Right now, on the last day of the Lunar Festival, Rem Koolhaas' TVCC hotel building is engulfed in flames. I wasn't able to get to the other side, but it is quite a dramatic scene right now in the CBD, with the 3rd ring closed to traffic, and the entire western facade is destroyed. Columns of troops were marching down the street, and spectators were told to move away from the building.
I think this is, perhaps, a sign of things to come.. a thorough questioning of current avant-garde architecture is due. In this current economic climate, it is tough to sell this kind of architecture, and even tougher to sell now with this TVCC fire, which might have moved up the building quite fast because of the continuous folding corrugated metal facade.
It is too bad that this building- highly anticipated in architectural circles here in Beijing- was destroyed just months before its opening...
I think this is, perhaps, a sign of things to come.. a thorough questioning of current avant-garde architecture is due. In this current economic climate, it is tough to sell this kind of architecture, and even tougher to sell now with this TVCC fire, which might have moved up the building quite fast because of the continuous folding corrugated metal facade.
It is too bad that this building- highly anticipated in architectural circles here in Beijing- was destroyed just months before its opening...
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