http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/michaelasanda-1885258-chengdu8/

Chengdu is one of the most important economic, transportation, and communication centers in Western China. According to the 2007 Public Appraisal for Best Chinese Cities for Investment, Chengdu was chosen as one of the top ten cities to invest in out of a total of 280 urban centers in China. In 2006, it was named China's 4th-most livable city by China Daily.China has many wonders, including the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square. Now, the country has something new to add to this list – the world’s largest building.The New Century Global Centre opened its doors on July 1. It is a massive structure covering 1.76 million square metres, or enough room to store 20 Sydney Opera Houses, The Independent reported. It measures 100 metres high, 500 metres long and 400 metres wide, and now tops the list of the world’s largest buildings by floor space – a list commonly dominated by airports. Number two on the list is Dubai’s International Airport Terminal 3, at 1.71 million square metres, and Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 ranks 18th, with 570,000 square metres

A selection of luxury stores, two five-star hotels, an IMAX cinema and an entire water park are all present in the New Century Global Centre, which also contains a 5,000 square metre man-made beach that will feature artificial sunrises and sunsets, made possible through Japanese lighting technology.

About 400,000 sq m of the building will be devoted to shopping.While its size may be immense, construction of the building only took three years.

Described by the Chengdu Expedition and Travel group as “a gift to the world”, the New Century Global Centre is one of several architecture projects, including a new subway line and an airport, that have been planned for Sichuan province's capital city. Once primarily known for its giant panda reserves, Chengdu recently kick-started an immense tourism campaign, even reaching out to foreigners through Facebook and Twitter - both of which are banned in China.

New Century, an impressive, 18-story, glass-and-steel frame structure in fact is built over the new subway station of Chengdu - the Sichuan province capitol city of more than 14 million - this giant structure sitting directly opposite the Chengdu Contemporary Arts Centre, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, and at half-a-million sqare feet, seen as the piece de resistance in this scheme.

Visitors to this mega building will be amazed, for inside those glassy walls, they will find - at the centre of the building a huge water park, called Paradise Island, the entire complex structure some 500,000 Square Feet bigger than the previous largest, International Airport Terminal 3 in Dubai. The opening, it was revealed, was timed to coincide with the new subway line expansion, in readiness for the 2020 projected completion of a new airport.

This is an ocean city

built by man, said Chinese

guide Liu Xun.

He added that the

artificial sun built inside the building will provide

light and heat 24

hours a day

Inside the world's biggest building: Chinese dome houses a shopping centre, Mediterranean village, water park, ice-skating rink, and multiple hotels

Workers clean the glass roof of the New Century Global Centre building

Gigantic: The world's largest building has opened in China capable of fitting 20 Sydney Opera Houses - or three Pentagons – inside. New Century Global Centre in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province is the world's largest freestanding building

However, visitors to the glass-panelled building need

not worry about the

weather as the giant complex

has its own artificial sun.

Day out: The new complex promises to have something to amuse everyone in the family

According to Chinese officials, the New

Century Global Center is the largest

freestanding building in the world,

and took three years to complete

Despite these efforts,

Chengdu’s rise to the top has been hindered by corruption

scandals, particularly a

case involving Li Chuncheng, former deputy

party secretary of

Sichuan province who was removed in December

2012 for selling official positions to unqualified candidates.

One of the investors in the

New Century Global Centre and chairman

of the Chengdu Expedition and Travel group is Deng Hong, a close friend of Li’s. Like Li,

Deng is currently under

investigation for alleged corruption,

although it is unclear

whether or not these

investigations will affect the New Century

Global Centre.

The New Century Global Centre opened its doors on July 1, 2013

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) will provide the city of Chengdu with an Art Center. This 200,000 square-meter complex is composed of collection of arts, performance, leisure, and congress venues. It accommodates three auditoria, an art museum, an exhibition centre, a conference centre, a learning centre, bars, restaurants and shops

The Chengdu Contemporary Arts Centre, designed by British-Iraqi architect

Zaha Hadid, sitting

directly opposite the New Century

Global Centre

CCAC will be a regional art and music centre of international standing. CCAC accommodates three auditoria, an art museum, an exhibition centre, a conference centre, a learning centre, bars, restaurants and shops. The largest of the three halls, a multifunctional theatre, seats up to 2,000 people.

The art museum comprises approximately 15,000m2 net exhibition area which is located below the roof and will take advantage of natural lit exhibition spaces. The design aims to resolve the complexities of the programme, while combining spatial clarity with the design of a unique and iconic structure.

A 140,000 square-meter  landscape is designed to strengthen the connection of the building and the urban fabric. This new landscaping participates in the architectural geometry of the building.

Sina Weibo (a Chinese micro blogging) user

reactions to the New Century

Global Centre have been mixed. While many citizens are

expressing interest in the building’s

shopping malls and artificial beach, others question

whether erecting such a large

structure was truly necessary

Anshun Bridge

New Century City Art Centre

The New Century City Art Centre comprises a 10,000 square-meter exhibition centre located at the main entrance level. The art museum consists of a 15,000 square-meter exhibition area located below the roof. This space takes advantage of natural light

New Century City Art CentreChengdu, China2007 – TBCExhibition and Travel Group (ETG)Under Construction140,000m2

The New Century City Art Centre will be a new cultural destination for Sichuan Province and will provide Chengdu with an unprecedented collection of world-class arts, performance, leisure, and congress venues. NCCAC will also be a regional art and music centre of international standing the accommodates three auditoria, an art museum, an exhibition centre, a conference centre, a learning centre, bars, restaurants and shops

New Century City Art Centre

New Century City Art Centre

New Century City Art Centre

New Century City Art Centre

Tianfu Square in Chengdu

Le Parc Residential Chengdu

The project occupies a site

area of approximately 800,000 sq. m. and has a gross

floor area of approximately

2.4 million sq. m.  It will be

developed into a luxury residential

district

Chengdu Technology and Science Enterprising Centre

Tianfu Square in ChengduChengdu Technology and Science Enterprising Centre

Chengdu Technology and Science Enterprising Centre

Chengdu Technology and Science Enterprising Centre

China is already a country famous or its innovative constructions, smart engineering and too many people. Nevertheless, it’s still a place that boasts some of the world’s most unbelievable buildings. The newest one is the Technology and Science Enterprising Center in Chengdu.

Chengdu New Yizhou City Plaza

Chengdu at nightTianfu Square

Chicony Plaza in Chengdu, designed by Goettsch Partners

Regis Tower, South Tai Sheng Road, Chengdu

Yanlord Landmark is a key investment property project of Yanlord Land Group in West China. Located at the heart of Chengdu CBD along the major arteries, the project neighbors top-grade office buildings, five-star hotels and luxury department stores

Yanlord Landmark

The Yanlord Landmarkproject is

comprised of three towers containing offices, residential units, and a hotel, rising from a retail and entertainment podium. Phase 1,

completed in 2010, includes two

towers that anchor the highly visible

corners of the northern end of the triangular site and

are oriented to maximize

uninterrupted views and minimize

solar exposure.

Organized by the Chengdu Ministry

of Culture and the Chengdu Culture and

Tourism Development

Group, the Competition for

the Chinese MoMA was part of

an initiative for creating a double

ring of public facilities around

the Tianfu Square in Chengdu.

The first ring is supposed to consist of cultural facilities. The second and larger one

is planned for highrises.

Chengdu Shangliu International Airport

For the design of the new Chengdu City Museum,

Sutherland Hussey Architects in collaboration

with Pansolution International Design have been awarded first prize in

the international competition. The Museum extends over 70,000 m2 of

development and will include exhibition space for

Natural History and Folk, Chinese Shadow Play and a large area for Temporary

Exhibition. The new Museum situate along the west edge

of Tian Fu Square. It is almost 180 metres long and

70 metres wide and is separated from the main

Square by a five lane road with large, mature trees

The New City Museum will be the most important

cultural building in Chengdu and needs to assert itself on the Tian

Fu Square against a backdrop of ever-

increasing commercial development.

Chengdu City

Museum

Chengdu City

Museum

Chengdu at night, Anshun Bridge

Chengdu at night, Anshun Bridge

Chengdu Tianfu Cultural and Performance Centre

Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas have won a competition to build a cultural complex in Chengdu, China, with designs for spiralling buildings inspired by the city's ancient emblem.

The symbol, which depicts a sun with whirling rays, is reinterpreted by Studio Fuksas as four elliptical buildings with swirling, ribbon-like outer walls. These walls will be clad in metal and perforated with a grid of triangular windows. "The elliptical shape of each building gives the impression of a perpetual motion and continuous vibration," explain the architects.

Chengdu Tianfu Cultural and Performance Centre

Sichuanese opera is a type of Chinese opera originating in Sichuan province around 1700

Chengdu at night, Tianfu Square

Chengdu Tianfu Square

Located just 10km (6miles) away from downtown Chengdu, the Panda Breeding Research Center has been created and imitated the pandas' natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding.

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also called lesser panda and red cat-bear, is

a small arboreal mammal native to

the eastern Himalayas and

southwestern China that has been

classified as Vul nerable by IUCN as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature

individuals.

Sound: Chinese folk music erhu - Capriccio on a theme of Qinqiang

Text and pictures: InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda