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May 16, 2008 5:43:51 AM CDT

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Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom  

Posted May 2, 08 12:42 PM CDT in World,  Arts & Living    Most Covered

(newser) – The new Terminal 3 at Beijing airport—the largest building in the world—is not only the gateway for visitors streaming into the Chinese capital for this summer's Olympics. It's also the capstone for an unprecedented building program that has transformed Beijing into a world-scale architectural showcase. The New York Times looks at how China is translating its rapid growth and political ambition into such projects—and hoping the world notices.

The massive airport opened after only 4 years, a speed many thought impossible, and suffered none of the glitches that plagued the new Heathrow in London. The "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium, a huge aquatics center, and the state's TV headquarters, are only a few of the nation's new projects. All were designed by renowned foreign architects. “Beijing is a huge experimental site right now,” says an architectural school dean. “This modern architecture is the identity of modern China.”

Source New York Times

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    Beijing Opens Giant Air Terminal Ahead of this August's Olympics, Beijing is set to open a new airport terminal that has been billed as the world's largest building. Designed by Norman Foster, who also designed Hong Kong's airport, the new Terminal 3 was built in only 4 years and, unlike many buildings in China, incorporates environmental control systems to minimize energy consumption, writes the Independent. More »

Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom
Rem Koolhaas's CCTV tower, under construction in Beijing, will be the largest media building in the world.   (Getty Images)
Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom
Security guards get a briefing before going on patrol at Beijing Airport's new Terminal 3, the largest building in the world.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom
Airport staff gather for a briefing before starting their day at the new Terminal 3 building at Beijing Airport. Terminal 3 is the largest building in the world.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom
A worker cleans at the high speed rail terminal at the new Terminal 3, the largest building in the world.   (AP Photo/Greg Baker)
Capital Ambition Feeds Beijing's Building Boom
Herzog and de Meuron's stadium for the Beijing Olympics has been nicknamed the "Bird's Nest."   (Getty Images (by Event) Individuals)
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China  • 2008 Beijing Olympics  • Beijing  • architecture  • Beijing Capital International Airport  • Norman Foster  • airport terminal  • Rem Koolhaas


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