Daringly Engineered CCTV Tower Beijing Opens After 10 Years

The Beijing CCTV tower, iconic since its conception in 2002, is officially completed.

CCTV_Iwan Baan

The project 10 years in the making saw its official construction completion marked with a ceremony in Beijing on May 16th, 2012.

The China Central Television Headquarters is a landmark in Beijing, transforming the skyline with its unique form and altering the way skyscrapers are perceived. The CCTV tower’s designers, OMA (Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren) began the daring project 10 years ago and, since then, the tower has been critically acclaimed for the innovative design and engineering challenges overcome during construction.

CCTV_Buro-OS

CCTV_Buro-OS

China’s Urban Boom — (Part 15) Building A Century in Fifteen Years — The End

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Part 14, cities: Zhengzhou & Various

Zhengzhou, China — With a population of 8 million, Zhengzhou is the largest city in North-Central China and serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational center of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China. The city’s industrial growth has resulted in a large increase in the population, coming predominantly from industrial workers from the north, transforming the city into one of the largest economic centers in China. The city’s staple industry is textiles; others include tractors, locomotives, cigarettes, fertilizer, processed meats, agricultural machinery, and electrical equipment. High-tech companies formed in recent years within in new material, electronics and biotechnology arenas, especially in the high-tech industrial park in the northwest of the city.

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Various Cities, China — With plans to create additional modern and exemplary cities throughout the nation, China has many options. Following are some poised for stunning growth.

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Changsha

Fuzhou

Guangdong

Huizhou

Shantou

Suzhou

Urumqi

Wuxi

China’s Urban Boom — (Part 14) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Part 14, two cities: Xiamen & Xi’an

Xiamen, China — With a population of 3 million, Xiamen is a coastal city in southeastern China and became one of China’s earliest Special Economic Zones in the 1980s. It has been ranked as China’s second “most suitable city for living.” Xiamen’s primary economic activities include fishing, shipbuilding, food processing, tanning, textiles, machine tool manufacturing, chemical industries, telecommunications, and financial services. By Chinese standards, Xiamen has highly developed banking services. The city benefits particularly from investment capital from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Over the last twenty years, Xiamen’s economic growth rate has ranged between 11% to 20% annually.

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Xi’an, China — With a populate of nearly 10 million, Xi’an is located in central China and one of China’s oldest cities, with more than 3,100 years of history. It is home to the famed “Terra-cotta Army” found under the Great Pyramid of China. Since the 1990s, as part of the economic revival of interior China, the city of Xi’an has re-emerged as an important cultural, industrial and educational center, with facilities for research and development, national security, and China’s growing space exploration program. Xi’an, as a second-tier city after those such as Beijing and Shanghai, has attracted growth in the Business Process Outsourcing field. The local government is using tax and other incentives to encourage companies and professionals to relocate there.

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We Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming: China’s Urban Boom — (Part 13) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Tianjin, China — With a population of approaching 14 million, Tianjin is a metropolis in North China along the coast of the Bohai Gulf and maintains an annual economic growth rate of about 15%. Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone is the largest free trade zone in northern China, and 285 Fortune Global 500 companies have established branch offices and investments in Tianjin, as it is a base of China’s advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation. The manufacturing sector is the largest (54.8%) and fastest-growing (18.2%) sector of Tianjin’s economy. Major industries include petrochemical industries, textiles, car manufacturing, mechanical industries, and metalworking. EADS Airbus has already opened an assembly plant for its A320 series airliners, operational since 2009. Tianjin Municipality also has deposits of about 1 billion tons of petroleum, with Dagang District containing important oilfields. Geothermal energy is another resource of Tianjin. Deposits of manganese and boron under Tianjin were the first to be found in China.

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China’s Urban Boom — (Part 12) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Shenzhen, China — With a population of nearly 15 million, Shenzhen is a major city on the southern coast of China, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. Due to China’s economic liberalization, the area became China’s first—and arguably one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones. Shenzhen’s novel and modern cityscape is the result of the vibrant economy made possible by liberal economic policies and rapid foreign investment since the institution of the Special Economic Zone in the early 1980′s. Shenzhen is now one of the fastest growing cities in the world and is southern China’s major financial center — home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as the headquarters of numerous high-tech companies. Shenzhen is also the third busiest container port in China. It’s thought that Shenzhen has been the fastest growing city in China for the past 30 years, and it’s GDP per capita makes it one of China’s wealthiest.

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China’s Urban Boom — (Part 11) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Shenyang, China — With a population over 8 million, Shenyang is the largest city in Northeast China. Shenyang is an industrial center and serves as the transportation and commercial hub of China’s northeast – particularly with Japan, Russia, and Korea – with a good land and air transport network, abundant natural resources, and a skilled workforce. With a 150 year history as the center of heavy industry, Shenyang came to represent China’s painful transition from state-run industry to free market business. By 1990, the city had come to a virtual economic halt when its massive factories went bankrupt and left millions jobless. Massive, bleak housing blocks developed during communism’s peak still blot the reviving cityscape as today’s new development takes hold, funded by Shenyang’s diversification into modern and lighter industry. Investment subsidies are granted to multinational corporations that set up offices or headquarters in Shenyang.

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China’s Urban Boom — (Part 10) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Shanghai, China — With a population of over 22 million, Shanghai is located in eastern China, at the middle of the Chinese coast, and sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Due to its rapid growth in the last two decades, it has grown into one of the world’s leading cities, exerting influence over finance, commerce, fashion, and culture. Shanghai aims to be a global finance hub and international shipping center of the future. Shanghai already has the world’s busiest container port and is predicted to become one of the world’s main global financial centers rivaling even London and New York.

Shanghai has constantly optimized and upgraded its industrial structure as well. Heavy industries accounted for 78% of the gross industrial output in 2009. China’s largest steelmaker Baosteel Group and Jiangnan Shipyard, one of China’s oldest shipbuilders, both headquarter themselves in Shanghai. Auto manufacture is another important industry, as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (“SAIC” for short) is one of the top 3 automotive corporations in China. The company has a strategic partnership with Volkswagen and General Motors.

Today, Shanghai is again one of the most prosperous cities in the world. Its cosmopolitan character, sophisticated and affluent consumers, and highly educated skilled labor force make it very attractive to overseas investors. Shanghai has recorded double-digit growth for consecutive years since 1992. It hosted the World Expo in 2010, attracting 73 million visitors. It is described as the “showpiece” of the booming Chinese economy.

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Marvel at the growth and change: The Pudong Area of Shanghai 1990…

Pudong Area of Shanghai 2010…

Marvel at the growth and change: The Bund Area of Shanghai 1990…

The Bund Area of Shanghai 2010…

On With The Show! Shanghai…

China’s Urban Boom — (Part 9) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Part 9, two cities: Nanjing & Qingdao

Nanjing, China — With a population over 8 million, Nanjing has long been a national center of education, research, transport networks, and tourism — with electronics, cars, petrochemical, iron and steel, and power as the “Five Pillar Industries.” Nanjing is the second largest commercial center in the East China region, after Shanghai. It has been ranked fourth by Forbes magazine in its listing of “2008 Top 100 Business Cities in Mainland China”, seventh in the evaluation of “Cities with Strongest Comprehensive Strength” issued by the National Statistics Bureau, and second in the evaluation of cities with most sustainable development potential in the Yangtze River Delta. It has also been awarded the title of 2008 Habitat Scroll of Honor of China, Special Award of UN Habitat Scroll of Honor and National Civilized City. Since China’s entry into the WTO, Nanjing has received increasing attention from foreign investors, and on average, two new foreign firms establish offices in the city every day.

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Qingdao, China — With a population over 8 million, Qingdao  is a major seaport, naval base, and industrial center on China’s eastern seaboard. In 2009, Qingdao was named China’s most livable city. The GDP has grown steadily at an average pace of 16% annually over a decade. In 2006, Qingdao was ranked one of six “golden cities” by the World Bank, assessed on factors including investment climate and government effectiveness. Northern Qingdao is a manufacturing center. The city has recently experienced a strong growth period, with a new central business district created to the east of the older business district. Outside the city center there is a large industrial zone, which includes chemical processing, rubber and heavy manufacturing, in addition to a growing high-tech area. Numerous local and national service companies, rather than manufacturers, are based in the city’s southern district — this along with local wind patterns allows Qingdao to enjoy clean, clear air year round.

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China’s Urban Boom — (Part 8) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Macau, China — With a population of approximately 600,000 and an area of 11 square miles, Macau is the most densely populated region in the world. It is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China. It lies on the south-eastern edge of China’s mainland and faces the South China Sea to the east and south. Macau has the highest life expectancy in the world. Macau’s economy is based largely on tourism and casinos; other chief economic activities in Macau are export-oriented textile and garment manufacturing, banking, and financial services. The World Bank classifies Macau as a high income economy, with the average growth rate of the economy between 2001 and 2006 approximately 13.1% annually.

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China’s Urban Boom — (Part 7) Building A Century in Fifteen Years

CITIES & THE WEALTH OF NATIONS

Part 7, two cities: Harbin & Hong Kong

Harbin, China — With a population of over 10 million, Harbin is situated in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River. It serves as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications hub in the Northeast. Given its extreme northern location, Harbin’s business and cultural attributes combine both Russian and Chinese influences. The city is China’s base for grain production and other agricultural businesses and boasts industries in textile, medicine, foodstuff, automobile, metallurgy, electronics, building materials, and chemicals. Harbin Power Equipment Group Company and Northeast Light Alloy Processing Factory are two key enterprises. Harbin is also known as the capital of “power manufacturing”; hydro and thermal power equipment manufactured here makes up one-third of the total installed capacity in China. Harbin is very much an “industrial” city.

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Hong Kong, China — With a population over 7 million, Hong Kong is situated on China’s south coast, enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, and renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbor. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. As one of the world’s leading international financial centers, Hong Kong has a major service economy characterized by low taxation and free trade. Lack of expansion land led to denser construction, establishing Hong Kong as a center for modern architecture and the world’s most vertical city.

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