Beijing’s striking new architecture
Image courtesy of likeyesterday / Flickr
Chinese authorities have been getting ready for its big close-up. We already have the icon of this Olympiad, the "Bird’s Nest" stadium, that amazing, gorgeous irrational-looking tangle of steel ribbons.
But, believe it or not, the stadium isn’t even the most daring new building going up in Beijing. There is a national theater complex, by an important French architect, just off of Tiananmen Square that looks like a beautiful, gaint flying saucer. And Lord Norman Foster’s new airport terminal which feels like a living IMAX movie about the Golden Age dream of air travel.
"Studio 360’s" Kurt Andersen was in Beijing recently, and reports on some of the amazing structures taking shape.
When you scan the Beijing skyline for the first time, the thing that really grabs your attention is an arch in the middle of the city. It is the headquarters for China’s state television network, CCTV. It is the second largest office building on earth, after the Pentagon. Kurt Andersen talks with the architect of this wonder, Rem Koolhaas.
PRI’s Peabody Award-winning "Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen" from WNYC is public radio’s smart and surprising guide to what’s happening in pop culture and the arts. Each week, Kurt Andersen introduces you to the people who are creating and shaping our culture. Life is busy — so let "Studio 360" steer you to the must-see movie this weekend, the next book for your nightstand, or the song that will change your life.