Architecture

Innovative "lucky coin" building under way in China

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Artist's rendering of the GDPE project on the Guangzhou skyline
The GDPE project under construction in Guangzhou
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project on the Guangzhou skyline
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project on the Guangzhou skyline
The GDPE project under construction in Guangzhou
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
Artist's rendering of the GDPE project
View gallery - 12 images

By this time next year, a walk along the Pearl River in Guangzhou, China, will come with an unusual bonus: a view of the completed Guangdong Plastics Exchange research center/warehouse. Far from being just another boxy building, this unique, 1 billion yuan (US$159 million) edifice is patterned after objects the Cantonese traditionally associate with luck and good fortune. One thing's for certain - at 138 meters (453 feet) in height, with a 47 meter (154 foot) diameter hole in the center, this is one landmark that will be difficult to miss.

"It's a real fusion of Western and Chinese design," says chief project engineer Wang Zhanshan. "The distinctive feature of the building is that it is shaped like an old Chinese jade or a waterwheel and also has good feng shui for attracting fortune. A golden coin, jade or waterwheel alongside the river means luck to Cantonese: Water brings money."

Artist's rendering of the GDPE project

Alas, like most unusual architecture, the early response has been less than rosy. Some unhappy locals probably see a giant donut or Lifesaver candy, but just as the Eiffel Tower and San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid building initially had vehement detractors, both structures are now well-loved and synonymous with their respective cities. The Italian architect behind the GDPE design, Joseph di Pasquale of the firm AM Progetti, hopes that his structure will evoke similar sentiment from future visitors to the city of Guangzhou.

The video below showcases the completed GDPE project's contribution to the skyline.

Source: AM Progetti via World Architecture News

View gallery - 12 images
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6 comments
Nantha
Great!! Just don\'t build it on an incline, it might roll down the hill and into the sea..
Jyanzi Kong
Mimesis at its best. Blatanlly obvious. Misplaced sign n symbol. Functions forced into form. Loss opportunity to derive new spaces from form n functions.
Slowburn
Oh look. Another building with a weaker structure.
agulesin
How long before someone flies a plane through the hole and appears on the evening news?
@nantha LOL!!
Ivailo Georgiev
"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is better to admit them quickly, and keep on betting for your other innovations." by Steve Jobs - Apple Social Network
Slowburn
They should have least put a wind turbine in it.