Ten years ago, Beijing built a big, ostentatious business district that now includes the famous China Central TV building and China World Trade Center III:
Well, things move quickly in China, and it’s time for the Central Business District to get an upgrade. The city plans to expand it from its existing size about four square kilometers to almost twice that in just eight years and further cement its position as the financial and media capital of China. Basically, it’s a gigantic regional power grab.
To get the ball rolling, the city held a design competition for the new, expanded district. Seven international firms were admitted, and the winner–or the recipient of “Top Honors,” as elements of each contributor’s plan will wend their way into the final design–was the famous American architecture firm, Skidwell, Owings, and Merrill. SOM’s current projects include the Burj Dubai–the tallest building in the world– and the Freedom Tower at the WTC site.
