Hi guys, I will be taking a short vacation to Beijing for a couple of weeks - any recommendations on what to see, besides the obvious Great Wall & Forbidden Palace??
Also if you don't mind sharing a few exciting night spots, that will be great too!
for new architecture ... send an email to Young Ho Chang (Atelier FCJZ) and ask if you can visit his office (dont worry he speaks good english and is a perfect gentleman) or ask if you can get the addresses of a few recent projects of his ... or ask him for new architecture suggestions.
i was just there last week, the ABB(1st Architecture Biennale Beijing) just opened and the best part was the infinite interiors section where 10 designers from around the globe were invited to each design the interiors of a unit from an apartment tower. They were all built and the exhibition is open to view these designs. Go to link for more info:
I was in Beijing a couple of years ago. While there were many interesting buildings, both old and new, I was more amazed by the sheer scale of new construction. The pace of new development is mind blowing. This is echoed in the fact that China's consumption of steel for new buildings within the past few years has taken the global steel market for a massive roller coaster ride.
If you have time, get away from the new development and spend some time walking around some of the older, lower class neighborhoods. The integration of indoor and outdoor space in the traditional hutong is quite noteworthy. Additionally, their ability to reuse discarded material to build additions to their houses should catch the attention of even the most "green" architects.
Going East - Beijing
Hi guys, I will be taking a short vacation to Beijing for a couple of weeks - any recommendations on what to see, besides the obvious Great Wall & Forbidden Palace??
Also if you don't mind sharing a few exciting night spots, that will be great too!
for new architecture ... send an email to Young Ho Chang (Atelier FCJZ) and ask if you can visit his office (dont worry he speaks good english and is a perfect gentleman) or ask if you can get the addresses of a few recent projects of his ... or ask him for new architecture suggestions.
I'd check out these projects
http://www.commune.com.cn
more later....
the national theater by Paul Andreu which is hard to miss...
the lama temple at anding meng this is the largest Tibetan Temple in China outside of Tibet.
the silk market near the US embassy
san li tung, there are many bars on or around this street its near the worker's stadium
and try the roast Peking duck at qu ju de near tian an meng square.
for the most part just wander and keep your eyes open and have a great time.
i was just there last week, the ABB(1st Architecture Biennale Beijing) just opened and the best part was the infinite interiors section where 10 designers from around the globe were invited to each design the interiors of a unit from an apartment tower. They were all built and the exhibition is open to view these designs. Go to link for more info:
http://www.abbeijing.com/a5.html
personally i liked the schemes by Michele Saee, Odile Decq, and Delugan, and the tschumi design was a joke.
curious to know which one you liked if you go see it.
by the way, skip the ming tombs, waste of time.
I was in Beijing a couple of years ago. While there were many interesting buildings, both old and new, I was more amazed by the sheer scale of new construction. The pace of new development is mind blowing. This is echoed in the fact that China's consumption of steel for new buildings within the past few years has taken the global steel market for a massive roller coaster ride.
If you have time, get away from the new development and spend some time walking around some of the older, lower class neighborhoods. The integration of indoor and outdoor space in the traditional hutong is quite noteworthy. Additionally, their ability to reuse discarded material to build additions to their houses should catch the attention of even the most "green" architects.
thanks for all the comments... are there more suggestions?
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