complaints that the infrastructure required for the Games had been built at the expense of the city's historic quarters.


WTF has Prince Charles to do with this? Keep growing cucumbers and carrotts while waiting for your job. China is not your area of business :bash:


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## skyridgeline

hkskyline said:


> *Hadid's grand design in Beijing slated by Chinese the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre *
> 2 August 2013
> The Independent
> 
> A Chinese heritage group ... .



Fixed.

Note that The Independent is bashing Hadid.


"Beijing Cultural Heritage _Protection_" ... reach:.

What have they done lately other than bitching? The key is rejuvenation not 'protection'.

Here is an example:


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## bozenBDJ

^^ Bashing Zaha Hadid 's work + 'rejuvenation' hno: .


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## Loathing

I have seen Hadid's "Galaxy Soho" building in person and it is an impressive building, but it is true that it the architect's didn't spend so much as a minute thinking about the terrible problem in central Beijing of the mass-demolition of historic Hutong districts. These Huntong areas are by far the best thing about Beijing; and they offer the perfect reference point or inspiration for a modern design. Hadid's designs, as always, completely neglect to respect or pay the slightest bit of attention to the area in which they are to be built. I really see Hadid as imposing herself on any area in which her buildings are built; I see her works as a kind of architectural Colonialism. I think that demonstrates arrogance and self-absorption, as well as disrespect for Chinese culture and ignorance of the extremely delicate topic of Chinese cultural heritage.


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## skyridgeline

By Filip Winiewicz 









By rhizome (panoramio.com)


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## little universe

^^

The view of Galaxy SOHO from the ancient *Zhihua Temple / 智化寺*'s courtyard is absolutely cool.  :cheers:


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## little universe

*Beijing Phoenix International Media Center (Phoenix TV New Headquarters) Updates*











Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr

​


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## little universe

*Beijing Phoenix International Media Center (Phoenix TV New Headquarters) Updates*











Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr










Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr









Phoenix International Media Center (BIAD UFo), Beijing / CN, 2013 by william veerbeek, on Flickr

​


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## little universe

*West Street Number 1, Wudaokou, Haidian District, NW Beijing *

from archdaily.com



> Architects: 6A2 Studio, Architectural Design & Research Institute of Tsinghua University
> Location: Wudaokou, Haidian, Beijing, China
> Architect In Charge: Wenqing Li
> Design Team: Wenqing Li, Guodong Yin, Zhe Li, Yijun Qiao, Jintao Jia
> Collaborators: Yan Zhang, Hongyan Li, Zhixin Xu
> Area: 1,200 sqm
> Photographs: Archexist
> 
> 
> West Street No.1 is a mini complex of tenant’s flagship store, which is located in Wudaokou, one of the most famous commercial district in Beijing. It is close to Tsinghua Science Park (TusPark) where includes world-famous IT giants, such as Microsoft, Google, Sohu, and Netease, etc. Customer groups are primarily university students and white-collar workers. Wudaokou Station, one of the busiest subway stations in line 13, is close to the west of the site; and WuDaoKou Shopping Mall, the biggest local commercial complex, is located to the east of the site as a crowd magnet.
> 
> Business Strategy: The client is a commercial real estate developer who is on the rise phase and hope through a fascinated building to improve corporation’s market impression. Meanwhile, saving indirect cost for marketing investment. Line 13, to the west of the site, carries 700,000 passengers per day, can be utilized as a locomotive advertisement platform. So an envelope, especially the facades which face to the subway station and blocks opposite, which should take the initiative to show business appeals positively, instead of using passive advertising, such as billboard.
> 
> Facade strategy: consider the main traffic flows, both day and night, different time period and perspective angles, using building’s form and skin to attract customers’ attention, to cause discussions, and to increase media exposure.
> 
> (1) Daytime: First, set up multidimensional polygons in a digital analysis model, to simulate daylight effects from 9am to 18pm both during the winter solstice and summer solstice. Second, calculate reflective intensity between adjacent surfaces and exclude facets which contrast ratio is below 60%, to ensure adjacent polygons have the best reflection contrast regardless various viewpoints. Finally, combine selected surfaces to a pavilion.
> 
> (2) Nighttime: Each polygon has delicate radial glow. Parametric tools can be used to generate a variety of patterns in a short period. Then selecting a scheme which can balance client’s investment and manufacturing cost. Facade’s warm colors lighting and ground’s cold colors illumination can be in stark contrast. The parametric illumination can improve people’s interest when it compares to the flood lighting background.
> 
> Nowadays, West Street Number 1 becomes a landmark in Wudaokou Commercial District. Architect’s logical creativity combined with client’s marketing strategy can improve project’s material revenue and social impacts.
> 
> Deeply grateful to Neil Leach, Marcos Sanchez, Edward Lifson, John Enright and Selwyen Ting from USC School of Architecture.
























































​


----------



## :jax:

Loathing said:


> I have seen Hadid's "Galaxy Soho" building in person and it is an impressive building, but it is true that it the architect's didn't spend so much as a minute thinking about the terrible problem in central Beijing of the mass-demolition of historic Hutong districts. These Huntong areas are by far the best thing about Beijing; and they offer the perfect reference point or inspiration for a modern design. Hadid's designs, as always, completely neglect to respect or pay the slightest bit of attention to the area in which they are to be built. I really see Hadid as imposing herself on any area in which her buildings are built; I see her works as a kind of architectural Colonialism. I think that demonstrates arrogance and self-absorption, as well as disrespect for Chinese culture and ignorance of the extremely delicate topic of Chinese cultural heritage.


Hadid's constructions, like other signature buildings, are not designed to blend in. Any round building will be a universe in itself, they don't interact with the rectangular street grid. 

The loss of hutongs and siheyuans is tragic, and "reconstructed" hutongs add insult to injury. So far I can agree. 

However, when I got to see the finished (and almost completely empty) building this summer, I was surprised by how small it was. It does look huge from certain angles, like the classic from-the-hutong view or from some of the neighbouring flats. But if you look at it from the second ring it is almost anonymous, you have to look for the familiar curves. There are other, and more alien, buildings that catch the eye before this building. 

More up close, maybe because of the siheyuan that supposedly is the inspiration, it was relatively open and inviting (and as mentioned almost completely desolated).


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## little universe

*
Wangjing New CBD Construction Updates*
(Note: It's NOT the *Beijing CBD* in East Beijing, it's in NE Beijing on the way to the Airport )



Emerging Metropolis by fredchang, on Flickr









Wangjing CBD by fredchang, on Flickr









Wangjing Panorama by fredchang, on Flickr

By *吕景天 Jingtian Lv* from flickr








http://www.flickr.com/photos/lvjingtian/11885760363/sizes/l/in/photostream/

​


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## little universe

*Interiors of the Beijing Phoenix International Media Center (Phoenix TV New Headquarters)*


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture #design by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #design #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture #design by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture #design by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture #design by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #design #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr



​


----------



## little universe

*Interiors of the Beijing Phoenix International Media Center (Phoenix TV New Headquarters)*



Crazy ramp/sky bridges in Phoenix Media Center #squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architect by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture #design by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


#squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #design #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr


Phoenix Media Center in Beijing #squaready #whitagram #igers #igersbeijing #iphone5s #design #instahub #instagood #instavscocam #vsco #vscocam #vscogood #vscogram #vscogrid #vscolove #vscoonly #vscophile #vscoofficial #archdaily #architecture by Eric Zhang CLSD, on Flickr



​


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## little universe

*The InterContinental Hotel Update *
(the one behind the Sanlitun SOHO with the honeycomb claddings on yr left-hand side ) 









DSCF4569-Edit.jpg by photofantast, on Flickr


​


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## Joel que

little universe said:


> *West Street Number 1, Wudaokou, Haidian District, NW Beijing *
> 
> from archdaily.com
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it remind me of tokyo in the 1960's.alas, alot of them eventually torn down.


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## big-dog

very Beijing style 



little universe said:


> *The InterContinental Hotel Update *
> (the one behind the Sanlitun SOHO with the honeycomb claddings on yr left-hand side )
> 
> 
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> DSCF4569-Edit.jpg by photofantast, on Flickr
> 
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## hkskyline

*Beijing ramps up construction of electric auto charging network*

BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) – Beijing has stepped up efforts to optimize the charging facility network to accommodate the swift development of the new energy auto industry.

The Chinese capital city has currently finished site selection of 100 public fast-fill charging poles in the downtown area. Construction on these charging facilities will start soon.

By the end of this year, the number of public fast-fill charging poles in Beijing is expected to reach 1,000, according to the city's plan.


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## hkskyline

*Domes give kids chance to exercise in clean air*
28 March 2014
China Daily

With Beijing education authorities urging schools to cancel outdoor activities when pollution level alerts hit orange, some international schools in the capital are building facilities to ensure children can exercise in cleaner air.

The color-coded alert system, in order of increasing severity, is blue, yellow, orange and red.

In order to ensure children do not have to cut down their outdoor activities due to air quality, international schools in Beijing are spending tens of millions of yuan building air domes - large enclosed areas with filtered air.

The Western Academy of Beijing, an international school in Chaoyang district, constructed a campus dome in January that covers 1,000 square meters.

"The design and construction of the dome took about six months; three waiting for the required materials to be transported here from the US and three constructing it," said Johnny Whang, the school's property manager.

The dome, named Tiger L'Air, was built on the school's tennis court, and has an air purifier on one side, said Gordon Gao, general manager of ASATI (Beijing) Air Dome Co. Ltd, a US company in charge of designing and constructing the dome.

About half of the dome's materials were purchased from the United States, Gao said.

The company entered the Chinese market in 2000.

"Most of our clients in the beginning wanted them for sports teams," Gao said.

The International School of Beijing in Shunyi district was the first school to approach ASATI in 2012. The ISB dome cost about 30 million yuan ($4.9 million), CNN reported.

Fei Cong, WAB school affairs director, said, "We built the dome to protect children during hazardous weather in Beijing as some sports activities, such as soccer, had to be canceled."

WAB students have about three PE classes every week, not including organized outdoor activities, which usually take place at 3:30 pm.

Fei said WAB staff paid several visits to IBS to learn how the dome is best utilized.

Students and parents appreciated the options the new facility provides.

On Feb 25, when the AQI in Beijing exceeded 300 for most of the day, the air quality monitor inside the dome showed the AQI was just 4, Fei said.


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## hkskyline

*China Focus: Top-level design urged for integrating Beijing with neighbors*

BEIJING, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The country's top economic planner is studying a high-level cooperation scheme for Beijing and its neighbors to promote regional integrated development, according to an official.

Top-level design, which is being jointly considered by local authorities, should combine land use, urban construction and economic and social development plans, said Zhang Zhiqiang, head of the Development and Reform Commission of Tianjin Municipality on Friday.

Hebei Province, which neighbors Beijing and Tianjin, took the lead in unveiling two guidelines last week, which offered a clue to different roles of major cities in Hebei in regional development. Beijing and Tianjin have not yet announced any such plans.

The province will enlarge the size of Baoding to accommodate administrative organs, colleges and universities, research institutions, medical and nursing services, which will be transferred from Beijing, according to the documents.

Langfang, another Hebei city, will boost its service sector to serve as an ecological and recreational zone for the capital, according to the documents.

Hebei's plans came after Chinese President Xi Jinping called for coordinated development of the region around Beijing in late February.

Xi said urban layout and structure needs to be optimized and division of city functions enhanced when building the economic zone surrounding Beijing, adding that optimizing industrial distribution and overall planning for resources should be focused on.

Hebei is the leading choice for some functional and industrial transfers of Beijing and Tianjin and the plans are provincial-level designs, said Zhou Benshun, governor of Hebei.

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei have a total population of 120 million. Beijing alone has 21 million and faces problems such as air pollution, traffic congestion and overcrowding.

Officials and experts say regional coordinated development is the only effective way for Beijing to solve its problems.

Closer cooperation among the three is under way. For example, they have a mechanism for joint prevention and control of air pollution. Construction of a new airport in Beijing will begin this year on the capital's outskirts neighboring Langfang.

However, the regional integration faces challenges in aspects like unbalanced industrial distribution and environmental pressures.

Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin reported the heaviest air pollution last year in the country, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Hebei boasts several of the most polluted cities such as its capital Shijiazhuang and Xingtai due to heavy industries like iron and steel. It plans to cut iron production capacity by 28 million tonnes and steel production capacity by 40 million tonnes by 2017.

"We must have a clear idea of the environment capacities of the three places so that we know what kind of industries and how much Hebei can take from Beijing or Tianjin," said Wu Yiqing, vice president of Hebei University of Economics and Business.

If the environment does not improve by 2017, steel capacities in Hebei may be further cut, said Wu.

The region has big food demand but Hebei's agriculture is at an initial phase of modernization, said Zhou.

"To push forward coordinated development is undoubtedly the right direction, but the process will not be smooth given the risks and challenges," said Wu.

Short, medium and long-term timetables should be formulated on the basis of consensus and coordination be strengthened to handle new problems in the process, he added.

To remove administrative barriers and push regional coordinated development will be one of the key reform tasks for Beijing this year, said Wang Anshun, mayor of the city.

Unified top-level design should be made for the integration of infrastructure, industries and market in the region, said Wang during the China Development Forum held on March 23-24 in Beijing.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing, Langfang City agreement promotes regional integration*

SHIJIAZHUANG, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A cooperative agreement has been signed by Beijing's Xicheng District and nearby Langfang City in Hebei Province to promote regional integrated development, authorities of Langfang announced on Thursday.

Under the agreement, Xicheng and Langfang will boost cooperation in industrial restructuring and upgrading, developing basic industries and tourism, and will promote exchanges in financial and technology sectors.

The two sides will also build a logistics zone and wholesale market together, while Langfang will invest more in construction of nursing homes.

The agreement came after Chinese President Xi Jinping called for coordinated development of the region around Beijing in late February.

Xi said urban layout and structure needs to be optimized and the division of city functions enhanced when building the economic zone surrounding China's capital.

Earlier media reports said that the famous clothing wholesale market located near the Beijing Zoo will be moved to Langfang. However the project is not mentioned in the agreement.

According to Zhao Hong, deputy head of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, retail and wholesale staff comprise 11.6 percent of Beijing's working population.


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## hkskyline

*Cameras in Beijing’s construction sites soon*
7 April 2014
Shanghai Daily

BEIJING has required all its urban construction sites to install cameras by the end of June to assess how construction companies’ practices add to the capital’s smog.

Based on the pictures taken by the cameras, the municipal commission of housing and urban-rural development will punish companies that use trucks that are not permitted to carry earth or allow outdoor construction to continue on heavily polluted days.

All construction companies will also be required to use fully enclosed vehicles that are authorized to transport earth from July 1, according to the municipal commission.


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## hkskyline

*Desalinated water to be piped into Beijing by 2019 *
18 April 2014
China Daily

Beijing is planning to pipe in desalinated water from the port of Caofeidian in Hebei province to meet increased demand.

Under the desalination project, 1 million metric tons of drinking water a day will be produced from nearby Bohai Bay.

Supplies will be piped to Beijing, and are expected to satisfy one-third of demand in 2019. Caofeidian is under the city of Tangshan's jurisdiction.

Zhang Guibao, deputy district head, confirmed that the project has been approved by the Hebei provincial government and that preliminary research has been carried out.

Wang Xiaoshui, the manager in charge of the project under the Beijing Enterprises Water Group, said, "We are preparing the necessary plans for review and evaluation by the national planning authority."

He said the project is expected to be approved by the National Development and Reform Commission next year after passing the review.

Construction of a related factory and pipelines will take two to three years.

Investment in the project may reach 17 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), with 10 billion yuan going for construction of pipelines running 270 km through Tangshan and Ji, a county in Tianjin, before reaching Beijing.

The final design of the pipeline is still being discussed, Wang said.

The desalination project will feature a combination of heating and reverse osmosis techniques to process the water.

The Beijing group involved in the project launched a pilot desalination project in Caofeidian in March 2012 to provide 5 tons of drinking water to the district every day.

Zhang Haiyan, a worker on the pilot project who lives in Caofeidian and uses desalinated water every day, says it is processed to meet 108 quality indicators, and it tastes just like regular tap water.

Water produced under the pilot project costs about 6 yuan a ton, but this will rise to about 8 yuan when Beijing comes onboard, due to increased costs from the pipeline construction.

While the total investment is large and the water price a little higher than the current daily domestic charge of about 4 yuan a ton, many believe the project is much needed.

Daily water supplies for Beijing, which is home to more than 20 million people, exceeded 2.98 million tons last year, almost reaching municipal water supply capacity, according to statistics from the Beijing Water Authority. Annual per capita water supply for Beijing residents dropped to 100 cubic meters, far below the 1,000 cubic meters threshold set by the United Nations.

Experts believe that, faced with increasing demand for water, Beijing must expand supply through multiple channels, and Bohai Bay is a viable source.

The capital has also taken steps to adjust water pricing to manage consumption.

It is conducting a hearing as part of measures to increase the price by about 1 yuan. Publicized plans state that households will pay between about 5 yuan and 9 yuan per ton, based on annual consumption.

The announcement, by Beijing's development and reform commission, said current pricing does not reflect the shortage of water resources.

The city needs a new pricing system, under which charges rise according to the amount of water consumed, to encourage rational use, the commission said.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing looks to the ocean to ease water shortages *
24 April 2014
South China Morning Post

The authorities defend plans to build a large desalination plant at the polluted Bohai Gulf to pump much-needed supplies the capital

Beijing’s water authorities have defended their plan to ease the capital’s water shortage by processing seawater from the highly polluted Bohai Gulf, a mainland newspaper reported.

The capital’s municipal government has announced a project to build a desalination plan in Tangshan in Hebei province to process one million tonnes of water a day by 2019 to ease Beijing’s water crisis.

Wang Xiaoshui, the general manager of the project, told The Beijing News the plan was feasible and dismissed concerns the water would be undrinkable. The water will be treated to strip it of salt, heavy metals and bacteria and will be drinkable straight from the tap.

The plan has prompted public concerns because Bohai, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea, has some of the most polluted waters on the mainland.

The pollution in the gulf, also known as the Bohai Sea, mainly comes from a large number of coastal industrial zones in Tianjin , Dalian , Weifang and Yantai .

Wang said the desalination plant would be in a location with clean water. After years of testing and monitoring the seawater quality, Beijing’s water authorities were confident the water in the Caofeidian district was the cleanest in the Bohai Gulf due to its flow of sea currents.

Construction would cost 7 billion yuan (HK$8.8 billion), excluding a 270-kilometre water-channeling facility that would cost another 10 billion yuan.

Wang admitted that due to the high cost of construction and operation, each tonne of desalinated water would cost 8 yuan – double the current average price paid by Beijing residents. But he argued that water prices in the capital would increase over the next few years, so the cost would be acceptable by the time the desalinated water was available.

However, Professor Hu Yunxia, a desalination specialist at the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the retail cost of the water was too high and there needed to be significant room for reduction.

The mainland is short of more than 50 billion cubic metres of water annually, or 8.2 per cent of its annual water consumption of about 610 billion cubic metres. Two-thirds of the mainland’s cities suffer from water shortages, while close to 300 million people living in rural areas lack access to safe drinking water.

Wang admitted the proposed desalination facility’s production capacity of one million tonnes per day was only one-tenth of Beijing’s present water consumption, which means the plant alone will not solve the water crisis.

But he said they were preparing to build another plant three times larger, which could satisfy a significant proportion of Beijing’s water demand. Coupled with the South-North Water Transfer Project, which will channel one billion tonnes of water from Hubei province to Beijing each year, this could eliminate the capital’s shortage.

But the desalination plant would, as a by-product, produce a huge volume of highly salty deposits which the government’s State Oceanic Administration warns might disturb the fragile marine environment and ecology of Bohai.

Wang said all the salty by-products would be used by nearby chemical factories and that “not a drop of salty water” would be discharged into the sea.

Still, the mainland lacks experience in building and operating large-scale desalination facilities, so the government must source reliable – but expensive – materials elsewhere.

The Caofeidian plant is heavily dependent on imports – including Norwegian technology and reliable water-filter membranes from the United States.

“All the membranes have to be imported, as well as all the pumps and pipelines,” Hu, the desalination specialist, said. “The membranes alone contribute to about 50 per cent of the total cost.”

But Hu said the central government was pumping funds into researching and developing Chinese-made desalination technology, which could reduce costs for future facilities.

“Many city governments are interested in desalination, with hundreds of million yuan invested in research and development each year,” she said.

Professor Wang Jun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ environmental research centre in Beijing, acknowledged Bohai was polluted, but said that in today’s China, it was impossible to find an absolutely safe source of drinking water.


----------



## little universe

*Beijing Chaoyang Park Plaza *
By Beijing-based *MAD Architects*



from archidaily.com




> Architects: MAD Architects
> Location: Beijing, China
> Directors In Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
> Design Team: Zhao Wei, Kin Li, Liu Huiying, Lin Guomin, Bennet Hu Po-Kang, Julian Sattler, Nathan Kiatkulpiboone, Li Guangchong, Fu Changrui, Yang Jie, Zhu Jinglu, Younjin Park, Gustaaf Alfred Van Staveren
> Client: Junhao Real Estate Beijing Jingfa Properties Co., Limited.
> Construction Engineers: China Construction Design International Group Co., Ltd
> Facade Design & Optimize Consultant: RFR and Meinhardt Facade Technologies
> Landscape Design Consultant: Greentown Akin
> Lighting Design Consultant: GD Lighting Design Co., Ltd
> Building Height: 120 m
> Site Area: 30,763 sqm
> Area: 128177.0 sqm
> Year: 2016
> Photographs: MAD
> 
> 
> 
> *Construction has commenced *on MAD’s Chaoyang Park Plaza within one of Beijing’s largest public parks and central business district. A continuation of Ma Yansong’s “Shan-Shui City” concept, which aims reintroduce nature into the urban realm, the mixed-use complex reinterprets natural formations illustrated in traditional Chinese paintings as contemporary “city landscapes.”
> 
> “Like the tall mountain cliffs and river landscapes of China, a pair of asymmetrical towers creates a dramatic skyline in front of the park,” described MAD. “Ridges and valleys define the shape of the exterior glass facade, as if the natural forces of erosion wore down the tower into a few thin lines.”
> 
> 
> 
> “Flowing down the facade, the lines emphasize the smoothness of the towers and its verticality. The internal ventilation and filtration system of the ridges draw a natural breeze indoors, which not only improves the interior space but also creates an energy efficient system.”
> 
> 
> Yansong attempt’s to integrate nature thoughout the design; Interiors are “injected” with landscape elements, such as towering courtyards and multi-level garden terraces, while “mid-air courtyards” connect the site’s two residential buildings and provide residents the “freedom to wander” through an elevated “mountain forest.” Even the shape of the complex’s four office towers were designed to resemble eroded “river stones.”
> 
> “This project transforms the traditional model of buildings in a modern city’s central business district,” explains MAD. “By exploring the symbiotic relationship between modern urban architecture and natural environment, it revives the harmonious co-existence between urban life and nature. It creates a Shanshui city where people can share their individual emotions and a sense of belonging.”
> 
> Natural lighting, intelligent building, and an innovative air purification system is expected to help MAD achieve LEED Gold certification upon completion in 2016.
























































































​


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## zkydzy

awesome architecture :cheers:


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## erbse

Wow. Love that 21st century scifi Art Deco feel to it, the black colour makes it really appear mystical. Could turn out legendary if done right! kay:


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## hkskyline

*Myriad water diversion projects suggest rapid degradation of local environment*
11 June 2014
Shanghai Daily

LAST Thursday a German reporter expressed her interest in China’s ongoing South-to-North water diversion project. To my embarrassment, I did not know enough about the project to enlighten her. I found it necessary to investigate a little bit.

The whole project, consisting of eastern, central and western routes, is estimated at 500 billion yuan (US$81 billion), spanning a period of 40 to 50 years.

The reporter was particularly interested in the central section, whose construction began in 2003. Following the completion of Phase I last year, the central route is scheduled to supply water to parched northern regions including Beijing and Tianjin in mid-2014.

The city of Shiyan, Hubei Province, is seriously affected by the water-diversion project. The reporter described Shiyan as “ugly.” It is home to Dongfeng Auto Company, which makes Dongfeng trucks and Fukang automobiles.

Toward the end of the 1960s, the government, following a row with the former Soviet Union, decided to set up a giant automaker in this city nestled among mountains, about 400 kilometers from the city of Wuhan.

As the capacity of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Shiyan had to be raised significantly so that water could be sourced and diverted to the north, about 471 villages in Shiyan were inundated. As a result, over 200,000 people have been relocated — the largest relocation in China since the mammoth Three Gorges Dam project.

To slake its thirst for land, Shiyan has been expanding its “new city” aggressively. According to a local government report, since 2007, when construction of the west part of the new city started, 1,000 households were relocated, over 100 mountaintops were flattened, and over 5,000 tombs were removed.

Given the racket and the dust kicked up in this land-shifting endeavor, we should not be surprised that local authorities are in dire need of money to curb pollution in five tributaries to the Danjiangkou Reservoir.

The water quality in one of the five rivers is labeled “grade IV,” which means “industrial use only,” and that in the other four is the worse “grade V,” meaning “agricultural use only.”

It is said that half of local sewage water is discharged untreated into these rivers. The water quality in all five rivers is supposed to meet “grade III” by 2015.

The German reporter seemed politely optimistic about the anticipated cleanup.

She came from Stuttgart, home to Mercedes, Porsche and Bosch, and during Germany’s economic development, many German rivers were heavily polluted.

I did not derive much solace from her reassurances, for Germany has cleaned up partly because it has successfully outsourced its most polluting manufacturing capacity to other countries. It’s a moral irony that a place known for luxury brand cars should be allowed to have access to clean air and water.

Outsourcing

I thought about the Confucian tenet, “Do not impose on others what you yourselves do not desire.”

This is exactly where the globalized trick of “outsourcing” has gone awry.

When extended, this outsourcing philosophy can also apply to the many water-diversion projects. The logic is that when local resources can no longer sustain local greed, you can always export pollution, or import clean resources.

According to government statistics this May, of the 657 cities in China, about half are in “grave shortage of water.” In addition to the gigantic South-to-North water-diversion projects, there are at least 15 smaller-scale local projects, involving nearly 130 billion yuan in investment.

As Qiu Baoxing wrote recently, when water diversion becomes costlier and goes over longer distances, it causes greater and greater ecological damage to the areas where the water is sourced. Qiu noted that there are generally strict restrictions over long-distance water diversion in developed countries, especially when this involves different river systems.

Qiu is a former deputy minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

It is easy to see why water-diversion projects are being resisted. According to the June 6 Oriental Morning Post, Hangzhou plans to divert 20 percent of the water from Qiandao Lake, but this has been fiercely resisted by Jiande, which is close to the lake.

One should be surprised that Hangzhou, the earthly paradise sitting right next to the Qiantang River, should lack water. Of course Hangzhou does not lack water. Like nearly all prosperous water-rich cities, it is merely thirsty for clean water. According to a statement from the Ministry of Environmental Protection on June 4, the water quality is “extremely poor” not only in Hangzhou Bay but also in the estuary of the Yangtze River, the Minjiang River estuary and the Pearl River estuary. That’s an extremely disturbing comment on the cost of being a global factory, for these areas are all engines of soaring growth.

By allowing those who have soiled their own nest to outsource, we are essentially encouraging a dirty, destructive and irresponsible way of life.


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## erkantang

Any new updates on the wangjing CBD or the InterContinental hotel?And is the Wangjing SOHO finished now?


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## hkskyline

*Hebei envisions integrated traffic network by 2020*
27 June 2014
China Daily










Hebei province has taken the lead in planning an integrated transportation network with Beijing and Tianjin, as Hebei works and plans two new ring roads that will surround the nation's capital, a top provincial official said.

The grand traffic network will include convenient air, sea and land traffic. And Hebei will make six major cities, including Shijiazhuang and Tangshan, into important traffic hubs like Beijing and Tianjin.

The integrated transportation network will be complete by 2020, allowing people to travel between major cities in the region within an hour and fueling regional economic development, said Gao Jinhao, head of the province's traffic bureau.

Of the projects listed on the plan, the Seventh Ring Road stands out.

Though it's known informally as the Seventh Ring Road of Beijing, only a small part of the 940-km-long expressway will run through the nation's capital, in Miyun county and Pinggu district. The other 850 kilometers will extend into neighboring Hebei cities, including Langfang, Zhangjiakou and Chengde.

The route of the ring road will follow Hebei's existing expressways, Gao said.

The Seventh Ring Road will open to traffic by 2015, and the majority of construction is already finished, said a provincial official on Thursday who declined to be named.

In addition, an even longer ring road outside the Seventh Ring Road is in the works. The road will run as much as 1,250 km through Tianjin and more cities of Hebei province.

Gao said the throughways will promote a more active interaction among cities in the new northern economic hub and fuel future coordinated regional development.

In the region, Hebei is weaker economically than Beijing and Tianjin, and the province's current traffic system also lags behind.

According to Hebei's traffic authority, the length of highways in the province is 19 percent less than those in Beijing. The expressway density in the province only accounted for half in Beijing.

To fill the gaps, Hebei has increased the allocation on expressway projects by 8 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) a year, reaching 46 billion yuan in 2014.

"The construction of the Seventh Ring Road will promote the regional development, that's for sure," said Chen Yanyan, a professor at Beijing University of Technology's Transportation Research Center.

But she also pointed out that the integrated traffic network in the region needs cooperation from the three areas, adding that initiatives only from Hebei cannot work.


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## hkskyline

*Yongqing in Hebei may realise 'liveable suburb' dream thanks to greater Beijing integration*
29 June 2014
South China Morning Post	










"New" Yongqing, in Hebei province close to the boundary of Beijing municipality, finally looks like it might justify a property developer's tagline and become the "closest liveable suburb to Beijing" 60km away.

Yongqing had for years made fruitless attempts to attract some of the economic windfalls of a much-talked-about integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei (also known as Jing-Jin-Ji).

Now the integration is taking on new momentum after being declared a showcase project by President Xi Jinping and included in Premier Li Keqiang's work report this year.

Along with real-estate projects targeting Beijingers feeling the pinch of high property prices, Yongqing county wants to attract some of the capital's businesses. Plans are under way to build a garment manufacturing and wholesale hub.

Eight markets covering garments, fur, footwear and small commodities in Beijing's famous Dahongmen wholesale district have agreed to move to the planned Yongqing International Garment City. An agreement on the mega-market was signed in mid-May, but Han said there were as yet no details of the timetable for its construction or the size of the investment involved.

The zone hopes to lure other garment markets from the area around Beijing Zoo.

The eight markets in Dahongmen comprise more than 9,000 shops employing 35,000 people. But the sector has created congestion, leaving it unwanted in the eyes of the municipal government as it seeks to reduce Beijing's traffic jams and air pollution.

Wu Jianjun , a shop owner at the Jingwen clothing market, is open to relocating. Like most of his fellow businessmen, he rents private homes nearby as workshops and sells at the market. "After all, Yongqing is still very close to Beijing, and I can have my own production line there instead of renting a place where I risk eviction at any time," he said.

Li Li, another Jingwen shop owner, is worried she might lose customers after the move. She also wonders whether the schools and hospitals are good enough. Li predicted fewer than half of shop owners would make the move. Those shops not doing well might simply withdraw from the industry or move to areas they felt offered better opportunities, she said.

The garment hub will also house factories, an outlet mall, a theme park and museum, among other attractions, according to a brochure about the development zone.

Shi Jiasheng , assistant to the general manager of Zhongguangxin, a real-estate agency in Beijing, said industry insiders mostly had high hopes for the Jing-Jin-Ji programme.

"Everyone has expectations over the plan, as it is a national strategy now," Shi said. Developers were especially optimistic about the "mega Beijing" plan.

Governments of some nearby cities are waiting to see how the integration plays out.

The head of Cangzhou's publicity bureau told the Sunday Morning Post it had no plans of its own to become a key sub-centre to the capital but would "firmly support and follow the arrangements of the central government".

The government of Langfang , which oversees Yongqing, also said it would await orders from the provincial government.

Li Chen, a researcher with Beijing-based real-estate developer Huaxia Xingfu Jiye, said his company remained cautious about the programme.

"The three places still have many things to decide, with different views on industries and city planning," Li said. "So we shouldn't move too early."

Despite the announcement of several big infrastructure projects, including a new airport and a seventh ring road to be located largely in Hebei, many believe true integration is still far off.

Hebei has tried to explore growth opportunities within the framework since the National Development and Reform Commission launched the idea a decade ago. Steelmaker Shougang Group, one of the nation's biggest, moved to Caofeidian in Tangshan . But the industrial zone has numerous unfinished buildings and few residents, Faren magazine reported recently.

Tangshan has drawn criticism for attracting only a few low-level institutions, while Yanjiao, on its outskirts, has been dubbed a "dormitory city".

"A satellite city should make its residents feel part of a community," Han said. "Real integration should mean a proper mix of culture and public services such as medical care and education."


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## hkskyline

*Beijing to build 10,000 public EV charging poles by 2017*

BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhua) – Beijing plans to build 10,000 public charging poles by 2017, according to an action plan published by the municipal government on Friday.

The plan said the capital city will step up the construction of charging facilities for electric vehicles (EV). Initially the charging poles will be primarily located in public areas, including public parking lots and highway service zones.

According to a source with the municipal development and reform commission of Beijing, authorities will study on involving property management entities into the construction and operation of EV charging facilities, as part of the efforts to encourage private use of electric sedans.


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## hkskyline

* Beijing Monorail Plan Earns Ire Among Residents*
18 July 2014
Caixin Online

A group of Beijing residents have mounted a campaign against a 22.95 billion yuan monorail project expected to be built in the eastern part of the city, citing a lack of environmental safeguards and insufficient public consultation.

On July 8, representatives from several residential communities handed in a joint statement to the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), which published environmental assessments for the project, attacking the validity of previous assessments on the monorail project.

The 33.7-kilometer long beam-riding monorail project, with maximum speeds of 76 kilometers per hour, is set to be built in the east part of the city and will run through several residential communities. The owner of the project is the government-backed Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Construction is set to be launched this year and completed next year.

According to residents, a survey has found 70 percent of nearby residents oppose the project due to concerns over noise, light and environmental pollution due to the planned proximity of the train to residential buildings. Some residents also cast doubt on the efficiency and necessity of building the line as 10 kilometers of the monorail's total 33.7 kilometers would run parallel to the Beijing Metro Line 14, at only 1 kilometer apart. Residents complained that they did not receive adequate notification of the project. A resident surnamed Shen said she and many other residents only learned of the project in January when CRAES issued an environmental assessment report on plans for the monorail.

Shen said some of the residents then collected and submitted public opinions to CRAES. They were told a follow-up assessment which would include interviews with local residents would be held. However, the assessment with the residents never took place, said Shen.

On June 14, residents said they learned that a second environmental assessment was published through news reports. The project began calling for bids on January 27, long before the second public notice was released. Under Beijing regulations, plans for major construction projects must first pass an environmental evaluation prior to obtaining approval for construction, according to a government official.

Caixin contacted the agent for the bidding process, Beijing Zhongchang Engineering Consultancy, and was told bidding had been completed and the project had moved into the process of evaluation. When asked about the environment assessment of the project, Xie Jin, spokesperson of the company, said he is "not clear" about the issue.


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## Urbanista1

some truly amazing projects in Beijing. I look forward to visiting some day.


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## hkskyline

* Beijing opens first museum of literary classics*
Updated: 2014-07-17
China Daily










After detailed restoration in a heavily guarded warehouse, the cream of China's literary works have finally found a home open to the general public with the official opening of the National Museum of Classic Books in Beijing on Tuesday.

The museum, established by the National Library of China after two years of preparation, is the country's first public institution to focus on exhibitions of ancient classic books.

"Ancient classic books are a historical witness of China's consistent civilization throughout thousands of years," said Han Yongjin, director of the library. "A combination of museum and library is an inevitable trend. The Chinese characters written on these ancient books have to be seen. Our readers will also thus get new experiences."

Han said the museum is home to 2.75 million copies of ancient classics (published before 1911), which include metal and stone rubbings, rare books and old maps, thanks to the library's huge collection of such items. The 800 most precious works are on display as an opening gift for visitors. This first exhibition, tentatively scheduled to run for three months, began to receive groups of visitors, numbering up to 2,000 people a day, on Aug 1. Individual visitors will be allowed from Sept 9, the 105th anniversary of the library's founding.


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## erkantang

Some U/C sites i took yesterday at CBD


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## little universe

^^

What's the name of this ongoing project?

It also appears in the photo below (on the bottom left just across the road of the Guanghua Rd SOHO)  :cheers:



20140724 Oracle #CloudWorld Beijing by Software Insider POV, on Flickr


​


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## hkskyline

*Overgrown Beijing slaps new limits on industry in bid to cut smog*

BEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China's overgrown and smog-hit capital Beijing has passed new rules banning the expansion of polluting and resource-intensive industries, the local government said on Friday.

In a list of restrictions published on its website (www.beijing.gov.cn), the municipal government said it would ban the further expansion of a wide range of industries, including food processing, textiles, construction materials, papermaking, chemicals and oil refining.

It said in an accompanying statement that the list had been drawn up to serve the capital's plans to restructure its economy and promote integrated development with the neighbouring regions of Hebei and Tianjin.

Beijing has been under heavy pressure to end its obsession with industrial growth, which has not only left the city choking with smog, but also deprived poverty-stricken surrounding regions of the opportunity to improve their economies.

"Constantly-developing Beijing is now facing a series of problems, including overpopulation, congestion, water shortages and air pollution - these deep-rooted problems are related to the fact that the city has too many functions, and its economy is too big," the statement said.

*The city's economy grew 6.5 times from 1998 to 2012, researchers have estimated, while its population grew by two thirds, energy consumption doubled and the number of vehicles on its road tripled over the period.*

Beijing has already been moving hundreds of industrial enterprises to Hebei to ease pollution and congestion.

It has also started closing down coal-fired power plants with the aim of cutting average daily air pollution by a third by 2017.

China is considering plans to create a "super-region" around Beijing by relocating industries, improving transportation, breaking down administrative barriers and setting unified industry standards.

*It is also planning to relocate some non-essential government functions to Hebei and is studying a proposal to relocate as many as 5 million people outside of the city, according to local media reports.*

The new policy will also impose restrictions on new real estate projects, including bans on the construction of large-scale hotels, schools, office buildings and hospitals in "core districts", the city government said.

Beijing's average readings of tiny airborne particles that are hazardous to health, known as PM2.5, reached 91.6 micrograms per cubic metre in the first half of 2014, down 11.2 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection showed.


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## el palmesano

if that city solves the problem of pollution, it will be truly awesome!


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## :jax:

Beijing is big, but I think reducing pollution inside Beijing, especially by moving it to Hebei, will have limited effect. Beijing produces plenty pollution on its own, mind you, but the worst winter smog comes from the outside, from Hebei. The Hebei capital, Shijiazhuang, has far worse pollution than Beijing.


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## :jax:

hkskyline said:


> * Beijing Monorail Plan Earns Ire Among Residents*
> 18 July 2014
> Caixin Online
> 
> A group of Beijing residents have mounted a campaign against a 22.95 billion yuan monorail project expected to be built in the eastern part of the city, citing a lack of environmental safeguards and insufficient public consultation.
> 
> On July 8, representatives from several residential communities handed in a joint statement to the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), which published environmental assessments for the project, attacking the validity of previous assessments on the monorail project.
> 
> The 33.7-kilometer long beam-riding monorail project, with maximum speeds of 76 kilometers per hour, is set to be built in the east part of the city and will run through several residential communities. The owner of the project is the government-backed Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co. Construction is set to be launched this year and completed next year.
> 
> According to residents, a survey has found 70 percent of nearby residents oppose the project due to concerns over noise, light and environmental pollution due to the planned proximity of the train to residential buildings. Some residents also cast doubt on the efficiency and necessity of building the line as 10 kilometers of the monorail's total 33.7 kilometers would run parallel to the Beijing Metro Line 14, at only 1 kilometer apart. Residents complained that they did not receive adequate notification of the project. A resident surnamed Shen said she and many other residents only learned of the project in January when CRAES issued an environmental assessment report on plans for the monorail.
> 
> Shen said some of the residents then collected and submitted public opinions to CRAES. They were told a follow-up assessment which would include interviews with local residents would be held. However, the assessment with the residents never took place, said Shen.
> 
> On June 14, residents said they learned that a second environmental assessment was published through news reports. The project began calling for bids on January 27, long before the second public notice was released.


I guess Suddenly Monorail took more people than us by surprise.


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## erkantang

A building complex u/c at the financil street taken by me today


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## hkskyline

*Companies keen to pay for prime CBD locations*
1 August 2014
China Daily

Demand for grade-A office space in major cities holds its own in a generally weak property market, reports Yao Jing.

Office space in core areas of China's big cities is getting more expensive. But instead of walking away, companies are paying up, topping expectations in China's commercial property sector in an overall weak real estate market.	

The demand for grade-A office space in major cities has remained steady, driven by a lack of new supply, low vacancy rates, domestic companies' interest in new leases and increasing confidence on the part of landlords, according to property services consultants and providers.

A glance at a skyscraper in Beijing's central business district in Chaoyang district gives evidence of the trend.

China World Trade Center Tower III, at 81 stories and one of the tallest buildings in Beijing, is also the most expensive office building in the CBD. It currently is home to about 70 companies.

East of the building, the China World Trade Center Phase 3B project is under construction.

In the second quarter of the year, Beijing's prime office market registered 39,800 square meters of net absorption. CBD rents rose 2.9 percent quarter-on-quarter, the first increase recorded in six quarters, according to a report released by Jones Lang La Salle IP Inc, a real estate management company.

Strong leasing velocity in the nearby Fortune Financial Center, coupled with limited availability in the CBD, led key buildings, such as China World Trade Center, to regain confidence and raise rents.

The banking and insurance industries were the main drivers of demand, and several new leases were signed in the sector.

Domestic companies again accounted for the majority of new leases, while foreign firms generally renewed or leased comparatively smaller spaces.

"Landlords and tenants are becoming more discerning as the market matures, and there is an increasing understanding that not all buildings are created equal," said Eric Hirsch, head of markets for JLL Beijing.

By comparison, most other submarkets were flat or registered minimal increases.

For Zhang Ying, managing director at JLL North China, the rising rents and growing construction areas in the CBD were a sign of something more: signs of the company's expansion in China.

Working for JLL for 18 years, Zhang has witnessed the company's growth from a single office with three people to one having more than 2,000 staff members.

Meanwhile, starting from a 360-square-meter office in Fulllink Plaza in Chaoyang district, the company's Beijing branch represented the first company to move into the China World Trade Center Tower III in 2010.

It now occupies a spacious office on the 11th floor of the landmark building, with a unit size of nearly 3,500 sqm.

During construction, the company stayed in the World Trade Center Tower I from 2003 to 2010.

"The size of our business is 24 times than that of 10 years ago, and the number of employees is 13 times," Zhang said.

An expert in commercial property, JLL was selective about when to sign its tenancy contract. "I think our rent is at the lower level among tenants of the building as we came here when the net take-up of the city's office market was low," said Zhang.

Zhang said Beijing's office market hit bottom at the end of 2009, but rents climbed in 2011.

Surrounded by numerous banking and insurance companies, law firms as well as multinational companies, JLL hopes to attract more talent, win clients' trust and improve its expertise in the commercial property market.

"Employees and our customers will be happy to see our stable growth within one area," said Zhang.

Still, the CBD is not the most expensive area in Beijing. With domestic financial companies continuing to expand to Financial Street, prime office rental growth is continuing there.

But worsening traffic conditions and a lack of new supply in the CBD is pushing some companies to look into emerging industrial parks.

"An increasing number of companies such as Siemens AG, Alstom SA and Microsoft Corp, are establishing their headquarters in the capital's Wangjing area," said Liu Bing, head of investment and advisory services at North China DTZ, a real estate consulting firm.

Office space in industrial parks is much cheaper than in the CBD. Beijing CBD rent tallied 336.9 yuan ($55) per square meter in the second quarter, while the Beijing grade-A office rent was 300.8 yuan per square meter per month, according to DTZ.

In Shanghai, grade-A office vacancy rate in the Pudong New Area fell to a record low in the past six years, to approximately 1.2 percent, said a report by Colliers International, a commercial real estate service company.

By the end of June, average rent in the Pudong grade-A office market rose by 3.8 percent year-on-year to approximately 9.1 yuan per square meter per day, primarily supported by the robust increase in Pudong, which continued to outpace Puxi given its limited supply and increasing demand.

The CBD grade-A office market received four new completions with a combined office gross floor area of 202,452 sqm, three of them located in Puxi.

"Demand from corporations relocating from downtown areas as well as those upgrading from lower grade buildings was stimulated by the new completions, with net absorption increasing by 42.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2014," said the report.

James Shepherd, executive director and head of research for greater China at Cushman & Wakefield, a privately held commercial real estate services firm, said the peak of office development in Shanghai's CBD will happen between 2015 and 2017 in such large developments as Shanghai Tower, Bund Financial Center, Xujiahui Center and Pudong Financial Plaza.

"It will likely be a winner-take-all market, with good projects having high pre-commitment rates, while poor projects struggle to lease at all. Demand for Shanghai Tower (China's tallest building and the world's second-tallest) is likely to be strongest from domestic companies," said Shepherd.

Looking at South China, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, demand for grade-A offices also increased in the second quarter of the year, following government policies to boost economy and increase investment in finance and technology.

Several big transactions, especially by finance, securities and high-tech companies, were reported in the second quarter in Guangzhou, according to Cushman&Wakefield.

The report predicted that the vacancy rate of grade-A offices in Guangzhou will drop to 12 percent by the end of the year as the Pearl River Delta economy has started picking up since the second quarter.

The reduced vacancy rate of grade-A offices in Guangzhou indicates stronger demand from domestic companies, said Ma Weitu, director of JLL South China.

Qiu Quanlin contributed to this story.


----------



## hkskyline

*72 newsstands hauled away in Chaoyang district*
12 August 2014
China Daily 

Vendors say they had no advance notice; legality of action in Beijing area questioned

Seventy-two newsstands have been removed from the streets of Chaoyang district in the capital - and owners fear more could face closure.

Some vendors said their stands were demolished, and a law professor said the action, which was ordered by the Chaoyang district government, broke administrative laws.

However, the district government said the stands were removed because they violated regulations.

Zhao Yumei, a spokesman for the Beijing Newspapers and Periodicals Retail Company, said the 72 stands were removed by force on July 31 and Aug 1.

"All the stands were located in busy sections of Chaoyang district and were built around 1999," she said. "We did not get any notification in advance."

Zhao said the company has stopped sending daily papers to stands in Chaoyang district to avoid losses as it fears more will be shut. Vendors are ready to resort to the law, she added.

Xu Jing has run a newsstand near the crossing of Huizhong Road and Anli Road for almost 10 years, but has been told it must be moved by the end of the month.

The Chaoyang district government said in a statement to China Daily that the stands were not demolished but were moved to other locations as they contravened regulations covering the construction of newsstands.

The statement said stands must be built at least 15 meters from entrances to subway stations and bus stops, and should not be placed on sidewalks less than 5 meters wide, according to a Beijing municipality order.

However, vendors said they were given no formal notification and chengguan - urban patrol officers - and police officers removed their stands by force.

Zhang Jiwei said his stand was "demolished" on Aug 1. He had been told twice that it would be removed, but was given no written notification.

Zhang, who has been running the stand since 2003, said it was placed on a truck by a forklift at 4 am on Aug 1 after officers threw away magazines and newspapers.

"The stand was broken and the door fell off when it was put on the truck," he said.

Yang Xiaojun, an administrative law professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said the Chaoyang district government has broken the law.

"Demolition by force should only be used in cases of illegal construction," he said. "Demolition should be carried out according to a legal procedure even if the newsstands are illegal.

"The authorities should issue a written demolition order and the vendors should have a right to appeal, according to the current administrative law."


----------



## hkskyline

*Jammed Beijing Clamping Down Fails to Stem Migration*
By Bloomberg News 
Aug 27, 2014

What would Beijing be like with more than twice as many people?

It’s a dystopian scenario tormenting Mayor Wang Anshun and local Communist Party chief Guo Jinlong as they plow ahead with a mission impossible: turning people away.

Growing pains in the Chinese capital of 21.1 million are on full display -- from the clogged roads around Tiananmen Square to the brown haze choking its residents. Beijing was the second most-inhospitable international city behind Moscow out of 40 studied by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, according to a report released in February.

Trouble is, the metropolis remains a magnet. The population -- 2.5 times New York’s -- surged 53 percent from 2000 to December 2013, the equivalent of adding all the residents of Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit. Where it took the largest U.S. city more than a century to double to its current size, Beijing did it in within 25 years.

“If you look at large cities around the world, no city has a policy of saying ‘OK we have a size cap,’” says Wang Feng, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Authorities should be thinking of Beijing as a city of 30 million -- still less than metropolitan Tokyo’s 37 million -- or even 50 million people, he said.

Instead, Mayor Wang, 56, who was acting mayor from July 2012 and officially took the role in January 2013, has banned the sub-division of apartments, restricting the supply of low-cost housing. Authorities are maintaining limits on services to those without a municipal residency permit and forcing markets, hospitals and agencies out of the city center.

Squeezed Out

Among those being squeezed out is 37-year-old He Hongjun, a native of Hefei in central Anhui province who runs a women’s trouser shop at the Dahongmen wholesale-clothing market, which is earmarked for closing.

“My kid can’t go to school here, I can’t drive and although I’ve got the money, I can’t buy a flat,” said He, who has lived in Beijing for eight years and sends his son to a school back in his home province. “They really discriminate against outsiders.”

China's Pain Points

Beijing broke through its own 2020 population target of 18 million in 2010, just six years after setting it. Superior schools, universities, hospitals and job opportunities continue to lure people from under-serviced provinces.

Flooding In

“Beijing is a victim of its own success,” said Lu Jiehua, a professor specializing in demography at Peking University and a delegate to the city legislature. “As the capital, it’s directly controlled by the central government so it has a very strong capacity to direct and channel resources into economic investment, hospitals, schools and so on. It’s developed very well, so that’s why workers have flooded in.”

The media office of Beijing’s city government responded to phone calls by requesting a fax, which wasn’t answered.

To take pressure off Beijing, national authorities have dusted off a long-delayed plan to create a regional super-hub linking the capital with the port city of Tianjin and surrounding province of Hebei. Few specifics have been announced, including how the plan would navigate the regional bureaucracies.

The newest drive to control population growth echoes Mao-era central planning rather than the market model articulated by President Xi Jinping and pursued by authorities in Shanghai, which has seen its population jump 44 percent to 24.2 million since the start of the century.

Shanghai Strategy

While Beijing Mayor Wang’s 2014 annual report to the local legislature played up population control, Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong’s report makes just a passing reference to it and focuses more on improving services and boosting efficiency.

Shanghai “has a more pragmatic mentality, which is basically to drive whatever policy comes its way to making it a more important, successful city,” said Kerry Brown, director of the China Studies Centre at Australia’s University of Sydney. Beijing “is stifled by the heavy presence of central governance and this makes it far less willing to take risks and experiment,” said Brown, author of “Shanghai 2020,” a book commissioned by the city government to outline a vision for the metropolis’s future.

Shanghai last year introduced a system allowing non-locals to accumulate points based on education or professional qualifications to access public services, an initiative designed to attract educated migrants. Beijing has no such measure.

Approach Questioned

Poor planning is a more likely explanation for Beijing’s struggles than the weight of its population, according to critics such as the University of California’s Wang. Tokyo’s density is greater yet it’s renowned for its efficiency; southern California has less rainfall without the same water scarcity, said Wang, who wrote a 2013 paper on the city for Brookings’ Global Cities Initiative.

The government should use market mechanisms to influence the population and allocate the city’s scarce resources more efficiently, said Tao Ran, director of the China Center for Public Economics and Governance at Renmin University in Beijing. He says farmers on the outskirts should be allowed to build housing on their own land, boosting supply, and the government-set price of water should rise to reduce usage and waste.

While Beijing’s streets are gridlocked even with limits on cars, Shanghai’s system of auctioning license plates, as opposed to Beijing’s rationing through a free lottery, has worked better and could also raise money to subsidize public transport, he said. The subway system charges users a flat-fare of 2 yuan (33 U.S cents) regardless of distance traveled; in Shanghai a ticket can cost as much as 15 yuan.

“Beijing’s problems are due to poor administration and management,” said Tao. “If the government lets people take the initiative and follows market rules, problems will be solved.”


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## Atmosphere

Great article ^^ Makes me really wonder about the future of these kind of mega cities.


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## hkskyline

This is why movement of people needs to be restricted in China. Imagine the dire consequences if hundreds of millions of rural peasants descend into the coastal cities looking for the "China dream".


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## hkskyline

*Beijing gets ready for crucial IOC inspection*
China Daily _Excerpt_ 
2015-02-15









_Source : http://www.beijing-2022.cn/en/beijing.htm_

The Beijing municipal government is urging everyone involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics bid to make an all-out effort to be prepared for the final inspection by the International Olympic Committee in a month.

Beijing's joint bid with Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, will enter its decisive phase in March with the visit of representatives of the IOC Evaluation Commission. The IOC will vote for the eventual host between Beijing and its only rival, Almaty in Kazakhstan, in July.

The Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress passed a resolution on Friday calling for all resources to be mobilized to prepare for the visit.

"Under the guidance of State authorities, the municipal government should work closely with Hebei province to be fully prepared in all possible areas that the IOC will evaluate and to optimize final preparations for the bid based on IOC rules," said a statement released by the committee on Friday.

Wang Anshun, Beijing's mayor and the bid committee chairman, emphasized that details will play a significant role in the evaluation.

"We should meet every part of the IOC's host city standards to ease any potential concerns," Wang said during an earlier briefing on the evaluation visit.

Beijing submitted its official candidature file in January, responding to more than 200 questions and requirements raised by the committee. The file set out details of the bid objectives, venue plans, transport arrangements and security measures.


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## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Sinkhole reveals deep disregard for the law*
> 29 January 2015
> China Daily _Excerpt_
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _This photo taken on Saturday morning shows a big hole on a street in Beijing's Xicheng district. The hole has since been filled in with 1,400 cubic meters of concrete. XU XIAOFAN / FOR CHINA DAILY_
> 
> The residents of Beijing are no strangers to sinkholes.
> 
> They have seen sinkholes resulting from the construction of subways, the collapse of underground infrastructure, even inexplicable natural phenomena.
> 
> Yet none of them had been like this one caused by an illicit building project under the home - a home away from home, to be precise - of a lawmaker from Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, East China.
> 
> The 15-by-5-meter, and 10 meter-deep hole caused the collapse of the proprietor's own quadrangle as well as part of another next to it on Tuesday. Fifteen households had to be evacuated due to safety considerations.
> 
> The accident temporarily halted public transport and water supply along a historical street in uptown Beijing, all because the moneyed entrepreneur lawmaker wanted to dig an 18-meter-deep, five-level basement under his Beijing home.
> 
> Historical courtyards, mostly old quadrangles, in the historical districts of Beijing are subject to strict government protection. Part of the proprietor's home is under grade-II protection according to Beijing's regulations. Which means all building projects related to it must be approved by the relevant authorities.
> 
> The lawmaker has not consulted them. Not because he was not aware of the need. His 2010 attempt to renovate the property was stopped by the district authorities, and he was fined.
> 
> Last July, the authorities again summoned the owner, ordering him to stop the new basement project, which he had started without approval. Again, he was fined.
> 
> This lawmaker from Xuzhou is reminding us, again, of exemplary lawlessness.


* Legislator who built secret basement is facing arrest*
18 February 2015
Xinhua _Excerpt_ 

Collapse of illegal structure damaged adjacent road and neighbors' homes

Prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a legislator blamed when the illegal construction of a basement under his Beijing courtyard home in Xicheng district caused a road to collapse.

Li Baojun, who was a former member of the Xuzhou People's Congress in Jiangsu province, resigned earlier this month.

The collapse occurred on Jan 24 when five workers were attempting to dig a basement beneath the building on Deshengmennei Street.

According to the Beijing Information Office, the cave-in resulted in a crater 15 meters long, 5 meters wide and 10 meters deep.

Traffic was disrupted and the subsidence damaged at least four rooms in properties owned by people north of the site.

Since the collapse, netizens have criticized Li's breach of the law, particularly as he was a legislator.

Li, president of Haiying Group - a corporation in Jiangsu focusing on auto parts production - bought the five-room 190-sq-m home in April 2010. Since two of the rooms fell under a historical and cultural protection program, any restoration or reconstruction work had to be approved by district authorities.

The Beijing Planning Commission said Li had applied to renovate the building but the permit only allowed him to refurbish the building, not dig a basement.


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## hkskyline

*Moscow-Beijing high-speed rail may go across Kazakhstan, says ambassador*
17 February 2015
ITAR-TASS _Excerpt_ 

BEIJING, February 17. /TASS/. A planned high-speed rail link connecting Moscow and Beijing could go across Kazakhstan, Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov said on Tuesday.

The China-invested project to build a high-speed railway between Moscow and Kazan, the capital of Russia’s republic of Tatarstan, could be extended to China, the ambassador said citing specialists.

If the project, in which China is ready to invest 400 billion roubles is implemented, the railway could be extended to China, connecting the two countries across Kazakhstan, he said. "Another transport scheme could be built, that could become part of the route of a new Silk Road," the diplomat said.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing to keep population down*
China Daily _Excerpt_
2015-03-06

Beijing plans to control the size of its population and to have no more than 23 million people by 2020, said a national legislator and senior Beijing official on Friday.

Beijing municipal deputy mayor Li Shixiang, also a deputy to the nation's top legislature, revealed the figure during a group discussion at the ongoing "two sessions". It is the first time that the Chinese capital put forward a new target after its population grew much faster than expected.

In 2005, the State Council, or China's cabinet, set the goal of having a total of 18 million people for Beijing in 2020.

Currently, the city's population has surged to 21.54 million and the city will allow a small rise to no more than 21.8 million by the end of the year.

The targeted population of 23 million was calculated based on the capability of the city's water resources to support its residents, according to the deputy mayor, as the South-to-North Water Diversion project has not brought a fundamental change to improve the water shortage situation.

Overcrowding has exacerbated the city's traffic and environmental problems.

Premier Li Keqiang said in his report on the work of the government that the fight against "urban diseases", such as air pollution and traffic congestion, must be stepped up to improve people's living standards.

Fighting pollution continues to be a priority as the government pledged to cut energy intensity by 3.1 percent and reduce emission of major pollutants, said Li.

From 2014, the city began to relocate some of the businessmen in the wholesale markets near Dahongmen and Beijing Zoo to nearby cities in its neighboring Hebei province.

A clothing market in Langfang, Hebei province, which opened at the beginning of this year, boasts 150,000 square meters in construction area and nearly 4,000 booths. More than 80 percent of its salesmen are from the two wholesale markets in Beijing.

In the future, Beijing will continue to relocate industries viewed as unhealthy to its development and focus on its role as the country's capital, the vice-mayor said.


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## kunming tiger

Athletes conquer Beijing's 82-story skyscraper in vertical run

Hundreds of runners from over 30 countries took the stairs and conquered the 82-story CBD skyscraper in Beijing on Sunday, Sept 7, 2014, by running up 2,041 steps to the rooftop finish line.

The vertical run, held at the 330-meter tall China World Summit Wing Hotel, was an official race for the 2014 Vertical World Circuit, which is held in some of the world's most iconic skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building in New York City.

Poland's Piotr Lobodzinski and Australia's Suzy Walsham stole the show, winning the title for men and women.

Lobodzinski crossed the finish line in 10 minutes and 1 second, although he did not break last year's 9 minutes and 55 seconds record set by Thomas Dold of Germany. Dold came in second place this year, nine seconds later than Lobodzinski.

"It was amazing to compete with so many athletes and crossing the finish line atop Beijing's highest building is an incredible feeling," Lobodzinski said in a press release. "I feel on top of the world."

In the women's race, last year's winner, Walsham, defended her title with a time of 11 minutes and 50 seconds.

"It was a tough race with so many elite athletes performing so well, but I pushed myself towards the end and I wanted to win this race again," Walsham commented. "It feels wonderful to share this accomplishment with so many elite runners from across the globe."

The building's rooftop, where the race finished, offers bird's eye views across the city of Beijing, including the Forbidden City and other travel attractions.

Stair climbing, first known as "vertical races" in the 1970s, is now a global sport, although still relatively new to many. Stair climbing has quickly caught on among fitness enthusiasts attracted not only to the physical demands of this gruelling sport, but also to the novelty of competing in unique urban settings - the world's modern and popular skyscrapers.

Other cities joining the 2014 Vertical World Circuit are New York, Taipei, Paris, Benidorm, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Hong Kong


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## kunming tiger




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## kunming tiger




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## the spliff fairy

Do we have news and updates on any actual building projects in the city? Endless local articles is a bit dry, and like the rest of the Chinese city projects, I wouldnt waste my clicks any more.


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## hkskyline

*Regional integration will help narrow income gaps*
23 March 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area plans to create new innovation platforms for technology

Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun announced on Saturday that the capital will work with Tianjin and Hebei province to boost innovation, industrial upgrading and restructuring, so the three become a leading force for the national economy.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is the third growth pole of China after the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta. Its total gross domestic product accounted for about 10 percent of the country's GDP last year.

The Beijing municipal government will focus more on technological innovation and cooperate with the authorities in Hebei province and Tianjin to set up platforms for innovation, Wang said.

Wang made the remarks during the China Development Forum 2015, which is being held in the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse from Saturday to Monday. The forum, attended by senior Chinese officials, has attracted more than 400 foreigners from 19 countries and regions.

President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative for the integration and coordination of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province in February 2014 in a bid to balance development, the environment, population and resources, while building an economic zone surrounding Beijing.

More than 100 million people live in the region, which has a combined area of 216,000 square kilometers. Yet there is a big development gap between Beijing and Hebei. Heavily polluted Hebei still has several million people living in poverty, and it faces the challenge of cutting its excessive iron, steel, cement and glass capacity.

"Compared with Beijing residents, the average income of Hebei residents is only 55 percent in urban areas and 50 percent in rural areas," Wang said at the forum.

The Beijing municipal government will work hard with its counterparts in Tianjin and Hebei to narrow the income gaps in the region, he said.

The mayor pointed out that infrastructure, including the construction of subways and railways, will play a key role in integrating the three areas.

The capital will "lay out the annual task list for transportation infrastructure integration, ecological and environmental protection and industrial transfer, so as to make new progress as soon as possible", Wang said.

Beijing's subway system already carries approximately 10 million passengers a day on workdays. By 2020, the total subway length is expected to increase to 1,000 kilometers, according to the Beijing government work report. Construction on four new subway lines is due to start this year.

Beijing will also accelerate the transfer of non-essential functions, such as general manufacturing, downtown wholesale markets, as well as some educational and medical services this year, Wang said.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing seeks new private investment to expand subway*
10 April 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_










Move comes after construction costs soar in past few years

Beijing plans to attract more nongovernment funds to fuel the rapid expansion of the subway network, the company responsible for providing finance and planning new projects has revealed.

Construction costs have almost doubled in the past six years, the Beijing Infrastructure Investment Co said.

The technical and economic performance index, which reflects construction costs, increased to 1 billion yuan ($161 million) per kilometer in 2014 for subway lines in the downtown area, according to figures released by the company. The corresponding figure in 2007 was 571 million yuan.

The municipal government has annual allocations to fund subway construction projects, and these reached 15.5 billion yuan in 2014.

Most of the money is provided by the company, which has invested more than 251.3 billion yuan in the network in recent years - enough to build 110 Bird's Nest stadiums or 246 Water Cube aquatics centers.

Now the capital's municipal government has released a guideline designed to attract more funds from private sources to finance large public projects, including the subway.

Yang Xuhui, an official at the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the city's top economic planner, said companies can invest either alone or as a part of a consortium.

"More than one company has shown an interest," he added.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> * Legislator who built secret basement is facing arrest*
> 18 February 2015
> Xinhua _Excerpt_
> 
> Collapse of illegal structure damaged adjacent road and neighbors' homes
> 
> Prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a legislator blamed when the illegal construction of a basement under his Beijing courtyard home in Xicheng district caused a road to collapse.
> 
> Li Baojun, who was a former member of the Xuzhou People's Congress in Jiangsu province, resigned earlier this month.
> 
> The collapse occurred on Jan 24 when five workers were attempting to dig a basement beneath the building on Deshengmennei Street.
> 
> According to the Beijing Information Office, the cave-in resulted in a crater 15 meters long, 5 meters wide and 10 meters deep.
> 
> Traffic was disrupted and the subsidence damaged at least four rooms in properties owned by people north of the site.
> 
> Since the collapse, netizens have criticized Li's breach of the law, particularly as he was a legislator.
> 
> Li, president of Haiying Group - a corporation in Jiangsu focusing on auto parts production - bought the five-room 190-sq-m home in April 2010. Since two of the rooms fell under a historical and cultural protection program, any restoration or reconstruction work had to be approved by district authorities.
> 
> The Beijing Planning Commission said Li had applied to renovate the building but the permit only allowed him to refurbish the building, not dig a basement.


*Experts eye underground problems*
21 July 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_ 

Defense radar seeks out broken pipes and illegal basements to help city administrators

China's major developer of tactical missiles, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, is using its defense technologies to help city administrators and business sectors, according to engineers at the company.

Advanced radar technology, essential to a missile system, has been adapted to detect broken equipment up to 30 meters underground.

"Many underground gas and water pipes, electrical conduits, TV cables and sewers were made many years ago and are often in bad condition. Traditional examination and repair methods require digging up the roads they are buried in, inconveniencing residents and commuters," said Zhang Peng, a chief engineer at Beijing Huahang Radio Measurement Institute.

The institute is part of the company's Hiwing Technology Academy and specializes in missile radar and photoelectric equipment.

"Our ground penetrating radar is the perfect solution to the problem - it is able to detect and locate broken utilities without causing damage above ground," he said.

The equipment can also help city governments find cellars built without permission by residents looking to expand their living space, Zhang said.

He said local authorities in some large cities are concerned by safety hazards posed by these basements. The construction of one cellar resulted in a serious collapse in Beijing in January.

"It is now very difficult for authorities to inspect illicitly-built cellars in Beijing's sprawling maze of hutong, but with the ground penetrating radar, inspectors can easily detect them," Zhang said.

The device can also assist archaeological surveys, architectural safety checks and security clearance for important events, he added.


----------



## hkskyline

*New rail network set to boost 'cluster'*
19 October 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_ 

A project to improve industrial infrastructure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will be led by the construction of an extended high-speed railway, as Hu Yongqi reports.

Wang Jingting, a native of Tangshan in Hebei province, lives and works in Beijing. On weekends and holidays, she either drives or takes a train back to Tangshan to relax or attend family functions.

The 27-year-old sales assistant rents an apartment in Beijing, but soaring property prices mean she's unlikely to ever be in a position to afford a home of her own in the capital. However, she can't live in Tangshan and continue to work in Beijing, because the round-trip would take about five hours.

Wang's dilemma may be solved by construction of an intercity rail line that will connect Beijing and Tangshan. Work will begin at the end of the year, and when the link opens in 2020 the journey will be reduced to just 30 minutes, one-fifth of the current two and a half hours. The drastic reduction in commuting time would offer Wang the option of moving back to Tangshan, buying an apartment and traveling into Beijing every day.

The railway is part of an ambitious plan to integrate the transportation system in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, boost local economies and upgrade the industrial infrastructure. In the next 35 years, 615 billion yuan ($97 billion) will be spent to build 23 intercity railways that will connect Beijing with neighboring areas in the cluster, cutting travel times for passengers and freight cargos.

Wang, one of the 110 million people who will have access to more-convenient transportation, was delighted at the news. "The integration plan won't have much impact on my life for a while, but when the line is completed, travel will become much easier. The journey will only take 30 minutes, so I will be able to buy an apartment at home and take the train to work in Beijing," she said.


----------



## hkskyline

*Beijing Universal Studios theme park to kick off infrastructure construction*

BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) - The first phase program for Beijing Universal Studios theme park, which is jointly invested by Beijing Tourism Group and US-based Univesal Sudios, will start infrastructure construction, Beijing Daily reported on Friday.

The first-phase program was scheduled to complete construction and start operation in 2020.

A-share listed companies under Beijing Tourism Group include Beijing Capital Retailing Group (600728.SH), China Quanjude (Group) (002186.SZ) and BTG Hotels (Group) (600285.SH).


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## hkskyline

*New town plan advances in Beijing*
Updated: 2015-11-12 
China Daily _Excerpt_

Demolition of old houses in Beijing's Tongzhou District has been completed in preparation for construction of a new subsidiary administrative center.

"A new town in Tongzhou district will be built in the future, with convenient access to transportation and complete entertainment and educational facilities," said Guo Baofeng, director of the Tongzhou branch office of the city's commission of urban planning. "More construction projects will be launched as detailed plans come up."

Located in northwestern part of the district, the new town is expected to cover 155 square kilometers. New construction sites will cover 80 square kilometers, which is equivalent to that of the old downtowns in Beijing, according to the commission.

The central business district in the new town, being both the financial district and the premier shopping area, will be built at the intersection of the Beijing and Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Up to 7 km of underground roads are expected to ease traffic congestion on a large scale, while the Batong Line, a surface-level rapid transit rail line, will connect the downtown with the district.

Some things are already in progress. Construction of Beijing's Universal Studios theme park kicked off on Nov 5, with completion expected by 2020.
The whole project - a combinaton park and resort — will cover an area of 4 square kilometers, according to the commission.


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## hkskyline

*The Great Hall of China *
This article originally appeared in German weekly Die Zeit.
_Excerpt_









_Source : http://www.dezeen.com/2015/03/09/gu...jing-china-ole-scheeren-auction-house-museum/ _

Ole Scheeren, a German architect, has won a prestigious contract to build the Guardian Art Center, a futuristic auction house in Beijing.

The lot two blocks away from Beijing’s historic Forbidden City has so far been off limits for architects both Chinese and foreign.

Over the last 15 years, developers have created dozens of designs for the space where Wangfujing Street crosses Wusi Avenue but all were rejected by China’s planning authorities.

That’s set to change now German architect Ole Scheeren is building a futuristic auction house, a hybrid building spanning exhibition halls, restoration studios, restaurants and a hotel. It will be the first auction house designed for the art world’s new global elite.

"Beijing is a monumental city. The buildings shouldn't look too light."

The client is China Guardian, a young private company dealing with Chinese antique art, the fourth-biggest auction house in the world after Christie’s, Sotheby’s and the Chinese government’s Poly Auctions.

The success of Mr. Scheeren’s design is partly thanks to his years of experience working in China. Mr. Scheeren started out designing for Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his OMA office in 2004 in China. He led the construction of the headquarters of the state television CCTV with a design for a huge complex composed of two high-rise buildings. Mr Scheeren’s building now houses 10,000 employees working in the CCTV headquarters, which has become a landmark of the new Beijing.

The structure cemented Mr. Scheeren’s reputation but his latest creation is of a new kind of building, almost the antithesis of CCTV. The Guardian Art Center is less an ultramodern, out-size symbol, more a modest building that’s at ease with its surroundings, a historic area of traditional Hutong structures.

Mr. Scheeren is a fan of the low historic houses that are built around courtyards and form narrow alleys. “I moved to China many years ago to work with this culture,” he said. It’s his first chance to work in this context.

At street level, the new Guardian Art Center meshes easily with the Hutong houses around it; the center’s first floors are made up of small, cube-shaped buildings. Above that floats a massive block of glass which is reminiscent of the city’s modern buildings. “Beijing is a monumental city,” Mr. Scheeren said. “The building shouldn’t look too light.”

It also shouldn’t be too ostentatious, Mr. Scheeren felt. In creating the Guardian Art Center’s 120 hotel rooms, the architect mimicked the brick structure of the traditional Hutong, with offset windowpanes and subtle grooves that suggest a simple structure.

The cube-like structures at the base of the building have facades made of a gray stone that’s typical of Beijing, with smaller and larger circular windows in a pattern Mr. Scheeren said relates to a landscape painting called “Dwelling in the Fuchun-mountains,” by Huang Gongwang that’s a masterpiece of historic Chinese art. It’s an important reference for Chen Dongsheng, who founded China Guardian.


----------



## hkskyline

*Pivotal Beijing cloverleaf junction closed for overhaul*
Xinhua _Excerpt_
Updated: 2015-11-15 










_Photo taken on Nov 14, 2015 shows the overhaul site of Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction in Beijing, capital of China. A pivotal cloverleaf junction in a downtown Beijing commercial zone was closed for overhaul this weekend, amid hopes of reinforcing the 30-year-old structure without paralyzing traffic flows. [Photo/Xinhua]_




























_Construction workers work at the overhaul site of Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction in Beijing, capital of China, Nov 13, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]_

BEIJING - A pivotal cloverleaf junction in a downtown Beijing commercial zone was closed for overhaul this weekend, amid hopes of reinforcing the 30-year-old structure without paralyzing traffic flows.

The most challenging part of the overhaul, the replacement of the 1,300-tonne bridge structure, began at 11 pm Friday on Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction on the northeastern part of Beijing's Third Ring Road.

Road workers were instructed to dismantle the old bridge and replace it with a prefabricated new steel structure.

The process was initially planned to last for 24 hours, but the central beams of the old bridge were in a much worse condition than expected, causing extra dismantling work.

Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport has extended the traffic ban to 30 hours from the initial 24 hours.

Traffic to the bridge zone will resume after 5 am Sunday, the commission said in a circular posted at its website and sent to millions of mobile subscribers in Beijing Saturday morning.

Replacement of the bridge structure costs 39 million yuan ($6.1 million), according to the commission.

The Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction is a major congestion point on a tollway to the airport. It also links two pivotal highways: the Third Ring Road and the highway linking downtown Beijing with the outlying Shunyi District.


----------



## hkskyline

*Beijing new airport to be able to handle 100m passengers*
Xinhua _Excerpt_
Updated: 2015-11-21

BEIJING - Beijing's new international airport, which is currently under construction, will eventually be able to handle 100 million passengers annually, authorities said Friday.

Before 2025, the airport will be able to handle 72 million passengers, 2 million tons of cargo and mail, and have 4 runways, according to a plan approved by government last year.

It is planned that the new airport will have seven runways.

**********************************************

Construction on the runway started late last year, and construction on the airport's terminal started in September 2015.


----------



## hkskyline

hkskyline said:


> *Beijing Universal Studios theme park to kick off infrastructure construction*
> 
> BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) - The first phase program for Beijing Universal Studios theme park, which is jointly invested by Beijing Tourism Group and US-based Univesal Sudios, will start infrastructure construction, Beijing Daily reported on Friday.
> 
> The first-phase program was scheduled to complete construction and start operation in 2020.
> 
> A-share listed companies under Beijing Tourism Group include Beijing Capital Retailing Group (600728.SH), China Quanjude (Group) (002186.SZ) and BTG Hotels (Group) (600285.SH).


*Universal theme park to open by 2020*
20 November 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_

Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of NBCUniversal which owns Universal Studios Hollywood, expects to open North China's first international theme park in Beijing by 2020.

An official from the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform told the Beijing Daily that construction of the $8 billion Hollywood theme park started at the beginning of the month.

Its first phase is expected to be completed by 2019 with the site opening to public the following year, said the official.

With a 10 million-visitor target, the official said the park will have seven main sightseeing areas, including those based on the Jurassic Park and Despicable Me film franchises, making it a strong addition to the Chinese capital's already-impressive array of tourist and culture sites.

Universal Studios did not reply to China Daily's request for confirmation, but the report said the park and resort would feature strong Chinese elements in its catering, hotels, and consumer goods offering onsite.

An official with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform was quoted as saying there will be ample transport links to the park.

Already it has been confirmed that the Batong subway line, which connects Tongzhou district to downtown Beijing, and Line 7 will pass through the site.

Subway line S6, which has been upgraded to connect Beijing with Tianjin municipality and Hebei province, with access to the capital's two main airports, is also likely to be linked with Line 7 at a new Universal Park stop, the official was quoted as telling the Beijing Daily.

Beijing's Sixth Ring Road, and the Beijing-Harbin Highway are also expected to connect with the park.

Universal is partnering on the project with Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co Ltd, a consortium of four State-owned companies.

The company's sixth giant park globally, and third in Asia after Singapore and Osaka in Japan, it is expected to cover 1.2 square kilometers - five times the size of the former and twice the latter, respectively.


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## hkskyline

*Netizens marvel at China's 43-hour bridge swap *
China Daily / Xinhua _Excerpt_
2015-11-24 

China has long been crowned the world's workshop for its output of televisions, steel pipes, Christmas decorations and countless other products enjoyed by customers worldwide. Now global buyers may want to add another "Made-in-China" designation to their wish lists - construction teams.

A video clip featuring Chinese builders swapping out a bridge in downtown Beijing within 43 hours has gone viral on social media in China and abroad.

The two-minute time-lapse video recorded workers replacing the Sanyuanqiao cloverleaf junction, which is a major congestion point on a tollway to the airport. It also links two pivotal highways: the Third Ring Road and the highway linking downtown Beijing with the outlying Shunyi District.

The project started at around 11 pm on Nov 13 and ended on Nov 15. The most challenging part of the overhaul was the replacement of the 1,300-ton bridge structure, which cost 39 million yuan ($6.1 million), according to Xinhua.

Video : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-11/24/content_22514770.htm


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## hkskyline

*Govt move to Tongzhou set for 2017*
26 November 2015
China Daily _Excerpt_


China_2015_Beijing_TongZhou_150802_4244 + (Copy) by michel_china, on Flickr

New buildings under construction; city hopes to improve its public services

The capital plans to move most of its municipal departments to the suburban district of Tongzhou in 2017, the Beijing Municipal Committee announced on Wednesday.

All or most of the municipal government's departments will move, as the office buildings are scheduled to be completed that year.

Tongzhou was designated as the site of a new administrative center for the municipal government to help relieve the current heavy pressure on public services in downtown Beijing, where the central government is located.

The relocation is also part of the integration plan for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, which aims to ease congestion in the capital and achieve more balanced development in the region.

According to the announcement, the new administrative center in Tongzhou will put infrastructure upgrades and ecological improvement on top of the agenda. The municipal government hopes to improve public services in education, healthcare, cultural events and industries in the district.

Meanwhile, villages within the city's boundaries will be overhauled and low-end manufacturers and logistics companies removed.

"A total of 297 projects will be carried out in Tongzhou, such as building new subway lines and expressways, and improving ecologies," Lu Yan, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, said at a news conference on Wednesday.


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## hkskyline

*Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei natural gas pipeline put into use*
30 November 2016
China Daily 

The Beijing Major Project Office announced the completion of a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei natural gas pipeline on Nov 29 in Beijing.

According to officials, the total gas consumption of Beijing is expected to reach 11.9 billion cubic meters during the heating season, especially in December and January.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei natural gas pipeline, which sprawls across Tianjin Baodi District, Hebei’s Xianghe, and Beijing’s Tongzhou District has a length of 77.5 kilometers with an annual transmission capacity of 17 billion cubic meters.

Guang Hongpeng, deputy director of the Beijing Gas Group Dispatching and Operation center, said, “The natural gas pipeline aims to ease the gas pressure at peak heating season and make for better atmosphere in and around the capital.”


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## schorsch

Beijing Daxing International Airport making progress on Google Earth:


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## schorsch

http://www.bjbna.com/en/index.php?m=article&id=21


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## hkskyline

*Beijing's subway is going full bore*
China Daily _Excerpt_
Jan. 12, 2017

Two more new lines will connect with the massive matrix of Beijing subway construction projects in 2017, adding to the 20 projects already in progress, officials announced on Wednesday.

The two lines - Line 28 and the Yanfang Branch Line - will mark the start of construction of all the lines that have been approved in the current master plan, said Yang Guangwu, chief engineer of Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office, coordinator of Beijing's subway construction.

Line 28, also known as the CBD Line, will run through eight stations under Beijing's central business district as well as the Beijing East Railway Station in Chaoyang district. Planners expect the line to relieve congestion in the area.

In light of the expected crowds, officials are considering expanding the capacity of the line by upgrading the line from a proposed small-scale Automatic People Mover system to a standard subway line, according to Beijing Daily.

The Yanfang Branch Line connects Zhoukoudian, the site of the Peking Man Relics Site, to the city-center bound Yanfang Main Line, which is expected to open in 2017. Both new lines are expected to open no later than 2021.

The Yanfang Line will be the first Chinese-made auto-operating subway line, and is expected to be operational in 2017.

"The automated operation will greatly ease the workload for drivers, thus bringing more safety as well as flexibility for scheduling," Yang said. "It also reduces errors made by manual driving." He added that the technology would also be applied to some of the lines now under construction.

The other two lines scheduled to open in 2017 are the Western Suburban Line, a tram that travels the scenic northwestern suburbs of Beijing, and the S1 Line, the first Maglev railway transit in Beijing, which Yang described as "safer and with better ability to climb hills".

With these three lines in their final stretch of construction and testing, five more lines and extensions began construction in 2016. Among them are Line 3, which has been on the drawing board for more than 50 years, as well as the line that will link to Beijing's new airport.

This brings the number of ongoing projects in 2017 to 20, with a total length of more than 350 kilometers, or about 60 percent of the length of subways already in operation. According to officials, 2017 is the biggest year of construction in the history of Beijing subway construction.

With 574 kilometers in operation, the Beijing subway is already one of the biggest urban railway transit systems worldwide, serving 11 million passengers daily. Officials said that by the time all these ongoing projects and their approved extensions are finished in the next few years, the total length will reach 999 kilometers, serving 18.5 million passengers daily.


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## hkskyline

*Sustainability focus of 2022 Winter Olympics*
China Daily _Excerpt_
15 Feb 2017

When the International Olympic Committee awarded Beijing the rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, jointly with Zhangjiakou in North China's Hebei province, the initial reaction of the international community was lukewarm.

Over the past two decades, the cost overruns of hosting the Olympic Games have skyrocketed.

While Barcelona 1992 ($9.7 billion) and Athens 2004 ($3 billion) contributed to the debts of Spain and Greece, London 2012 ($15 billion) intensified the United Kingdom's economic distress before the Brexit referendum and Sochi 2014 ($22 billion) added to Russia's economic challenges amid the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. And for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, the costs soared to $10 billion amid Brazil's economic, political and security challenges.

Thinking big is no longer the Olympic goal. Rather, the point is to think smart. No wonder the 2018 Winter Games will be hosted by Pyeongchang, a small mountain town in the Republic of Korea and the smallest venue for the Winter Games since Lillehammer in Norway in 1994.

If Olympic cost overruns are a rule, how can the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics be a success?

Cost control is the first precondition. Unlike most hosts, China has a good track record. For the Summer Games, only few hosts－most impressively Beijing in 2008－have managed to keep the cost overrun to a reasonable level. But for the 2022 Winter Games, the aim is much higher: the official budget is barely $3.1 billion.

The second precondition is damage control. In 2014, the IOC introduced the Olympic Agenda 2020, which promotes sustainability and cost control, in order to transform the Olympics into a "plug-and-play" event with minimal economic and environmental damage. For instance, Beijing 2022 is likely to use six venues that hosted the 2008 Summer Games to minimize the cost of construction.

Third, sustainability must be pervasive. The six new competition venues will be built using renewable technologies with energy-saving and environmentally-friendly materials, while electricity for lighting, venue operations and transportation will come from solar and wind power.

More : http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2017-02/15/content_28202199.htm


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## hkskyline

China Daily
*Subway line to connect Beijing with new airport by 2019*
March 10, 2017

Construction of a subway line connecting downtown Beijing with the capital's new airport is picking up pace and will be in service by 2019, the municipal government announced on Friday.

A trip on the 41.36-km line will take only 20 minutes, making it the fastest of its kind in China, the government said in a news release.

Meanwhile, the municipal government said that Beijing plans to build two streetcar lines in Fengtai district within the year.

The two streetcar lines will connect with two existing subway lines to improve the communications network in southern Beijing.

The streetcars are expected to be more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, as energy consumption of a streetcar is about one third of a traditional bus, which will help the capital cut emissions.


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## hkskyline

April 4, 2017 
*New zone seen as a role model for growth*
Xinhua _Excerpt_










International experts and media reports say China's new economic zone will help relieve the burdens of Beijing as a metropolis, promote regional coordinated development and create a new growth pole for China, setting an example for developing economies.

China announced on Saturday that it would establish the Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province, as part of measures to advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Bambang Suryono, an Indonesian scholar and president of the Jakarta-based Nanyang ASEAN Foundation, said Beijing, a megalopolis with a history as capital of more than 800 years, is facing such "urban ills" as traffic jams that plague big cities.

Setting up the Xiongan New Area to build a creative and livable city will help ease Beijing's urban burdens, Suryono said.

The establishment of the Xiongan New Area is "the latest step in China's efforts to cure severe ‘urban ills', such as traffic congestion and air pollution in Beijing by curbing the capital's population growth and moving certain nonessential facilities, including manufacturing and logistics, to nearby regions," says a report from Press Trust of India.

Authorities intend to transform the region into a new growth pole, it said.

Ronnie Lins, CEO of Center China Brazil: Research & Business, said that avoiding over-development of mega cities is a common issue facing all developing countries.

The Chinese government is exploring new development models for big cities, diversifying their functions and easing their burdens, which will solve environmental issues, promote development of surrounding areas and provide references for other developing countries, Lins said.

Zhu Zhiqun, a political science professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania in the United States, said the establishment of the Xiongan New Area is an important measure that will greatly influence China's future development.

Zhu also said he believed Xiongan will make the integrated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region come true and promote the rapid and comprehensive development of North China.


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## hkskyline

Tuesday, April 11, 2017 
*Xiongan New Area offers foreign investors fresh opportunities*
China Daily _Excerpt_

About four decades ago, Shenzhen was a small fishing town with about 30,000 residents immediately north of Hong Kong. Today, it has grown into a high-tech economic powerhouse, covering about 2,000 square kilometers with about 11 million people - which is roughly the population of Belgium - China's answer to Silicon Valley in the United States.

In the 1990s, just more than a decade after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone was established, China decided to build another economic zone, the Pudong New Area, in Shanghai. The area covers about 1,200 sq km and the number of people living there equals that of Finland, that is, 5.5 million.

Opportunities, however, are there for those who have the vision and courage at the outset

Shenzhen and Pudong are just two examples of China's determination to transform and integrate itself into the world by channeling global resources. Shenzhen, for example, has attracted talents from around the world through its representative offices abroad, particularly European countries.

Shortly before President Xi Jinping's visit to Finland and his meeting with US President Donald Trump last week, China announced that another high-tech but environmentally friendly hub, Xiongan New Area, will be built in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

China's leadership has shown great determination and vision in explaining the significance of the project, which will eventually cover about 2,000 sq km. While solving many of Beijing's urbanization problems, the new area will also help integrate Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, and create a new sustainable economic pole in North China.

The project is among several far-reaching ones undertaken by China since Xi became the country's top leader in 2012. The ideas of the Belt and Road Initiative (Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Silk Road Fund are all examples of China deepening its reform and opening-up.

Although Xiongan New Area is high on China's domestic agenda, it could offer excellent opportunities to foreign - especially European - investors, businesses and talents worldwide, as well. Foreign investors and businesses have already harvested the fruits of their engagement with Shenzhen and Pudong. Now that China plans to turn another area into an economic powerhouse, global investors should weigh its potential as early as possible.

Compared with previous years, foreign investors are now on par with their Chinese counterparts because preferential policies have been phased out. However, for a still-growing economy with a population five times more than that of the United States and three times that of Europe, China's potential market defies imagination. Building Xiongan New Area is one example of releasing that potential.

With China already entering a rapid-growth stage in some leading sectors, the goals of the new area will be extremely high - certainly higher than Shenzhen and Pudong - even though the project is still on paper. Potential partners from the rest of the world, especially those from Western Europe and the United States, have gathered rich experience in developing economies while expanding cities. So they should be very interested in Xiongan, as it is about sustainable urbanization.

Foreign urban planning experts and consultants, for example, can invest in Xiongan even at the blueprint stage by contributing novel ideas.


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## hkskyline

*Xi Jinping’s dream city may turn out to be China’s biggest public works project, ever*
The ambitious project will count as the largest infrastructure project in the history of modern China, according to estimates.
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
April 13, 2017

Xiongan New Area, the Chinese president’s ambitious plan to remake a backwater into a dream city, could lure as much as 2.4 trillion yuan (US$348 billion) of investments over the next decade, adding as much as 0.4 percentage point to China’s economic growth every year, according to a projection by Morgan Stanley.

The new city, designed as a salve to ease Beijing’s notorious overcrowding, air pollution and congested traffic, will redirect up to 6.7 million people to the 100 square kilometre area, eventually expanding the area’s size 20-fold over a decade.

That could potentially make it the largest ever infrastructure project in the history of modern China.

State-backed institutions and companies are likely to be the biggest winners out of the mega project, as they are in the best position to get the lion’s share of construction works and services, analysts said.

More : http://www.scmp.com/business/articl...l-china-redraws-xis-dream-city-morgan-stanley


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## hkskyline

Thursday, April 27, 2017
*Development of Xiongan kicks off*
China Daily _Excerpt_

Xiongan New Area in Hebei province, which will soon start construction, is calling for worldwide competitive bids for the planning and design of the area's first phase, a local government official said on Wednesday.

The zone designated for the first phase will have a footprint of 30 square kilometers, Niu Jingfeng, deputy head of the area's preparatory committee, said at a news conference.

The work of land requisition is about to begin. That will be followed by residential demolition and the resettlement of villagers, and then by infrastructure and ecological projects, he said.

"Constructing the Xiongan New Area, which is of national significance, is a very challenging historical test for Hebei," Niu said, adding that the province is determined to "obtain good marks".

Niu said the area has set up a leading group for the area's planning and construction, led by the province's Party chief, Zhao Kezhi, and Governor Xu Qin, the top two government officials in Hebei.

Under their leadership, first-class institutions and high-end talent are drafting development plans for the area.

Hebei has also established a committee for the area's preparatory work.

More : http://www.chinadailyasia.com/nation/2017-04/27/content_15605641.html


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## hkskyline

Saturday, June 10, 2017
*Beijing acts on population growth*
Xinhua _Excerpt_

BEIJING - Beijing has made progress in cooperation with its neighbors and will act to restrict population growth.

Beijing officials met with the press on Friday to review progress made over the last three years in the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province.

Liu Bozheng, deputy director of the office overseeing the integration, said Beijing will meet its annual targets of restricting population growth and moving non-capital functions away from the city.

This year, Beijing will continue to relocate wholesale markets, factories, universities and hospitals to suburban areas and Hebei, he said.

In 2016, Beijing's population was 21.7 million, and the number of permanent residents in the six urban districts fell by 3 percent year on year, said Liu.

"The changes are unprecedented. Before, the mode of growth was to congregate resources, but now we must delegate and move out resources to achieve more planned and sustainable development," he said.

From 2013 to 2016, Beijing closed 1,341 general manufacturing and polluting enterprises. This year, 372 manufacturers have already been relocated, 74.4 percent of the annual target.

Manufacturing and agriculture dropped by 72.75 percent and 26.42 percent, while, industries like finance, culture and technology grew as much as 22 percent.

"Industrial restructuring is the key. It is like pealing away the outer layers of a cabbage, and cooking its core, which is of better quality," said Liu, with Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.

This year, a total of 255 construction projects will get underway in Tongzhou, the subsidiary administrative center.

"We invited some of the world's top designers to build Tongzhou, which covers 155 square kilometers," said Liu.


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## hkskyline

June 14, 2017
*2022 Olympics plans praised by inspectors*
China Daily _Excerpt_

Members of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission who completed a second visit to the Beijing area on Tuesday said they remain convinced of the area's ability to host a successful Olympic Winter Games with long-lasting benefits in 2022. 

The two-day visit, including field inspections of four venues and a meeting with the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, was intended to oversee the area's preparations for the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The plans include sustainability and reuse of refurbished facilities, such as those built for the 2008 Summer Games, as well as incorporating the region's economic and social development.

"We are very pleased with the progress made by Beijing 2022 to deliver a successful, athlete-centered Olympic Winter Games. This visit has given us full confidence that this ambition will be realized," Alexander Zhukov, chair of the commission, said at the closing news conference on Tuesday.

Sites visited by the commission on Monday were the National Speed Skating Oval, the Wukesong Arena, Capital Gymnasium and the organizing committee's headquarters at Shougang Industry Park, which will be used by the community after the Games. On Tuesday, they listened to briefings from Beijing 2022 in six aspects such as updates on venue design, construction and marketing.

"It's impressive to see how Beijing 2022 has not only capitalized on the legacy from 2008 but has also integrated long-lasting, sustainable benefits," said Zhukov, an IOC member and the president of Russian Olympic Committee.

Beijing will stage all events on ice, including ice hockey and skating, at downtown venues including Wukesongthe basketball arena for 2008 - and the newly built Speed Skating Oval.

Northwest Beijing's Yanqing county is to host Alpine skiing, bobsled, skeleton and luge, while co-host city Zhangjiakou in Hebei province will stage the remaining skiing events at existing facilities that will be upgraded.

Zhang Jiandong, executive vice-president of the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, said all venue design, construction and infrastructure, including the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, are on schedule.

More : http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/0/224/99/1497416333061.html


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## hkskyline

*Cracks appear in Beijing’s housing market, as up to 80 pc of sellers lower asking prices*
Transactions have slumped since mid March amid a sudden U-turn in confidence as the credit squeeze weighs on homebuyers
June 20, 2017
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_

Beijing’s secondary housing market has cooled for a third straight month, with growing evidence that buyers now have more leverage to negotiate than they did earlier this year, thanks to government efforts to tighten credit and curb pockets of overheating by pinpoint policy adjustment.

The market has cooled sharply since March 17, when Beijing’s municipal authorities tightened rules such that those who had paid off previous mortgages would no longer be classified as first-time buyers. In addition, new caps on mortgage lending meant second home buyers had to put up a minimum payment of 80 per cent. A majority of prospective buyers were priced out due to the higher purchasing threshold.

Housing agents say transactions have slowed dramatically as sellers are reluctant to compromise much on price while buyers are sitting on the sideline waiting for bigger bargains.

Monthly sales transaction are set to touch a 28-month low in June as just 4,082 homes changed hands in the first half of the month, compared to 10,250 for the whole May, which reflected a 27-month low, according to agent 5i5j.

Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of Beijing owners are reducing their asking prices, while just three months ago, 80 per cent were raising prices, according to property agent Homelink.

Another report by Beijing-based property agent Maitian said about 60 per cent of the city’s homes put on the sale during March 17 to June 11 have lowered their prices. But only 5 per cent cut total prices by more than 1 million yuan (US$146,449). Of those that have cut prices more than 1 million, almost all are home valued over 10 million yuan.

More : http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-k...r-beijings-housing-market-80-pc-sellers-lower


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## hkskyline

*Beijing's new international airport takes shape, eyeing 2019 launch*
Xinhua _Excerpt_
June 30, 2017

Beijing's new international airport is taking shape as the steel structure of its terminal buildings was completed Friday.

Authorities said the airport, currently known as Beijing Daxing International Airport although its official name has not yet been released, is expected to begin operations in 2019.

The airport's terminal buildings, covering an area of 313,000 square meters, will consist of a centerpiece and five arms resembling a phoenix spreading out its wings, according to sources with the contractor Beijing Construction Engineering Group.

The design of the five wings will use images from Chinese culture such as silk, tea, porcelain, farmland, and Chinese gardens, the sources said.

The distance from the far-end of each wing to the center building will be less then 600 meters, a design that distinguishes the airport from most large international airports that inevitably require commuters to walk long distances, they said.

The airport, located 46 km south of Beijing's city center, is being built to take pressure of the over-crowded Beijing Capital International Airport located in the northeastern suburbs.

The distance between two airports will be about 67 km.

The new airport has been designed to handle up to 72 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo each year by 2025. It will have four runways and accommodate 620,000 flights per year.

After later expansions, the airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers and 4 million tonnes of cargo a year.


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## hkskyline

July 17, 2017 
*New road brings Xinjiang closer*
China Daily _Excerpt_










The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in far northwestern China has just become a bit closer to the capital, as three sections of a new expressway along risky terrain opened to traffic on Saturday.

The new sections have a combined length of more than 1,200 kilometers. The 930-km Linhe-Baigeda section is in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; the 134-km Baigeda-Mingshui section is in Gansu province; and the 178-km Mingshui-Hami section is in Xinjiang.

The sections run through the Gobi Desert, which is characterized by drought and other poor natural conditions. The more than 500 km running through desolate and uninhabited areas of Inner Mongolia, which posed a challenge to construction workers.

*The Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway, or G7, is one of seven expressways connecting Beijing with other major cities under a national expressway plan.*

"The expressway is a new passage ... and the most convenient road to link Beijing with the northwestern region of Inner Mongolia, northern Gansu and Xinjiang, which will enhance communication between northern China's eastern, central and western areas," said Ren Jinxiong, an inspector in the Ministry of Transport's planning division.


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## Jack Daniel

Will we have a Jing Jin Ji thread or is it still just a vision?


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## Julito-dubai

Jack Daniel said:


> Will we have a Jing Jin Ji thread or is it still just a vision?


Once there are plans for Xiongan we should get one for that part of Jinjingji.


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## :jax:

Jingjinji, and for that matter the now less fashionable Bohai Economic Rim, are regions that encapsulate Beijing, while Xiong'an New Area does not (but that may deserve a new thread nonetheless).


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## hkskyline

October 03, 2017 
*Water, woodland to dominate Xiongan New Area landscape*
China Daily _Excerpt_

More than 70 percent of Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province will be covered by water and trees, according to a leading official.

"We will not construct high-rise buildings, concrete jungles or glass walls in the new area," Chen Gang, director of the Xiongan New Area administrative committee, said.

He added that protection of the local ecological environment will be regarded as a top priority during the construction process, which will follow a green development path.

According to the development plan, announced in April, the area will cover about 100 square kilometers initially, but will be expanded to 200 sq km in the middle term, and rise to about 2,000 sq km in the long term.

Infrastructure, businesses and residential buildings will cover less than 30 percent of the total area, while the remainder will be home to forests and bodies of water, according to a statement published on the area's official WeChat account on Thursday.

The aim is to build a livable new area, with plant life, forests and water being the main elements, said Liu Baoling, executive deputy director of the administrative committee.

He added that trees are already being planted across a 120,000-square-meter pilot region to provide experience with the cultivation of seedlings, planting technologies and management.

Based on that work, a manual about the area's overall afforestation will be produced to guide further planting work.

Another forestry project, covering 7 sq km, will start by the end of the year.

By 2030, the area's woodland coverage rate will surpass 40 percent, more than double the national average, according to Liu.

At present, the coverage rate in the three counties spanning the new area are 19.72 percent in Xiongxian, 9.3 percent in Rongcheng and 7.29 percent in Anxin.

In addition to woodland, Xiongan is home to Baiyangdian, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in China.

Know as the "Pearl of North China", Baiyangdian, which covers 366 sq km, contains 143 small lakes and is essential to the conservation of water on the North China Plain.

http://www.chinadailyasia.com/articles/186/36/132/1507020205376.html


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## ThatOneGuy

Very good, Beijing needs as much greenery as it can get


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## hkskyline

January 15, 2019 
*Preparations for 2022 Olympics gearing up*
China Daily _Excerpt_

China's preparation this year for the 2022 Winter Olympics will focus on venue readiness and training of Games-related staff, according to local governments.

Despite the deep winter chill and tough outdoor conditions, construction sites in northern Beijing's Olympic park and its mountainous Yanqing district are bustling with workers and machinery in the process of building the National Speed Skating Oval, the National Alpine Skiing Center and National Sliding Center, three new venues of the 26 needed for the Olympics over three zones－in Beijing's downtown, Yanqing and the capital's co-host Zhangjiakou, Hebei province.

Major structures of all four new competition venues in Beijing, including the Big Air slope in Shougang Industrial Park, will be completed by the end of this year

With three years to go before the Olympics opens in February 2022, construction will be accelerated. Major structures of all four new competition venues in Beijing, including the Big Air slope in Shougang Industrial Park, will be completed by the end of this year, according to the city's construction regulatory body.

Completion of the Alpine skiing center in Yanqing within two years will allow the first official test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics, an international Alpine skiing race, to run on the mountain slope in early 2020, according to Wang Gang, director of Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office.

"We are well ahead of schedule in preparing all the venues for the Games with all the new venues in downtown Beijing and Yanqing to take shape this year," he said on Monday during the annual session of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

The office also said that the transformation of eight existing venues from the 2008 Summer Olympics, to serve competition, ceremony and media functions in 2022, is in full swing and is expected to be complete in early 2021.

The repurposing of the National Aquatics Center－known as the Water Cube for hosting swimming in 2008－into the Ice Cube for curling in 2022, and the National Indoor Stadium, built for gymnastics at the Summer Games, into the ice hockey arena, will be the main focus this year, according to the city's municipal development and reform commission.

Major progress is also expected in Zhangjiakou this year as Hebei Governor Xu Qin revealed on Monday that all eight competition and noncompetition venues for six snow-based sports－snowboarding, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and biathlon－in the city's mountainous Chongli district are scheduled to be finished this year.

"Hebei will construct the venues and supporting infrastructure for the Games with high quality," Xu said in a government work report to an annual session of the provincial people's congress.

Chongli district, about 150 kilometers northwest of Beijing, will be connected by a high-speed railway with Beijing, which will cut the travel time from the current three hours by bus to 50 minutes once construction is completed by the end of this year.

Chongli is also striving to develop a winter sports industry, with 15 overseas companies having signed development deals with local partners in winter tourism, equipment manufacturing and education, according to the work report.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/252/129/145/1547542595109.html?newsId=59239


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## Jim856796

hkskyline said:


> *Beijing’s skyscraper arms race cut short thanks to new CBD height restrictions*
> April 18, 2018
> South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
> 
> Beijing authorities have set height limits on new buildings in the central business district in a bid to curb density, forcing a number of office projects to head back to the drawing board.
> 
> JLL said *the height limit has been capped at no more than 180 metres*. Previously, developers would consult the CBD Managing Committee, which sets zoning restrictions in the most prosperous district of Beijing, on height restrictions on a case-by-case basis.
> 
> Future office buildings in the area are expected to range from 100 to 200 metres in height, according to CBRE. The affected buildings were originally planned to be 190 to more than 300 metres, the consultancy said.
> 
> More : http://www.scmp.com/property/hong-k...raper-arms-race-draws-close-thanks-new-height


Bad idea?

I think this is because all the viable sites for a supertall building within the Beijing CBD have all been filled up, and there are no other viable sites for such a building within the Beijing area at all. Also, how is the limit going to 180 metres instead of somewhere in the 200-metres range?

I understand a height restriction being in place within the 2nd Ring Road, but the whole Beijing area? The CBD was probably the only place in Beijing where supertalls could be developed, including a potential 600 m (China Zun Tower is only 528 m, and there is a big gaping hole to the south of that tower). I think this means any new buildings within the CBD are all going to be at the same 180 metres level, and that Beijing won't be getting a 600-metre tower at all.


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## hkskyline

*Opinion: Alleviating Beijing's urban woes with new areas *
CGTN
Jan 11, 2019

With 2019 marking the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, work on the Xiongan New Area and Beijing sub-center, the two new wings of Beijing, have transitioned from the planning to the construction phase, the State Council Information Office announced on Friday.

The aim for the Xiongan New Area and Beijing sub- center is to alleviate Beijing's non-capital functions and promote the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, as complementary areas to the Chinese capital.

Xiongan New Area, located in Hebei Province, is part of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei capital region, and the sub-center, located in Beijing's Tongzhou district, will be built into a top-of-the-line modern district. In the process, schools, hospitals, research institutions, and corporate headquarters are to be relocated from Beijing to these new areas.

Beijing has long faced with traffic congestion, pollution issues, high housing prices driven by the limited land, etc. For example, the regular traffic jams in the morning and evening are an urban nuisance. Nothing could be worse than the thousands of cars stopped at a crossroad for an hour. They also exacerbate the issue of air pollution, due to the exhaust emissions.

The Chinese government has made changes to address the issues including restricting automobile use by license plate numbers and issuing pollution alerts which restrict all driving over a short period of time.

With the new areas, it is thought that people and traffic will be divided between the two areas. Moving the non-capital functions could reduce traffic and pollution. 

The planning for the two areas has also focused on striking a balance between development and protection. Xiongan New Area will control the use of land by developing up to 30 percent of its area in the long run, leaving the rest for green space and water landscapes, Chen Gang, deputy governor of Hebei Province and director of Xiongan New Area Administrative Committee, said at a press conference Friday. And the population density of Tongzhou district will be capped to 9,000 per square kilometers.

More : https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d774d7955544f31457a6333566d54/share_p.html


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## aquaticko

Limited land? Beijing is open on 3 of its 4 sides; except for the Jundushan and Xishan mountains to the north-northwest, it's in the middle of a huge plain. 

Traffic congestion? Pollution issues? Maybe stop encouraging sprawl and autocentric development with your 10-lane roads and developments out in the hinterlands. And while you're at it, get rid of that CBD height limit, too. Beijing's population density is way behind Shanghai and the cities of the Pearl River delta, nevermind big cities in the rest of East Asia like Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei.

The author of that piece needs to stop pretending that exurban developments, like Xiongan, are anything more than a gift to the construction industry.


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## hkskyline

Clearly, Beijing's planners don't want to turn their city into London's The City with skyscrapers overshadowing hundreds of years of imperial history and the Forbidden City smack in the middle of it.


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## uwhuskies

Shanghainese said:


> The problem with this project is that it is a project planned by the government. In other words, it is a planned economy. That's why it will not work or not as hoped, because the best development happens when people are free. Then people will trade and change their standard of living, forming more complex networks, and thus creating those incentives that will allow technologies to become more and more standard. Thus, capital and companies are increasingly settling.
> A government-planned Utopia resembles a chair that stands on one leg, while a city of free people resembles a chair with many legs and accordingly stands more stable.


What has marked the economic development for the last 30 years in China? Yes, Capitalism is the fuel that causes the economic boom, but the Government has guided the direction by providing the roadways metaphorically speaking.

There are ZERO purely Capitalist systems in the world—most nations have a socialist political structure. In the US, it’s welfare, Medicaid and Medicare; UK and Europe, it’s National Healthcare and Pension system. I would expect idealistic comments from a college freshman, not a well travelled blogger.


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## aquaticko

hkskyline said:


> Clearly, Beijing's planners don't want to turn their city into London's The City with skyscrapers overshadowing hundreds of years of imperial history and the Forbidden City smack in the middle of it.


There is plenty of space within the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ring roads to obviate the need for an entire new city. And--as I think Seoul is coming to realize--Beijing will have to come to terms with the fact that dedicating so much space for roads _sui generis_ was a big planning mistake, and that space is far better used prioritizing non-personal methods of transport which are much more space-efficient.

If you're going to claim that space is a problem, maybe try being efficient with it first.


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## :jax:

Beijing has no space problem, and solving traffic problems by moving the functions further apart is not a brilliant idea. They do seem committed to population caps though. The riff-raff will not be allowed into Beijing and Shanghai. 

Xiong'an makes no geographic sense. There is no benefit in making a near-equilateral triangle with Beijing and Tianjin. However it could be seen as an effort to "upgrade" the interior/hinterland. The main difference of JingJinJi to the Bohai Economic Rim is the developing the inland compared with the coastal approach (from the Korean border to Qingdao) of the latter. 

City planners have dreamed of moving Beijing for a long time. First to the west, and recently to the east: The Guomao CBD is fairly recent, and planned, move of the centre of economic gravity to the East. Tongzhou is even more recent. Tianjin Binhai New Area the most extreme case. Binhai must surely lose from the lack of central attention.


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## Shanghainese

If a government interferes in any way with human action, it will lead to economic distortions and waste of resources. Inefficiency and distorted prices are just as much the consequence as negative effects resulting from them.
Height limitation ... this is a state intervention. If the building is smaller than it could be, it must be rebuilt elsewhere. This has effects on resources and prices. Conversely, if a building is built larger than there is demand, problems again arise because of a lack of demand.

Only a free market compensates for supply and demand, uses resources with the goal of profit-oriented economies and thus slows down unnecessary waste.

The same problems exist with land distribution and land use. They are not geared to the demand of Chinese people but are determined by bureaucrats and bureaucratic companies that artificially push the economy thanks to an all-embracing state apparatus, thanks to cheap credit and indebtedness. But as Ludwig von Mises has shown, one day an economic crisis is the inescapable consequence of such a wrong policy.

The same is true of western civilization, which has frightening parallels with China's system, which is why the morally raised finger against China often has to turn against itself first.

Anyone who thinks in his head like an advocate of the planned economy and demands state intervention and then uses the words "market" or "market economy" according to his mood ends up in a sea full of contradictions. But this is precisely where systems fail. It is the intellectual defeat that takes place long before real defeat.

Read www.aier.org


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## Shanghainese

And frankly, China is a Keynesian monster. Yes, also the USA and Europe are such beasts. The US is now even less, as the central bank has raised interest rates, but where the interest rate would really lie, can only discover a free market. Such a discovery is not a one-off but a permanent one, as human action itself would thus change interest rates. Central banks, on the other hand, play god and pat in the dark. Therefore, an interest may always be too high or too low compared to a free market condition.

Low interest rates are followed by indebtedness spirits that are difficult to control. Take the upper hand threatens the national bankruptcy. If a state has brought many areas of the economy under its control with the help of debt and inflation, then the entire system is threatened with shipwreck when interest rates have to rise at some point. If they do not rise, the economic crisis threatens. If they rise, national bankruptcy threatens as well.

Therefore, a state should not presume to bring large parts of the economy and society under its control. Dependencies arise in a fragile system. You then go under together.

Trump is certainly not the solution. But many Americans hit by the financial crisis of 2008, like the Europeans, have made a populist turn to the right that does not really recognize and eliminate these problems. That's the dilemma. And China is in the same dilemma.


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## Zaz965

new universal studios resort in beijing
opening scheduled in 2021








https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Studios_Beijing


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## Wayden21

It would be interesting to know what is the real GDP of China (chinese experts who denounce the fake state statistics are put in jail, and more and more even state statistics themselves simply disappear because they can't make them lie), to see if it truly is an economic miracle still in the 2010s...


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## hkskyline

*80 mln cubic meters of Yellow River water diverted to Xiongan*
_Excerpt_

ZHENGZHOU, March 14 (Xinhua) -- About 80 million cubic meters of water from the Yellow River, China's second longest river, was diverted to a major lake in Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province during the past winter.

The annual water diversion project, which ran from Nov. 29 last year to March 10, is aimed at improving the environment of Baiyangdian Lake in Xiongan and ease water shortage in the cities along the 482-km-long diversion route, according to the Henan Yellow River Bureau.

The route starts from Puyang County in Henan Province and runs through five cities in Hebei Province before reaching Baiyangdian.

The project is the first permanent water conservancy project after the establishment of the Xiongan New Area, a new economic zone about 100 km southwest of Beijing.


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## hkskyline

*Hebei forging ahead on new era's journey *
29 May 2019
China Daily _Excerpt_









_Workers begin laying rails on Monday for the expected railway line connecting Beijing and Hebei province's Xiongan New Area. (PHOTO / XINHUA) _

Li Dalong, 30, was excited when he heard that an express rail will be built between Beijing's new airport and Xiongan New Area in North China's Hebei province, where he has worked for about two years.

"Going back to Beijing will be more convenient and it's like the capital and Xiongan form one whole city," he said.

Li used to work in Beijing before he went to Xiongan in May, 2017.

He had obtained a registered permanent residence, or hukou, in the capital, which is treasured by many as it is hard to get and comes with rights to various public services.

However, he left the hukou behind to work in Xiongan, expecting a modern new city.

Xiongan New Area, set up in April 2017 and spanning three counties in Hebei's Baoding about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, entered construction stage this year.

It will be built into a national model of high-quality development and a new engine for the modern economic system, according to a 2018-2035 master plan for guiding the area's development.

The construction of infrastructure is one of the first projects the area has started, for which Li came to work at as a technician of prefabricated buildings with CRCC Xiongan Construction Co, a construction company in Xiongan.

"The express rail is in planning and is aimed to provide convenience for residents in the new area to take flights in the capital," Wang Dongfeng, secretary of the Communist Party of China Hebei Provincial Committee, said on Tuesday.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/139/9/137/1559106421587.html


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## hkskyline

*Beijing sets up $724m fund for 5G mobile tech efforts*
30 May 2019
China Daily _Excerpt_

Beijing on Wednesday set up a 5 billion yuan ($724 million) fund to spur development of the fifth-generation or 5G mobile technology industry, its latest effort to gain an edge in the commercialization of 5G tech.

The fund was established jointly by the Beijing Science and Technology Innovation Investment Management Co Ltd, Beijing Yizhuang International Investment and Development Co Ltd and State-owned China Jianyin Investment Ltd. It will focus on investing in leading high-tech firms across the entire 5G industrial chain.

"At present, 5G has become the driving force to boost China's innovative and high-quality development," Sui Zhenjiang, vice-mayor of Beijing, said on Wednesday during a 5G industrial development and investment summit held in Yizhuang, in southeastern Beijing.

"Beijing is actively transforming itself as a national scientific and technological innovation center. With advantages in complete telecom infrastructure, abundant talent and strong research and development capabilities, we have the resolve to accelerate the push for making breakthroughs in 5G technologies and build an independent and innovative 5G industrial system," Sui said.

As of May 24, the three major telecom operators - China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom - have established 4,700 5G base stations in Beijing, according to Wang Gang, head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology.

Wang said by the end of this year, 5G network construction will cover the area within the Fifth Ring Road in the city.

The Beijing municipal government plans to invest at least 30 billion yuan by 2022 to build 5G networks, according to a 5G development plan released in January. In Beijing's road map for 5G development from 2019 to 2022, the municipal government has set a goal to develop its 5G-related industry to realize an income of 200 billion yuan by 2022.

The city said it hopes that by 2022, Beijing-based scientific research units and enterprises can be a key contributor to global 5G technical standards, accounting for more than 5 percent of all primary and essential international 5G patents.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/214/195/77/1559192635235.html


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## hkskyline

*First test run for train on line to Beijing's new Daxing airport *
17 June 2019
China Daily _Excerpt_ 

The first phase of a new subway line connecting downtown Beijing to the new international airport under construction south of the city saw its first test run on Saturday, indicating that preparations for the opening of Beijing Daxing International Airport in September are in full swing, according to local officials.

The rail transit line, designed to link the new airport in Daxing district and Caoqiao subway station in Fengtai district, spans 41.4 kilometers and passes through three subway stations in the capital. The train can reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.

Automated subway trains will be used on the new airport line, said Yang Guangwu, chief engineer of the Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office. When put into operation in September along with the new airport, the trains will be capable of fully automated driverless operation and will be the fastest subway trains in China.

Construction work at Beijing Daxing International Airport is expected to be completed by the end of this month, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It will enter commercial operation before Sept 30.

The new airport, which is located at the junction of Beijing's Daxing district and Langfang, a city in neighboring Hebei province, is designed to take pressure off the overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport in the northeastern suburbs.

Beijing Daxing International Airport is set to handle up to 45 million passengers annually by 2021, with the figure expected to rise to 72 million passengers by 2025.

"Operation of the new airport subway line means a lot to the capital's rail transit system, since it increases the average speed of urban rail transit in Beijing and will further boost the economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region," Yang said.

The top speed of most subway trains in Beijing is currently around 80 km/h, he added.

More : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201906/17/WS5d06d4c7a3103dbf143287b4.html


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## hkskyline

June 21, 2019 
*Train to Beijing's new airport passes trial run*
China Daily _Excerpt_

A new type of subway train, which is expected to run between downtown Beijing and the Daxing international airport that is under construction south of the city, will offer passengers a unique experience thanks to cutting-edge technology and design.

The train launched its first trial run on Saturday in Beijing, its developer CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co said on Monday.

The trains are named after "Baijing", or "White whale", and each features the world's most advanced fully-automatic driving system that not only allows driverless operation but enables the vehicle to wake up, self-check and go dormant automatically, according to Liu Jiangtao, a senior designer of CRRC Qingdao.

"The system liberates human labor from routines such as daily examinations ... and it also enables the trains to establish arrival times more precisely," Liu added.

Liu said that each train's structure is made mainly of extruded aluminum with several hollow cavities. This means the train is resistant to air loss, so passengers feel less vibration and hear less noise.

Each train is designed to run at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, and it will take about 20 minutes to get from Caoqiao, one of the subway stations in southern Beijing's Fengtai district, to the new airport, covering 41.3 kilometers.

The Beijing Daxing International Airport, at the junction of Beijing's Daxing district and Langfang, a city in neighboring Hebei province, is designed to take pressure off the overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport in the northeastern suburbs.

The trains, as well as Beijing's airport subway line, are expected to go into formal operation with the new airport in September.

Liu said the trains' interior design follows aviation standards and is divided into a business-class carriage, six regular carriages and one for luggage, with a maximum passenger capacity of 448.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/195/75/46/1561099024600.html?newsId=86599


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## :jax:

There has been a dearth of interesting new development projects in Beijing the last few years. I don't know if that is the new normal.


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## hkskyline

May 20, 2019 
*Designed for better living*
Not merely duplicating Shenzhen or Pudong, Xiongan can be a model, livable city with green public transit systems
China Daily _Excerpt_

Xiongan New Area is another new development strategy of national significance after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Shanghai Pudong New Area. Its planning and development not only present unprecedented opportunities for Hebei province, but will also have a profound influence on the economic development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the whole country.

Xiongan will fundamentally shift the extensive and high resource-consuming economic growth pattern to an intensive one driven by technology and innovation. It will focus on the quality rather than pace of economic growth.

To build Xiongan into a better and more livable city, transport planning and the design of public spaces should be green and sustainable.

First, transport links are the arteries of a city. Proper transport development and planning are essential for urban development. Xiongan needs to adjust its travel structure to ensure it realizes a people-oriented transport design. Future urban mobility will feature multiple travel modes consisting of bicycles, public transit systems and walking. While increasing transport flow, Xiongan needs to change the travel mode of residents to alternatives other than cars.

In the past 10 years or so, the construction speed and scale of China’s subway system has never been seen before. That said, we must also pay attention to the construction and operational quality of the subway stations, including such indicators as the accessibility of stations, station dynamism and overall passenger transport intensity. Domestic subway systems still lag far behind foreign ones in terms of these indicators.

More : https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/183/61/12/1558328649670.html?newsId=83250


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## hkskyline

*Science center prepares for major liftoff*
16 August 2019
China Daily _Excerpt_

Five large-scale science installations began construction in Huairou Science City last month, marking a big step in Beijing's push to become China's leading high-tech innovation center.

Among the projects is one by the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to better understand interaction between the Earth and sun, said one of CAS academicians, Wei Fengsi.

The solar-terrestrial research is hoped to have applications in aerospace, telecommunications and satellite-imaging technology.

When all construction work is completed at Huairou Science City, located in Beijing's northern Huairou district, it will form a key national science and technology infrastructure cluster, said Dai Binbin, Party secretary of the district.

It will have the facilities to conduct high-level research and development, and serve as a complex of world-class scientific institutions by 2035, Dai said.

Huairou will focus on areas such as advanced materials, space science, atmospheric and environmental science, and artificial intelligence.

"By 2035, the number of researchers and related talented people will reach 110,000, which will bring vitality to the district," Dai said. "Science city will combine culture, science and international communications."

The five installations under construction in Huairou are expected to come into use by 2021. Beijing is home to 19 large scientific experiment projects deemed of "national level" importance.

More : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201908/16/WS5d560abda310cf3e355661cc.html


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## hkskyline

* Blueprint unveiled for Beijing's core area *
China Daily _Excerpt_
August 31, 2020

The detailed plan for the core area of Beijing for the 2018-35 period, which was published on Sunday after it was approved by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, highlights the Chinese capital's role as the nation's political center.

Approving the plan, the State Council said the core area is where Beijing's functions as the nation's political, cultural and international exchange center are mostly located, and it is also a key area for the preservation of historical sites.

Yang Baojun, chief economist at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said Beijing is a megacity with a population of more than 20 million and an annual GDP in excess of 3.5 trillion yuan ($510 billion) in 2019.

"With China getting closer to the center of the world's stage, many functions of the capital should be completed and strengthened," he was quoted as saying by Beijing Daily on Sunday.

"In order to enhance the capital's political role in the core area, Beijing has set up a sub-city center in Tongzhou district where municipal government organs have relocated. The sub-city center will also take on more roles in the economic field in order to ensure the core area's political role," Yang said.

More : Blueprint unveiled for Beijing's core area - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## little universe

^^

*China unveils plan to protect cultural heritage in central Beijing*
Video by South China Morning Post


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## little universe

*The Grand Canal New CBD Under Construction at Beijing's **Tongzhou District** - 建设中的 通州 北京城市副中心*
Tongzhou District, Outer East Beijing









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## little universe

*Beijing Lize New CBD Under Construction - 建设中的丽泽商务区*
Fengtai District, SW Beijing








by peter on 500px




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## hkskyline

*'Self-sufficient' Chinese city to reflect coronavirus lessons *
Reuters _Excerpt_
Sep 8, 2020

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new city near Beijing featuring wooden apartment blocks, rooftop farms and renewable energy is being designed with drone-friendly terraces and ample space from which to work at home in case of future pandemic outbreaks, its chief architect said.

Barcelona-based Guallart Architects last month won a contest to design a community in Xiong’an, a new city promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a new standard in the post-COVID era” that can also be applied elsewhere.

The proposal, that includes wooden buildings with large balconies and shared 3-D printers, will allow residents to produce resources locally, and provide all amenities “even in moments of confinement”, according to a press statement.

“We cannot continue designing cities and buildings as if nothing had happened,” said founder Vicente Guallart.

“Our proposal stems from the need to provide solutions to the various crises that are taking place, in order to create a new urban life based in the circular bio-economy,” he said.

More : 'Self-sufficient' Chinese city to reflect coronavirus lessons


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## :jax:

Xi ❤ Xiong’an, but while you could make a case for the Langfang exclave (Yanjiao ++) being kind of Beijing, as an outer outer suburb, I don't think Xiong’an, more than 50 km from province border and more than 100 km from central Beijing, can be called "Beijing". 

Tianjin has a much better case for being Beijing than Xiong’an. At least Tianjin borders Beijing.


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## little universe

^^

I wish Beijing could have annexed Hebei's enclave (Dachang, Sanhe and Xianghe) in between Beijing and Tianjin.
Beijing needs more lands for future development given that northern and western parts of the municipality are largely occupied by mountains.


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## hkskyline

They're at the 6th ring by now? I think they still have some room to grow to the west and south.


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## :jax:

The (Beijing) government quarters in "Tongzhou sub-center" is actually just outside the 6th ring, so if we put the origo there the closest point of the Langfang exclave is only about 5 km away. Xianghe HSR station would be less than 10 km away.

An interesting choice to put the administrative centre of a province basically at its borders.


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## hkskyline

* Decrees issued over capital's trade zone *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Sep 9, 2020

Beijing issued three key documents on Monday to speed up its construction of a pilot international free trade zone for opening-up the service sector, the digital economy and technological innovation.

The documents contain concrete measures to realize the visions of China's top leaders. The central government will support the municipality in developing a national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the services sector. It will enable Beijing to take bigger, bolder steps as a trailblazer and gain more experience that would be replicable and scalable.

According to an action plan, which is one of the documents released by the Beijing Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, a mechanism for digital economy development will be set up with six focuses: infrastructure construction, digital industrialization, industry digitization, digital governance, data valuation and digital trade development.

Spanning 2020-22, nine major projects will be carried out. Local officials said that technologies such as supercomputing, 5G and artificial intelligence will be used.

More : Decrees issued over capital's trade zone - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## little universe

*Lize New CBD Construction Update - 建设中的丽泽商务区*
Fengtai District, SW Beijing









by Peng on 500px








by ZGZ on 500px



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## hkskyline

* Beijing's Hutong Homes Offer Respite From Bustling City Streets *
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Sep 25, 2020

Beijingers’ relationship to the hutong is a complicated one.

There’s something to be said for the combination of privacy and small-scale community these traditional courtyard neighborhoods allow for, especially in a city of more than 20 million people. But China’s rapid economic transformation has fundamentally altered hutong life and turned it into more of a rarity, with many courtyards flattened to make way for skyscrapers. For some, efforts to spruce up the hutong have diminished their charm. Others bid them good riddance, glad to put often poor living conditions behind them.

But hutongs have been a feature of Beijing life for centuries; the name itself can be traced to the 13th century. Formally speaking, a hutong is a narrow alleyway that strings together a series of courtyards — known as siheyuan — each of which is surrounded by low-rise buildings on four sides. In casual conversation, the term “hutong” is used to describe the alleys and sometimes the buildings within them. These hutong houses are typically single-story dwellings with elaborately tiled roofs, sometimes with a patio with trees or even a rooftop terrace.

More : Beijing's Hutong Homes Offer Respite From Bustling City Streets


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## little universe

*Chinese IT Giant Tencent's Beijing Headquarters Complex by OMA*
Texts and images from archdaily.com
https://www.archdaily.com/948091/tencent-beijing-headquarters-oma




















> _Text description provided by the architects. _Tencent’s new headquarters in Beijing will accommodate thousands of employees. Instead of seeking soaring heights to host the expansion of the digital workforce, OMA designed a square-shaped floating volume of merely 7 floors that stretches out horizontally, with the exceptionally large floorplan of 180 x 180m.
> 
> The new Tencent HQ is conceived as a small vertical city, divided into 9 quadrants with each their own core that can function independently. A web of intersecting ‘streets’ connects all cores and at the same time brings hierarchy and legibility. Each floorplan is sub-divided into zones that have diverse programming - work, education, play - and a variety of types of spaces for these different purposes.
> ... ...
















































































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## little universe

*Sanlitun Apple Store Revamp by **Foster + Partners*
Texts and Images from archdaily.com
Foster + Partners' Apple Store Opens in Sanlitun Quarter, Beijing




> Foster + Partners has completed and reimagined the Apple store in Sanlitun, an urban quarter in Beijing, China. Originally built in 2008, Apple’s first store in China has relocated, in proximity to the older building, taking on more social aspects, and generating a “_new dialogue with the surrounding pedestrian streets, addressing the large open square that is a social focus for the district_”.
> 
> Reimagined by Foster + Partners, Apple Sanlitun has just opened in Beijing, with collaborative design, the result of a close partnership between Apple and the architectural firm. As Stefan Behling, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners stated, “_Apple Sanlitun is all about being open and inviting – visually, physically and metaphorically_”, the store draws inspiration from the energy of the area, connecting inside and outside spaces.
> 
> ... ...

































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## little universe

*The Protective Shelter of Site of **Zhoukoudian Peking Man Cave** by THAD*
Texts and images from archdaily.com
The Protective Shelter of Locality 1 Archaeological Site of Zhoukoudian Peking Man Cave / THAD

Zhoukoudian **** erectus *Peking Man** (北京猿人) Site* is a UNESCO World Heritage Site












> *BACKGROUND*
> 
> According to the data analysis of a 20years long monitoring work, the Locality 1Archaeological Site of Zhoukoudian has been threatened by severe hazards as wind and rain erosions, weathering, crumbling and instability, etc. After the severe rain storm on 21st July 2012， water catchment was discovered at the bottom and the west section of the cave and soon disappeared. Through geophysical prospecting, large fissures and fracture zones were found at the bottom of the cave, which endangered the overall stability of the site.
> 
> The plan of a new protective shelter was reported to the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China in August 2013.
> 
> ... ...




















































































































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## little universe

*A Modern Bar Converted from An Ancient Siheyuan - 四合院改造的酒吧*
A *Siheyuan* is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing









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by 135****8862 on 500px








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by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px


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## little universe

*A Modern Bar Converted from An Ancient Siheyuan - 四合院改造的酒吧*
A *Siheyuan* is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing









by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px








by 135****8862 on 500px








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## hkskyline

* All ice rinks in Beijing competition zone of Beijing 2022 to produce ice by end of this year *
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- All ice rinks in the Beijing competition zone of Beijing 2022 have completed site construction and will produce ice by the end of this year, according to the Beijing Major Projects Construction Headquarters Office on Sunday.

Several days ago, the first ice rink made by carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games was born in the Capital Gymnasium which is a competition venue for short track speed skating and figure skating.

The carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling technology makes ice with carbon dioxide which has good refrigeration performance and can improve energy efficiency by 30% compared with conventional refrigerant. In addition, all of its waste heat can be recovered and reused. The Capital Gymnasium can save more than 1 million kilowatts of electricity every year by using the heat source generated by carbon dioxide ice making.

Among 15 ice rinks in the Beijing competition zone, seven ice rinks will adopt the carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling technology which has been used in the Winter Olympics for the first time, making the Beijing Winter Olympics the first Winter Olympic Games to use carbon dioxide refrigerant on a large scale in history.

All 15 ice surfaces in the Beijing competition consist of one in National Speed Skating Oval, two in National Indoor Stadium, two in National Aquatics Center, three in Wukesong Sports Center, five in Capital Gymnasium park and two in National Disabled Ice Sports Training Center.

More : http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-11/15/c_139517253.htm


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## little universe

*Tongzhou Grand Canal New CBD Construction Updates - 建设中的通州运河商务区*
Tongzhou District, Outer East Beijing









by 元子 on 500x









by 元子 on 500x









by 元子 on 500x



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## little universe

*China National Convention Centre** Phase II Construction Update - 建设中的国家会议中心二期 *









by WANGYUEBO 8393 on 500px




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## little universe

*Beijing Sub-Center Railway Station** - 北京城市副中心站 *
Tongzhou District, Outer East Beijing

It will be the largest underground Railway Station in Asia (opening in late 2024)









by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px


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## little universe

*Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station** (or Xinghuo railway station) - 北京朝阳站(星火站)*










by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px









by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px









by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px








by 疯狂的高铁站 on 500px





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## little universe

*Lize New CBD Construction Update - 建设中的丽泽商务区*
Fengtai District, SW Beijing









by 宇宙奥德赛 on 500px



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## little universe

*Lize New CBD Construction Update - 建设中的丽泽商务区*
Fengtai District, SW Beijing








by Wenhan on 500px



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## little universe

Does anyone know these highrises U/C along the Chang'an Avenue in the photos below?








by 宋偉強 on 500px








by 碧螺春 on 500px





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## little universe

*Shijingshan District Joy City Shopping Centre Construction Update - 建设中的石景山大悦城 *
Shijiangshan District, West Beijing

















by 幸有我来山未孤  on 500px








by 幸有我来山未孤  on 500px




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## little universe

*Newly Completed Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station - 新进落成的北京朝阳站*
I've posted the renderings on the post #822 above 


gao7 said:


> *Beijing Chaoyang railway station unveiled*
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## 2mchris

little universe said:


> Does anyone know these highrises U/C along the Chang'an Avenue (at the right end of the photo below)?
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I found the location. It is opposite from Baogang Mansion. Following Google Maps there is Qijiayuan Diplomacy Apartment. But on the satellite view you can see already a big construction site (two highrise).
Seems to as well the place of the Embassy of Azerbaijan


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## little universe

*Universal Studios Beijing Promo(s) - 北京环球影城 宣传片*























*Universal Studios Beijing Construction Updates - 北京环球影城 建设进展*






北京环球度假区







www.universalbeijingresort.com




























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## little universe

*A Daughter Designed An Art Gallery For Her Parents at Beijing's Shunyi District *


> Beijing girl Liu Yanchen, after graduating from Harvard, built an art gallery on the outskirts of Beijing for her straight-A parents. The gallery includes a 7-meter-tall studio where they can paint on separate walls of their own, and they can play badminton and table tennis indoor. YIT chatted with her, “During my years in school, my parents have always been very supportive, and this is the best gift I can give back to my parents."

















*Professor / Architect Dong Yugan **used 3.3 million red bricks to create a quadrangle with 20 courtyards in Suburban Beijing*


> Fifteen years ago, Dong Yugan (董豫赣), a professor at Peking University, used 3.3 million red bricks to create a giant contemporary quadrangle, the Qing Shui Hui Yuan. This work, which carries Dong Yugan's thoughts and ideals on Chinese architecture. We returned to the site with Dong Yu gan in late November to hear him talk about the many stories of the construction back then.
















*Beijing Girl Remodeled a 50㎡ Hutong House, Plating the House with Mirrors*



> Beijing girl Liu Tianmeng, after graduating from abroad, thoroughly remodeled the old house left by her family in Baochao hutong. The yard is only 57m², left unused for 5 years. The beams, columns, the gate and pipelines were all dilapidated. Liu Tianmeng found architect Shen Jianghai. They worked together and completed all the construction in just 14 days. They knocked off the old walls and the floor, covered the floor with mirrors. Today, YIT brings you on a tour of a kaleidoscope hutong private house.











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## little universe

*King's Joy Restaurant Opposite the 17th Century Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple *









King's Joy Restaurant / Atelier FCJZ


Completed in 2012 in Beijing, China. Images by He Shu. Design Conditions. Site: A recently built courtyard house (Si He Yuan) at the entrance to Wudaoying Hutong, opposite of the Lama Temple. The program:...




www.archdaily.com







> _Design Conditions. _Site: A recently built courtyard house (Si He Yuan) at the entrance to Wudaoying Hutong, opposite of the Lama Temple.
> The program: A vegetarian restaurant Space_. _
> This was an interior design project. Based on our respect for the basic structure of the courtyard house, we reorganized the interior spaces. The entrance of the restaurant was altered and moved from the southern rooms to the passageway on the west, in order to allow users to pass through a series of labyrinthine transitional spaces before arriving at the central courtyard.
> In order to achieve the required floor area, one of the original courtyards had to be covered. Yet we still hoped to preserve the feeling of two courtyards. Thus we made the covered courtyard as transparent and bright as possible. An eight-panel folding hanging screen was employed to create a scale that is both open and intimate. This design results in a contrast between an indoor courtyard space and an outdoor courtyard space. Other spaces were developed surrounding the courtyards.






























































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## little universe

*Echo House Converted From An Industrial Warehouse *









Echo House / KLC


Completed in 2020 in Beijing, China. Images by Beijing Ruijing Photography. The site is located in a special border area between the city center and the suburbs, around the 5th ring in Beijing, China. It’s also an industrial...




www.archdaily.com







> The site is located in a special border area between the city center and the suburbs, around the 5th ring in Beijing, China. It’s also an industrial block which has plenty of red brick warehouses that supported the Spinning Era in the 1960s. It is undergoing various renovations to a new commercial area, and our project is to renovate one of them.
> The clients already own a relatively small shop in the city center, which sells beverages made only from organic plants. They are undergoing an extension of their business which not only sells beverages but every prospect of healthy food, so they have bought one of the red brick warehouses as the main studio+food bar, and have asked us to design it.

























































































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## little universe

*Zaha Hadid Architects Wins Competition to Expand Beijing Exhibition Centre*









Zaha Hadid Architects Wins Competition to Expand Beijing Exhibition Centre


Zaha Hadid Architects has won the design competition to build Phase II of the International Exhibition Centre in Beijing.




www.archdaily.com







> Zaha Hadid Architects has won the design competition to build Phase II of the International Exhibition Centre in Beijing. Drawing from the cultural, academic and civic center of China, the International Exhibition Centre is located next to the city’s Capital International Airport as a site for conferences, trade fairs and industry expos. Now, Phase II will significantly expand exhibition space for knowledge and exchange.
> Located at the core of the International Airport New City in Beijing’s Shunyi District, the centre will welcome local residents as well as visitors from across China and around the world. The team explains that the "integrated relationships between the exhibition halls, conference centre and hotel are echoed in the centre’s composition, arranged as a series of interconnecting lines and geometries that take inspiration from the textures of glazed tubular ceramic tile roofs within traditional Chinese architecture."






























































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## little universe

*M Woods Art Museum** Entrance Revitalization At Beijing **798 Art District*









M Woods Entrance Revitalization / Vector Architects


Completed in 2016 in Beijing, China. Images by Xia Zhi. M Woods Entrance Revitalization is an urban renewal project in Beijing 798 Art Zone. The site was an abandoned industrial warehouse originally and it...




www.archdaily.com







> M Woods Entrance Revitalization is an urban renewal project in Beijing 798 Art Zone. The site was an abandoned industrial warehouse originally and it was used as an art museum since two years ago. The museum operators expect to have a façade and entrance renovation in order to refine visiting experience, and to improve the recognition of the museum’s public image.
> In the past two decades, Chinese cities have experienced a rapid development: a substantial amount of old buildings, streets, historical blocks, and even topography were wiped out and replaced by newly “designed” urban appearances. Our living environment becomes more generic but unfamiliar progressively, and this separates our emotion from the settlement we live on. Therefore the key issue of the design is to rethink the urban renewal. Although our existing structure is not a historical heritage, such old architecture is still precious, since it reflects the trace of time.



















































































































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## little universe

*3 New Highrise Office Towers for Z4, Z5, Z6 Plots at Beijing CBD Started Construction Works*
They are jointly owned and developed by China Minsheng Bank, Dajia Insurance Group & Sino-Ocean Group



北京CBD核心区Z4、Z5、Z6开工奠基 远洋集团打造健康办公空间甲级写字楼_中国经济网国家经济门户





> 10月18日，中国民生银行、大家保险集团、远洋集团北京CBD核心区Z4、Z5、Z6项目开工奠基仪式举行，标志着CBD核心区南区正式进入建设阶段。中国民生银行党委书记、董事长高迎欣，行长郑万春；大家保险集团董事长何肖锋，总经理徐敬惠；远洋集团董事局主席、总裁李明，执行董事、执行总裁王洪辉、崔洪杰，副总裁丁晖等；汇丰银行北京分行副行长付碧华；北京商务中心区开发建设有限责任公司总经理赵光耀；北京城建集团副总经理、总工程师张晋勋等共同参加了开工奠基仪式。











by 孟辉 on 500px








by 碧螺春 on 500px




























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## The seventh shape

They look surprisingly short for the area.


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## little universe

*Beijing Subway Lize Business District Station Under Construction - 建设中的 北京地铁 丽泽商务区站 *
It is an interchange station on Lines 14, 16 and Daxing Airport Express of the Beijing Subway in Lize New CBD, Fengtai District, SW Beijing










*







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by loopy on 500px






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## little universe

*Tongzhou New CBD Under Construction - 建设中的通州商务区*
Tongzhou District, Outer East Beijing








by Jeff Guo on 500px








by 木丹 on 500px








by 司令 on 500px




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## Zaz965

dear @little universe, why don't you ask to some administrator to be a supermoderator?


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## little universe

^^
Thanks for your suggestion.


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## little universe

*The Playscape Children’s Community Centre Converted from A Textile Factory - 儿童成长中心(原北京纺织厂改造)*
Dongbalangyuan, Chaoyang District









Children’s Community Centre The Playscape / waa


Completed in 2021 in Beijing, China. Images by Fangfang Tian. Brief. The playscape is a refurbishment inside an existing industrial complex in the north of Beijing. A 1970’s warehouse complex for grain storage...




www.archdaily.com





Architects: waa
Area: 2657 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Fangfang Tian
Structural Consultant: LAVA Structure
Main Contractor: YJYZ Construction
Principal Architect: Di Zhang, Jack Young
Design Team:Minghui Huo, Yuqing Feng, Min Wang, Jing Zhu, Mengbo Cao, Hualin Yang, Weiya Li, Qiwen Cao, Heff Jin
Client:Beijing NuanQin
City:Beijing
Country:China



> The playscape is a refurbishment inside an existing industrial complex in the north of Beijing. A 1970’s warehouse complex for grain storage supported by a transport facility. Our client was a healthcare provider specializing in observing, and supporting children’s development relating to movement for a broad range of age groups.
> 
> We believe the missing element of a child’s development in a modern Chinese city is chiefly a functioning neighborhood. We hoped to create the experience of street play and prioritize the reduction of gizmos and screen time. Drawing inspiration from popular culture of the past and abstracting important identities for our new neighborhood’s character. The playscape embodied the following traits:









































































































































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## little universe

*The Playscape Children’s Community Centre Converted from A Textile Factory - 儿童成长中心(原北京纺织厂改造)*
Dongbalangyuan, Chaoyang District









Children’s Community Centre The Playscape / waa


Completed in 2021 in Beijing, China. Images by Fangfang Tian. Brief. The playscape is a refurbishment inside an existing industrial complex in the north of Beijing. A 1970’s warehouse complex for grain storage...




www.archdaily.com





Architects: waa
Area: 2657 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Fangfang Tian
Structural Consultant: LAVA Structure
Main Contractor: YJYZ Construction
Principal Architect: Di Zhang, Jack Young
Design Team:Minghui Huo, Yuqing Feng, Min Wang, Jing Zhu, Mengbo Cao, Hualin Yang, Weiya Li, Qiwen Cao, Heff Jin
Client:Beijing NuanQin
City:Beijing
Country:China



> The playscape is a refurbishment inside an existing industrial complex in the north of Beijing. A 1970’s warehouse complex for grain storage supported by a transport facility. Our client was a healthcare provider specializing in observing, and supporting children’s development relating to movement for a broad range of age groups.
> 
> We believe the missing element of a child’s development in a modern Chinese city is chiefly a functioning neighborhood. We hoped to create the experience of street play and prioritize the reduction of gizmos and screen time. Drawing inspiration from popular culture of the past and abstracting important identities for our new neighborhood’s character. The playscape embodied the following traits:































































































































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## little universe

*Beijing 77 Theatre Converted from A Printing Factory - 北京77剧场 (北京胶印厂改造)*









Refurbishment of the Offset Printing Factory / Origin Architect


Completed in 2014 in Beijing, China. Images by Xia Zhi. Different from the grand factories of elite German descent in 798, Beijing Offset Printing Factory, nestling in the backstreet of Art Gallery, is...




www.archdaily.com





Architects: Origin Architect
Photographs: Xia Zhi
Engineering Design Support:Sunshine Firm
Technical Consultant:Ren Aidong
Architect In Charge:Li Ji
Design Team:Zhang Hui, Lian Hui, Wang Jing
City:Beijing
Country:China



> Different from the grand factories of elite German descent in 798, Beijing Offset Printing Factory, nestling in the backstreet of Art Gallery, is more like an industrialized courtyard with a scent of civil life in Beijing Hutongs. Built in 1960s, 1970s and 1990s respectively, the industrial buildings have different histories. They look nothing special except the higher storey height. But once upon a time, there was a secluded yard boxed in the enclosures.


















































































































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## little universe

*Universal Studios Beijing** Construction Updates - 北京环球影城 建设近况*
It is part of the Universal Beijing Resort












Render from Universal Beijing Resort Official Website:
www.universalbeijingresort.com/en/






















-------------------- Photo of Construction Site taken in May (last month) --------------------








photo from


小红书








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## little universe

*Shijingshan District Joy City Shopping Centre Construction Updates - 建设中的石景山大悦城 *
Shijiangshan District, West Beijing









































---------------------- The Giant Dome is taking shape ----------------------








by 边福侠 on 500px








by 边福侠 on 500px








by 骑速降的小王～on 500px





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## little universe

*Beijing Auto Museum - 北京汽车博物馆








*









by Modafan on 500px





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## hkskyline

little universe said:


> *Universal Studios Beijing Promo(s) - 北京环球影城 宣传片*
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*Universal Studios sets opening for first theme park in China *
_Excerpt_
August 30, 2021 

BEIJING (AP) — Universal Studios announced Monday that its first theme park in China will open in the country’s capital in September.

The company set the opening date for Sept. 20, according to a statement and video posted on the Chinese social media site WeChat.

Under construction since 2016, the theme park has received strong backing from Beijing authorities, including the extension of one of the city’s main subway lines to the site.

Along with rides, shows, restaurants and exhibits, the resort features a pair of hotels. The project will complement Universal’s other two Asian parks in Japan and Singapore.

The Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Kung Fu Panda film franchises feature heavily, along with the Minions from the “Despicable Me” movies.

More : Universal Studios sets opening for first theme park in China


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## little universe

*Beijing Nanchizi Art Museum - 北京南池子美术馆*








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px



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## little universe

*Beijing Nanchizi Art Museum - 北京南池子美术馆*








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px









by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px








by zzz_0401 on 500px



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## little universe

*Trial Opening of Universal Studios Beijing (Universal Beijing Resort) - 北京环球影城 试运行*














Aussie youtuber Amy Lyons (aka Blondie in China)
*Eating her way through UNIVERSAL STUDIOS BEIJING!*















by 178****7158 on 500px








by 青稞的后来 on 500px








by 青稞的后来 on 500px








by 青稞的后来 on 500px



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## wjfox

*China limits construction of 'super high-rise buildings'*

4 hours ago

China has restricted smaller cities in the country from building "super high-rise buildings", as part of a larger bid to crackdown on vanity projects.

Cities with populations of less than three million people will be restricted from building skyscrapers taller than 150 metres (492 ft).

Those with populations larger than that will be restricted from buildings taller than 250 metres.

There is already an existing ban on buildings taller than 500 metres.

China is home to some of the world's highest buildings - including the 632m Shanghai Tower and the 599.1m Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen.

Local reports say that while skyscrapers may be needed in crowded cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen, there is no shortage of land in other cities, adding that those had been built mostly for vanity reasons. 









China limits construction of 'super high-rise buildings'


The decision is being seen as part of a larger bid to crackdown on vanity projects.



www.bbc.co.uk


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## Atmosphere

^^ max 250 meter. End of the supertall boom?


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## Ecopolisia

That universal studio and their average facilities are cheapy looking,at least facade look wise,though...Not the best one out there,most likely,other than that it could be the cheapest one,yet..yeah..Hmm, oh no not even supertalls anymore or extremely hard to produce or be approved now..surprise,surprise over there tbh..lol...🤷😅👍


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## WiseSupernova

Ecopolisia said:


> That universal studio and their average facilities are cheapy looking,at least facade look wise,though...Not the best one out there,most likely,other than that it could be the cheapest one,yet..yeah..Hmm, oh no not even supertalls anymore or extremely hard to produce or be approved now..surprise,surprise over there tbh..lol...🤷😅👍


This message is *so cringe. *I'll try to answer anyway. 

As an engineering student, I can guarantee you that materials don't look cheap. The facades have a lot of details and seem to have nice finishes, plus, everything looks spotless and well thought. 

Skyscrapers look magnificent and I think we can all agree on that, but the sad reality is that the restriction from building towers is pretty logical and needed, especially with the current shift of the economy towards a more sustainable world. >90% of them are simply built for vanity whether it is in China, North America, or anywhere else in the world. There are actually really few cases where it is better to build a skyscraper than something else. If anyone is interested there are loads of papers talking about the stupidity of Dubai's construction projects which is the worst city on earth by far in terms of urban planning and many other things...
In conclusion, the ban is a good thing for everyone, except for some egocentric real-estate entrepreneurs and for us skyscraper lovers.


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## Ecopolisia

Vincent D. said:


> This message is *so cringe. *I'll try to answer anyway.
> 
> As an engineering student, I can guarantee you that materials don't look cheap. The facades have a lot of details and seem to have nice finishes, plus, everything looks spotless and well thought.
> 
> Skyscrapers look magnificent and I think we can all agree on that, but the sad reality is that the restriction from building towers is pretty logical and needed, especially with the current shift of the economy towards a more sustainable world. >90% of them are simply built for vanity whether it is in China, North America, or anywhere else in the world. There are actually really few cases where it is better to build a skyscraper than something else. If anyone is interested there are loads of papers talking about the stupidity of Dubai's construction projects which is the worst city on earth by far in terms of urban planning and many other things...
> In conclusion, the ban is a good thing for everyone, except for some egocentric real-estate entrepreneurs and for us skyscraper lovers.


Where's the cringe over my message is for me a huge mystery. I have been seen more ideal cringeworthy ones. I don't think you have been in every nooks and crannies in social media platforms and other forums, then??....
Obvioulsy,with that first bombastic and unrealistically observed (at least unrealistically observed in a universal context)sentence of yours..

When that all said and settled down, then well,I think they do look some cheapy material-produced facades the facilities got there. Looks downright plastic-like and quickly made as usually in these corners of the world other than((most of its)) only-Xi-Chinese-financed and built skyscrapers , supertalls and that one megatall , which are in fact mostly and heavily western influenced in other more significant ways(design, facade to engineering),but that's for for another topic.So, obvious that they're,lookwise and the latter mentioned ones then it's so obvious,statistically or source wise.

And,they really sure are recognized for its tofu-like and unsustainably show-off vanity projects, aligned with Dubai as you also correctly mentioned ,regarding that. So, agree there. There's Way way more of that in those cities than in those in North America and EU,at least on avarage,if not almost 100 %(due to that those ones are primary or the main producers,suppliers or developers of top-quality facades and possess an extreme, but unfortunate, yet fortunate slow, focus of precautions of safety and quality of the chosen facade materials and engineering when it comes to hardcore and fancy engineered constructions.The Xi-china might learned that latter one little more now, but they still prefer the western more secured option of engineering,when all comes to all.The facade materials on the other hand ,not really,at least not all the time as the western ones with its frankly more non-daring designs,but the western developers could approve fancy designs,if they wanted to of course), and that's being an obvious empirical fact.

And, oh agree with the last line or sentence of yours, too. A nice , objective, transparent and obvious conclusion,but that's it for it.
Good that that has been settled down and clarified once for all,I suppose😌😉🙃💎🌈


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## little universe

*Renovation of Yaxiu Tower (or New West Block) at **Sanlitun Taikoo Li** is near completion - 三里屯太古里西区 新雅秀大楼*


















潮人们注意啦！北京三里屯太古里西区下周亮相


潮人们注意啦！北京三里屯太古里西区下周亮相




news.sina.com.cn






















by weiweiarchi on 500px











北京“文化三里屯”南北纵线将打通-中新网


在昨天召开的“北京培育建设国际消费中心城市”媒体通气会上，朝阳区、海淀区、顺义区、大兴区相关负责人分别介绍了培育建设国际消费中心城市的配套实施方案以及工作进展情况。海淀区还将提升教育医疗消费新供给、打造高品质生活典范区、优化消费发展环境。



www.chinanews.com





^^

*Meanwhile, Sanlitun Taikoo Li's Northward Extension was announced (三里屯太古里北扩工程)!*
When it's fully finished, Sanlitun Taikoo Li will be approx. 50% larger than its current size!







*Current Existing North & South Blocks of Sanlitun Taikoo Li - 三里屯太古里北里和南里现状*

Sanlitun Taikoo Li (South Block) - 三里屯太古里 南里
















Sanlitun - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org






Sanlitun Taikoo Li (North Block) - 三里屯太古里 北里
















Sanlitun - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org





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## little universe

*Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank** (AIIB) Headquarters in Beijing - 北京亚投行总部*
















by weiweiarchi on 500px



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## little universe

*Beijing New Fengtai Railway Station** is near Completion - 即将完工的 新北京丰台站*
It will be the largest railway station in Asia





















by Mortonstyle on 500px








by Mortonstyle on 500px





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## little universe

*Beijing Honglou Public Library - 北京红楼公共图书馆*








by 躲躲 on 500px








by 躲躲 on 500px








by 躲躲 on 500px








by 躲躲 on 500px



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## hkskyline

*Beijing's sub-center making strides *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Mar 1, 2022 

Liu Lili, a resident of Beijing's Tongzhou district, where the capital's sub-city center is located, tried a driverless car on the road near her home just a few minutes after downloading an app.

"It is amazing that I can sit in a driverless car to go somewhere from my home by using an app with simple instructions," she said. "The subcity center has developed so fast in recent years toward becoming a much smarter community."

In the sub-city center, electronic parking lots have replaced the previous disorder of illegal parking and a new green park provides enough shared bicycles for visitors.

"The best part of the development of the sub-city center during 'smart city' construction is that residents can experience the improved environment and much more daily convenience," Liu said.

The "secret" of the sub-city center's smartness is an urban management platform known as the "big city brain", which is located in a renovated building in Tongzhou that used to be a boiler plant.

More : Beijing's sub-center making strides


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## little universe

*New Developments at Tongzhou District - 通州 新商务区建设近况*
Outer East Beijing








by supermoon on 500px








by 一路向北 on 500px








by supermoon on 500px








by supermoon on 500px




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## little universe

*Wukesong** Sports Centre & Shopping Precinct** - 五棵松体育中心商圈*
West Beijing








by supermoon on 500px








by supermoon on 500px








by aming9595（北京•丁明）on 500px








by 维生素C on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px




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## little universe

*The National Sliding Centre at Yanqing District - 延庆 国家雪车雪橇中心*
Outer North Beijing
*







*
by DLBR.Studio on 500px








by DLBR.Studio on 500px








by DLBR.Studio on 500px








by DLBR.Studio on 500px
*







*
by DLBR.Studio on 500px


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## little universe

*New Beijing Workers' Stadium Construction Updates - 北京新工体建设近况*








by Peng（VX：sp447834319） on 500px








by CUCPA｜陈一鸣  on 500px






*Guanghua Road SOHO - 光华路SOHO*








by 海的边缘 on 500px








by 大可 on 500px




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## little universe

*The 16th Century Wanshou Temple After Renovation - 修缮后的明代万寿寺*
It is now the location of the Beijing Art Museum (北京艺术博物馆)








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px



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## little universe

*Gubei Resort Town at the Foot of the **Simatai Section of the Great Wall** - 司马台长城脚下古北水镇*
This entire resort town was modeled after the Ancient Canal Town of Wuzhen (乌镇) in Zhejiang Province








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 枫林 on 500px








by 枫林 on 500px








by 枫林 on 500px








by 碧螺春 on 500px








by 沐云Sean on 500px








by 沐云Sean on 500px
*







*
by 探寻旺仔牛奶 on 500px
*







*
by 探寻旺仔牛奶 on 500px


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## little universe

*China National Botanical Garden** in Autumn - 国家植物园秋景*
















by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px








by 魏尧 on 500px


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## little universe

*Ancient & Modern Beijing - 帝都今昔*








by 懒 on 500px








by 何师傅的照相馆 on 500px








by 鲁萍 on 500px








by 137****7217 on 500px








by Wind on 500px








by 高怡 on 500px








by 鲁萍 on 500px








by 孙布尔Sun on 500px








by Peng（VX：sp447834319） on 500px








by Peng（VX：sp447834319） on 500px








by Dian📸 on 500px








by 浮空猫 on 500px








by gmybzl on 500px



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