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Beijing boasts stunning new buildings

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-30 09:52

The National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest is seen during the inauguration of the stadium June 28, 2008. [BOCOG]

BEIJING -- This ancient capital city, long known for the architectural splendor of its centuries-old palaces and temples, is getting a new look that could have been plucked from science fiction.

A series of landmarks, notable for their futuristic design, will greet visitors to the Olympics. They include an Olympic stadium that looks like a giant bird's nest, a swimming venue literally built of bubbles and a pair of black office towers that lean toward each other at a 10-degree angle.

"This is the hottest place on Earth in terms of architecture," said Rory McGowan, a Beijing-based director of Arup, the British design and engineering firm, which is involved in several signature projects in the city. Architects and designers "are flocking over here in the thousands to look at Beijing."

As China's economy started taking off about 20 years ago, a similar transformation began changing the face of Beijing. Scores of traditional courtyard homes, factories and drab apartment blocks have been razed in recent years to make way for high-rise buildings with names such as "Fortune Plaza," "Soho" and "Park Avenue."

Now, with the Olympics coming, the construction has turned into a round-the-clock frenzy as the host city seeks to convey an innovative and forward-looking image. Such projects could change Beijing's image as a stodgy city, particularly compared to cosmopolitan Shanghai, where foreign architects first gravitated a few years ago.

The "Bird's Nest" Olympic stadium was designed by Swiss firm Herzog and de Meuron, known for turning a hulking former power plant in London into the Tate Modern art museum. It's a 91,000-seat bowl that will host the opening and closing ceremonies along with track and field events. The stadium's nickname comes from an exterior of steel "twigs" that form a massive, curving nest.

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