Major architectural projects in China
Beijing Daxing International Airport
Designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, the 700,000-square-meter Beijing Daxing International Airport is scheduled to open on Sept 30. One of the world’s largest airports, it is planned to handle 72 million passengers a year by 2025, and 100 million by 2040. The airport is located at the border of Beijing and Langfang, Hebei province.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
Built at a cost of 127 billion yuan ($18 billion), the world’s longest sea-crossing bridge spans 55 kilometers and connects Hong Kong to Macao and the Chinese mainland city of Zhuhai. Opened on Oct 23, 2018, the bridge has cut travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong from 4 hours to just 40 minutes. The new bridge is expected to generate up to 10 trillion yuan for the economy.
Shanghai Tower
Designed by international architecture firm Gensler, the 632-meter-tall, 132-story skyscraper in Shanghai is the world’s second-tallest building. Completed in 2016, it has been applauded for its energy-saving and environmentally friendly features. Shanghai Tower is home to the world’s highest observation deck. Its elevators are also the second-fastest in the world.
Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland
Designed by British architect Martin Jochman, the Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, or Tianma Pit Hotel, is the world’s first underground hotel built on the site of an abandoned quarry. Completed in 2018, the hotel stretches 88 meters underground and was listed as one of the architectural wonders of the world in National Geographic channel’s Mega
Structures series.
Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center
Located in Shenzhen Airport New Town, this new convention center will offer 500,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space after its completion, making it the largest exhibition venue in the world. Construction of the center started in September 2016, with the first phase of the project completed in July.
CITIC Tower (China Zun Tower)
Located at the core of Beijing’s central business district, the CITIC Tower is the tallest building in the Chinese capital. Inspired by the form of the traditional Chinese ritualistic artifact, the zun, the 528-meter-tall office tower took five years of construction before it started operations in 2018. The skyscraper is home to CITIC Group, the CITIC Bank headquarters and a host of international financial institutions.
Harbin Opera House
Designed by Beijing-based MAD Architects, the Harbin Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center and a landmark in the northeastern Chinese city since its completion in 2015. It was named the best Cultural Architecture in 2015 by ArchDaily, one of the most visited architecture websites in the world.