It was billed as Chinaââ¬â¢s answer to the Arc de Triomphe ââ¬â a spectacular ã445m British-designed skyscraper paying homage to the Asian countryââ¬â¢s turbo-charged economic rise.
Picture: http://i.telegraph.c...n_2328244b.jpg
But even before the 74-storey Gate to the East is complete it has come under attack from critics who compare it not to the famous Parisian war memorial but to a pair of ââ¬Ågiant underpantsââ¬Â.
Located in Suzhou, 45 miles west of Shanghai, the 270 yard-high skyscraper is the work of British architecture practice RMJM, founded in Edinburgh in 1956 by Sir Robert Matthew and Stirrat Johnson-Marshall.
According to the company bankrolling the project, Suzhou Chinaing Real Estate Co, the Gate to the East will be completed later this year becoming the largest gate-shaped structure in the world.
ââ¬ÅThe Gate to the East introduces a dramatic iconic 'gatewayââ¬â¢ to the city of Suzhou and represents the significance of the China in the world today,ââ¬Â says a description on RMJMââ¬â¢s website.
The company is a leading global architecture force with offices across the globe including London, New York, Dubai, Moscow and Shanghai.
It designed Abu Dhabiââ¬â¢s Capital Gate skyscraper as well as the Okhta Center, the future St Petersburg HQ for Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The practice has also been doing brisk business in China where, as well as the Suzhou project it designed Beijingââ¬â¢s Olympic Green Convention Centre and the China Merchants Bank Tower in Shanghai.
Initially, the Chinese press agreed, labelling the project an ââ¬ÅArc de Triomphe of the Eastââ¬Â. But the tone changed this week following a torrent of online criticism.
ââ¬ÅIs it an arch or just plain pants?ââ¬Â wondered the front page of the Shanghai Daily. Headline-writers at state-run agency Xinhua were more direct. ââ¬ÅNew giant tower branded 'pantsââ¬â¢,ââ¬Â they wrote.
Full article
Looks like a big pair of pants to me.
What do you think?
Picture: http://i.telegraph.c...n_2328244b.jpg
But even before the 74-storey Gate to the East is complete it has come under attack from critics who compare it not to the famous Parisian war memorial but to a pair of ââ¬Ågiant underpantsââ¬Â.
Located in Suzhou, 45 miles west of Shanghai, the 270 yard-high skyscraper is the work of British architecture practice RMJM, founded in Edinburgh in 1956 by Sir Robert Matthew and Stirrat Johnson-Marshall.
According to the company bankrolling the project, Suzhou Chinaing Real Estate Co, the Gate to the East will be completed later this year becoming the largest gate-shaped structure in the world.
ââ¬ÅThe Gate to the East introduces a dramatic iconic 'gatewayââ¬â¢ to the city of Suzhou and represents the significance of the China in the world today,ââ¬Â says a description on RMJMââ¬â¢s website.
The company is a leading global architecture force with offices across the globe including London, New York, Dubai, Moscow and Shanghai.
It designed Abu Dhabiââ¬â¢s Capital Gate skyscraper as well as the Okhta Center, the future St Petersburg HQ for Russian energy giant Gazprom.
The practice has also been doing brisk business in China where, as well as the Suzhou project it designed Beijingââ¬â¢s Olympic Green Convention Centre and the China Merchants Bank Tower in Shanghai.
Initially, the Chinese press agreed, labelling the project an ââ¬ÅArc de Triomphe of the Eastââ¬Â. But the tone changed this week following a torrent of online criticism.
ââ¬ÅIs it an arch or just plain pants?ââ¬Â wondered the front page of the Shanghai Daily. Headline-writers at state-run agency Xinhua were more direct. ââ¬ÅNew giant tower branded 'pantsââ¬â¢,ââ¬Â they wrote.
Full article
Looks like a big pair of pants to me.
What do you think?
