10 New Wonders of China.ppt

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * International Design 10 Wonders of the New China Its a hotbed of innovative architecture, from diaphanous theaters to buildings heated and cooled by water. Chinas current building boom is doing more than sucking up the worlds supply of steel - Its creating a stage for some of todays boldest architecture and engineering. Take a tour of the 10 of the most intriguing examples. The Commune is now operated as a boutique hotel by the Germany luxury hotel group Kempinski, which is responsible for an upcoming expansion, which will feature 21 homes including replications of the originals . One element will remain untouched in the new development: the Communes private pedestrian trails, which trace untouched sections of the Great Wall.  The Commune, Beijing First phase completed 2002, expansion scheduled for completion in 2010. Even if the Commune didnt sit beside that wonder of the ancient world, the Great Wall of China, it would still qualify as a wonder. The complex includes houses by 12 of Asias leading architects. It was conceived by married real-estate developers Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi, who gave each architect a $1 million budget. Shigeru Ban, the Japanese architect most famous for the paper houses he designed for refugees of the Kobe earthquake, designed the Furniture House, featuring the laminated plywood typically used for modular furniture, and Chinas Yung Ho Chang created the Split House, which takes the idea of a boxy dwelling, slices it in half, and spreads it out like a fan. 2. Beijing International Airport, Beijing Foster Partners. Under construction, to be completed in late 2007According to the U.S. Embassy to China, the country will be building 108 new airports between 2004 and 2009 -- including what will be the worlds largest: the Beijing International Airport, designed by Foster Partners. Set to open at the end of 2007, in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the airport terminal will cover more than 1 million