When you’ve booked your China Flights and are looking to Travel to Beijing the architecture of the city will undoubtedly leave you with an ever-lasting memory.The capital city of Beijing hosts many varieties of buildings ranging from modern skyscrapers to more traditional Chinese structures.
One particular building that will leave a lasting impression on you is the CCTV Headquarters building in Beijing. Created by the famous architect Rem Koolhas the building stands at 234m high with 49 floors and a total of 550000 square feet. Its intelligent and bold design makes this building a prominent feature of the Central Business District skyline.
The project was started in September 2004 and was part of a plan to rejuvenate the area of Beijing as part of the Governments plan to improve central Beijing with “innovative and functional architecture, whilst preserving historic buildings at the same time”. The structure was scheduled to be completed in time to broadcast the Beijing 2008 Olympics in 2008. However, the plans for the structure caused much discomfort with the locals who opposed to the construction of the build due to the costs that would be incurred. The overall building cost was estimated to be around $750million (€ 600). Nevertheless, the building was in coherence with the vision for a more modern Beijing, therefore the plans were approved and the construction of the building went ahead as planned.
The creator of the building, Rem Koolhas, is a Dutch based architect who graduated from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, USA. In his time as an architect he has ventured out into different fields and also collated many awards and lifetime achievement awards, for example, the Pritzker Prize (2000), Royal Gold Medal (2004), and the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale of Architecture for lifetime achievement (2010).
By combining two ‘L’ shaped blocks the form of the building forms a continuous loop. Unlike any other building in the world the design of the building was heavily criticized by locals and fellow architects. The shape, construction methods, and final concept of the building caused many disputes as they felt that the building was too futuristic for the cityscape and would not fall directly in line with the more conventional steel framed skyscrapers that were being planned for the future.
As the headquarters for Chinas central Television the building employs over 10,000 people and is a great ammunition for the economy. Inside the building you are greeted by an open plan lobby, which amazes you in itself through its grandeur.
Even though this iconic building caused many disputes it has an undeniable elegance amongst the Central Business District and is a truly magical sight. The opportunity to see it or tour within it is one not to be missed as it offers spectacular and breathtaking views across Beijing. So don’t delay and book your Beijing Tours today to capitalize on a once in a lifetime opportunity.
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