First official word of what had been rumored but Rem Koolhaas was denying through and through: BEIJING (Reuters) China has shelved plans to build a $600 million office tower in Beijing as part of the government's efforts to cool the overheating economy.
Construction of the skyscraper by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas was scheduled to begin this month, but there may be "a change in plans," according to Oriental Outlook magazine, which is affiliated with the official Xinhua news agency.
The building, dubbed the "Titanic of Chinese architecture," would have been the new headquarters of the official broadcaster China Central Television and, at 230 meters or 750 feet, the tallest building in the Chinese capital.
"Whether that building will be completed is a big question mark," a senior executive of China Central Television said.
Sources said the plan had drawn the angers of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who has tried to curb a proliferation of real estate, cement and iron and steel projects to stop the economy from boiling over.
The magazine cited fears of traffic congestion in the central business district around the 80-story structure, which was to have two inverted L-shaped towers joining high above the ground, as the main reason for the decision.
Some Chinese critics said the price was too high, especially when the government is trying to curb investment.
And the sleek geometric design with a latticework touch was too quirky and would have presented a securities risk, the magazine said.
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