Architecture

6 Buildings in China You Have to See to Believe

From Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium to the Shenyang Culture and Art Center, we consider some of the more uncommon buildings recently built in China

For years, the rise of China’s economy coincided with a rise in the country’s futuristic-looking architecture. With seemingly endless funding, architects were given free rein to design mind-bending structures, creating forms that were as odd as they were striking. Yet all that might be coming to an end. In a statement earlier this week, China’s government announced that “bizarre architecture that is not economical, functional, aesthetically pleasing, or environmentally friendly” would be forbidden moving forward. The decision will certainly affect China’s urban landscape, which currently includes over-the-top buildings by such renowned architects as Rem Koolhaas and Ai Weiwei. Here, AD surveys 6 unorthodox works of architecture that may have led to the state’s intervention.

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    Photo: Getty Images/View Pictures
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    Designed by Dutch architect John Kormeling, the Shanghai Expo 2010 Dutch Pavilion was titled Happy Street.

  • Photo: Getty Images/VCG
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    Located in China’s Hebei Province is China’s Hall of Prayer, a building with the split personality of the U.S. Capitol and Beijing’s Temple of Heaven.

  • Photo: Getty Images/STR
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    The Shenyang Culture and Art Center, designed by architects Yang Ye, Hao Jianjun, and Wang Yang, in Shenyang, China.

  • Photo: Getty Images/View Pictures
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    The futuristic shell-like structure more commonly known as the Ordos Museum was designed by MAD Architects. It is located 400 miles east of Beijing, which is the closest major city.

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  • Photo: Getty Images/View Pictures/UIG
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    The Chinese Pavilion, fashioned by architect He Jingtang, was built for the Shanghai Expo 2010.

  • Photo: Getty Images/Sino Images
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    The 768-foot-tall CCTV building in Beijing was created by architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. It’s the headquarters for the state-run China Central Television station.

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