Fallingwater(s) in Beijing and Shanghai
Frank Wright's Fallingwater , Pennsylvania , USA Fallingwater in Shanghai Fallingwater in Beijing [via abbs ]
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Fake Beida (Beijing University)
Bei Da Xue Yuan High school, Dongguan, Guangdong Province This is fake Beijing University gate in Dongguan, Guangdong (Canton) Province, which was is a local high school and called the coolest (niu) school gate by bloggers. This school advertises itself in relation with Beijing University and graduates from this school can go to Beijing University directly with exemption of college entry exams. The title of the school is “Bei Da Xue Yuan”, in which there are 3 same characters from Beijing University famous gate, “Bei Jing Da Xue”. Even the calligraphy is totally copied from the Beijing Univ. Beijing University, Beijing [via 163 and picasa ]
Bird's Nest on Sale
Not just cellphone, Bird's Nest ashtray is also on sale, in silver and gold. Here you go.
Cellphone as Building
Watercube Cellphone Bird's Nest Cellphone Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about. Here are the 2 references of the 2 stadiums of Beijing Olympics. [images via 163 & schneiderism ]
Bird's Nest and mini Bird's Nests
[images via 163 & xinhuanet ] The lights on the plaza around the Bird's Nest, Beijing Olympics Stadium , designed by Herzog & de Meuron , are like mini Nests. According to Xinhua Net, they are amazingly showing up and corresponding to the big Nest. But the material of all the small Nests is just showing the exterior appearance of the imitation of the big one, and the section of the small lamps are with the same proportion as the big one. I am interested in who is the architect or landscape architect of all these mini nestles, and I don't think they are designed by H&deM. It reminds me Galileo 's discussion in his final treatise Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences ( Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche, intorno a due nuove scienze , 1638). from Galileo Galilei, Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences (The Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences, Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche, intorno à due nuove scienze, 1638)
Happy Valley
I just found out that there are a couple of theme parks called Happy Valley in Beijing and Shenzhen, and construction in Shanghai and Chengdu. The one in Beijing was open to public in 2006, which is about 1 million sqm in area in Southeast Beijing. It was called "the frontier of cultural industry of Beijing, the classical of modern Chinese tourism, and an important symbol of experiential tourism in Beijing." The Lost Maya, Atlantis, and Aegean Harbor are made as "real and ancient" as they could. In most cases, they are out of scale and the vegetation is really weird, and out of the "original" context. [via happy valley , abbs & 51766 ]
The world's biggest ferris wheel in Beijing
"If tourism officials have their way, visitors to Beijing in 2009 will not only have to climb the Great Wall of China, but also the Great Wheel, says Ben Blanchard of Reuters . At 208 metres tall, the Great Wheel will be the world's largest ferris wheel — higher and bigger than both the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer which opens in March next year. Our eyes were drawn to these lines in the Reuters report: The giant ferris wheel will have 48 air conditioned observation capsules, each of which can carry up to 40 passengers,... Air-conditioned capsules? Without the a/c, we're not sure how many tourists would want to ride in the Wheel. The smog in Beijing literally takes your breath away. ...and on a good day even the Great Wall is expected to be visible in the mountains to Beijing's north. On a bad day, we assume NOTHING will be visible." -- Shanghaiist [via shanghaiist and yahoo ]
Tianzi Hotel in Beijing
Tianzi (Son of the Heaven) Hotel was built around 2000 or 2001 in Yanjiao developing district (燕郊开发区) of Beijing, which won Guinness World Records of the world biggest image building in 2001. It is 41.6m high with the forms of three traditional Chinese gods (福禄寿, Happiess, Fortune and Longevity). This hotel is 10 stories high. The stardard room is smaller than normal ones, and ninth floor provides president suite. There is even an Peach-shape suite. [via xinhuanet and many others]
Simulacra, Hengdian
Forbidden City, Beijing Forbidden City, Hengdian World Studio , Zhejiang Province (the mountains are kind of a giveaway) Another view of the Forbidden City, Beijing and the ersatz Forbidden City, Hengdian World Studio , Zhejiang Province " NPR reports: In just 10 years, Hengdian [World Studio] has transformed itself from a poverty-stricken farming village to a collection of replica palaces, temples and historical streets, open to film crews, often for free ." "These aren't just replicas, they're full-size reproductions. It's an amazing and terrifying verisimilitude. Even more so because China's very real history is being projected onto the structures themselves -- really just facades and empty shells -- outside the context of the in-film world. In China - where old buildings are torn down in the blink of an eye - many visitors say they haven't come for the movie glamour, but to learn about their country's past - from the fake buildings ....
The Place, Beijing CBD
The Place, Chinese name 世贸天阶, literally means "Step road to world trade", is a new shopping street located in Beijing CBD. The huge overhead LCD screen designed by Jeremy Railton from Hollywood, is 250m long 30m wide. Woh, it is really Hollywood, the representation of space is now established not for unreal space now but for a real social space just like Vegas. Further, this LCD is not like Vegas one, but uses advanced LED technology, world first one. Hoho, the question for public is just how much money should we "pay" for its running? There is so much electricty! [source: abbs ]
5-star Hotel in a Chinese Town
"The Beijing Laffitte Chateau Hotel is located in Beiqijia Town, Changping District along the Wenyu River. The hotel is only 15 kilometers from the Beijing Capital Airport and 10 kilometers north of the Olympic Village. Hotel Laffitte is five-star hotel and is designed for high-class business events and vacations. The chateau complex encompasses 24,000 square-meters and consists of a main building, designed as a castle, flanked by two other castles. A French, Duke-style veins parterre is located at the front of the chateau. A wine culture center is located behind the main castle. The complex is surrounded by a man-made river, trees, lawns, flower gardens and vineyards, for an overall attractive environment. The 10,000 square-meter wine culture plaza, splendid banquet halls and unique dining rooms are excellent places for holding performances, wine parties and variety shows as well as major meetings and weddings." ----The Beijing Laffitte Chateau Hotel [source bjlaffitte-hot...
