On a site approximately the size of 37 football fields, a five million-square-foot, 54-story tower is being erected in Beijing. The Central Chinese Television building, known as CCTV is an ambitious design that is being toted as a “people-friendly reinvention of the skyscraper.”
Despite is unorthodox design; it will be relatively low compared to its surrounding neighbors, supposedly conveying and an accessibility that adds to its “people friendly” image. But like they say, it’s what on the inside that counts.
With circulation patterns that encourage staff members and visitors to intersect and amenities like restaurants, health clubs and even a small hospital, the building is more like a small town. According to Rem Koolhaas, the brains behind the building, “It’s a fiendishly complex building in terms of program and structure.”
The architects acknowledge their unconventional design but are quick to re-affirm their progressive design. Ole Scheeren, the partner in charge of the CCTV project at Mr. Koolhaas’ firm stated:
“Hardly any building really engages space…Most skyscrapers exhaust space. This building leaves open the space it encapsulates. It activates the ground. It draws activities into the building.”
Hopefully it’s design and construction are as environmentally friendly as it is welcoming to it’s inhabitants.
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