Yeah that building totally fuck. It doesn't look like they can save it. Plus look how easily it buried, I would never stay there.

I reckon they will rebuild as before, but without the zinc cladding that provided the fuel and the spread of the fire so well. The sprinkler system being fully installed will also help of course.

yes, that kind of zinc is a very bad material under a fire. news says Beijing auth. is re-inspecting the material and I don't think it'll be used in the new cladding any more.

A bit toasted for my taste.

Hope they can rebuilt it cuz it is really awesome and makes a great complex.

Was there a fire system installed (assuming it wasn't activated yet) designed for this building. I read that the fire spread so quickly because the inside had a large atrium high up in the middle of the building that it was easy for the fire to spread floor to floor like a chimney. I wouldn't want to be caught in this building if they didn't have a system could handle it.

I'm very sorry for the firefighter...
And for the building as well, it looks as if it can be resurrected though. This was one incredible fire to watch. CNN was all over it when it was going on, so I saw most of the footage. Wasn't aware anyone had died until I read this thread though. It's just too bad...

Such a great loss. Feel sorry for the dead firefighter and the building.
I doubt it will be re-built, I think people might associate this incident with bad luck, feng shui or whateva. It's China, anyway...

it's not totally destroyed. the inspection report says the damage is not as big as expected.


(beijingupdates.com)

I am beginning to think that most of the damage is superficial as it was the cladding that burnt.
By what I saw in the pictures and recordings the fire spread top - down along the outside of the tower rather than through the inside.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8273/200921523114385338ju4.jpg

(beijingupdates.com)

txs yea looks like its more superficial looking from this side u can see most of the glass wall is intact should be interesting to see what happens to this building in the comming months

I was amazed at how the building's still looking fine after becoming a gigantic torch like that. Imagine Brad Pit got some coal on his face. Amen.


http://www.chinasmack.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cctv-fire-funny-photoshop-by-chinese-netizens-02.jpg

LOL :D

By me, 20 Feb. 2009
1
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/3056/200902201094.jpg
2
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1364/200902201083.jpg

Wow, that really sucks.

Man, thats a real shocking shame, I hope it is rebuilt, maybe with gold colour cladding or something instead.

TVCC repair work starts.

http://i0.sinaimg.cn/dy/c/p/2009-02-27/U660P1T1D17302399F21DT20090227133254.jpg http://i2.sinaimg.cn/dy/c/p/2009-02-27/U660P1T1D17302399F23DT20090227133254.jpg

(sina.com)

just repair? so theye gna put the exact same flammable cladding on?

^^ No,I hope the cladding will be replaced by a cladding which is not flammable...if there is one!

No way in heck would I start rebuilding this the way it was before the fire. If the company was smart they would change the cladding, it was torn off like wrapping paper. :ohno:

it's all very good that they're rebuilding but why wasn't fire resistence thought of by the designer during the design phase?

When will be the CCTV Headquarter open to the public?
The WTC III thread is in the archives, so i ask here. When will the WTC III be open to the public?

hope the fire accident wont happen again

hope the fire accident wont happen again

It would be stupid if it did happen a second time. And not only for this building, but for whole Beijing. I hope they make better rules for the fireworks...

June 2009.

It's openning was postponed for one year for not getting fire control certificate.

When will be the CCTV Headquarter open to the public?
The WTC III thread is in the archives, so i ask here. When will the WTC III be open to the public?

From the latest news. the scaffold was installed for acouple of giant billboards, not to repair the TVCC. I guess the billboards were erected to cover the ugly TVCC damage.

just repair? so theye gna put the exact same flammable cladding on?

http://abbs.cn/pic/2009/03/06/1236269455.jpg
http://abbs.cn/pic/2009/03/06/1236269481.jpg

TVCC reconstruction proposals :)

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8473/200931422373710760.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8854/200931422381122982.jpg

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8684/200931422424348064.jpg

(beijingupdates.com)

^^ A living wall always looks great but is it really tactful after the last building burnt down? THis could end up as one very tall forest fire :lol:

^^ No,I hope the cladding will be replaced by a cladding which is not flammable...if there is one!

all cladding is flammable if there is not a fire repressant system working AND flame retardant foam insulation is not applied to the internal structural work....both unfortunately were not present YET because the building was still under construction. the real question is whether EVERYONE who authorized burning fireworks to begin with has been fired (at the minimum)

seriously, what kind of idiot lights fireworks near ANY building that does not have fire suppression? these types of acts are the height of bureaucratic arrogrance and stupidity (the person in charge had a higher estimation of their rank than they deserved)

^are those real proposals? They look fantastic

would be one of a kind :-D

^are those real proposals? They look fantastic

That better not be a real proposal because this looks stupid and is a frakked-up concept.

the render looks cool for sure, but in real?? across the street there's a house with grass on the roof and it looks retarded. Just imagine ur walking through beijing and all of a sudden u see a bunch of trees all over a building. U'll be like... wtf?

Looks awesome!

^^ with all that grass and wood next time it will burn faster :ohno:

then lets desing it like a volcano, it already have the chimmeney and the best part its... it cant be burnt, because... it is already burned

^^
haha

www.aubaba.com (http://www.aubaba.com) have more handbag, bag , wallet.

nice design!

I said that proposal with the trees and grass on the outer skin on the TVCC will never work because that proposal is stupid and I don't want it to happen in real life. Why was that crap even proposed anyway?

What a pity... all because some idiot decides to set off fireworks.

I don't understand the need for new proposals. Why aren't they just repairing the current one?

I don't understand the need for new proposals. Why aren't they just repairing the current one?

bad memories and the fact that the current cladding burns like a pile of dry branch.

It's amazing they didn't think about this fact before it was set on fire.

Even with a fire surpression system, the exterior will still burn like a torch.

What a pity... all because some idiot decides to set off fireworks.

The building should have been able to cope with some fireworks in the first place, then this would not have happened.
They can consider themselves lucky that the fire happened now and not while fully occupied.

there is a huge atrium; atriums spread fire very very quickly

when will repairment TVCC??

It doesnt look like repairs started.

April 15
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nthing/3444397614/

a couple of recent CCTV pics from beijingupdates.com

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/1045/2009415217911578.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/1347/200941521132126019.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3333/200941521155975770.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3323/200941521101983665.jpg

Is there any news on the TVCC/Mandarin Oriental?

i think this thread can be moved to the archives

Wasn't this the building that burned down some time ago? :sly:

Wasn't this the building that burned down some time ago? :sly:

Thats the one beside the cctv....... i never liked it so its a good thing that it burned

What did it look like? I can't remember.

Take a look back a few pages and then you will see.

So it's the one to the left here.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2816147691_60f457895c_b.jpg



Will they just tear it down? Are they going to repair/rebuild it? I mean, how awkward would that be, having it all planned a.s.o.

And did they already find out why this crap actually happened? Terrorists? Cigarette? Firecrackers?

may 17 flickr
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4001/cctv.jpg

They STILL havent done antyhing to repair it yet.

So it's the one to the left here.

Will they just tear it down? Are they going to repair/rebuild it? I mean, how awkward would that be, having it all planned a.s.o.

And did they already find out why this crap actually happened? Terrorists? Cigarette? Firecrackers?

Illegal fireworks. The CCTV head official was fired because of this accident.

Is it possible to repair the scorched building or was it too severely damaged? I am shocked that the security standards were not sufficient to deal with fireworks.

actually turns out security had been assigned through different contracts. While all the other buildings on the estate were hosed down during the fireworks, with crews to the ready, this building's contractor hadn't bothered, despite the fact it was still under construction and the sprinkler system wasn't online. Not only had they not bothered but they were affiliated with the boss who had ordered the fireworks despite the concerned police dept prohibiting him from doing the display. It beggars belief the amount of culpability in what happened, from the architect's atrium-chimney effect to the engineers use of material (Arups safety record has hit a major patch following their use of the zinc cladding), to the site contractors, to the CCTV boss sneaking past a police ban.

I said that proposal with the trees and grass on the outer skin on the TVCC will never work because that proposal is stupid and I don't want it to happen in real life.

Talk about elaborate reasoning.

Just a picture i took on my last visit to Beijing two weeks back.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0239smallX.jpg

Thanks for sharing!

BTW, have you got pics of the demaged tower? Did you see people workin' on it?

It seems also that the CCTV isn't completed yet...

^^ didnt see any activity at TVCC, its still a dark ghost structure.

Pictures i took of TVCC.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0020smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0021smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0022smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0026smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0027smallQ.jpg

^^ it's a shame. Looking at it, now I'd be happy if they tear it down and convert the space to a grass park.

wow that's an eyesore, why don't they do anything about it?

^^ didnt see any activity at TVCC, its still a dark ghost structure.



Scary! :crazy:

wow that's an eyesore, why don't they do anything about it?

Perhaps they should put some pink paint over it?

i think they should demolish it

Just a picture i took on my last visit to Beijing two weeks back.
...


Hey, i'm going to Bejing within a few months. Will I be able to get the same picture? Is the area from where you took the photo open for public?

^^ you can walk around CCTV and TVCC plot (though the plot it self is closed since CCTV is still U/C), and with a little zoom (10x+) on your camera you will get the same pictures. :)

^^ you can walk around CCTV and TVCC plot (though the plot it self is closed since CCTV is still U/C), and with a little zoom (10x+) on your camera you will get the same pictures. :)

walk around ??? what are u talking about ? your picture (very nice by the way) has obviously been taken from a tall belvedere or some elevated viewpoint, so i don't see how u could get such a picture by simply ''walking around the building''...no offense.

^^ actually all the pics are taken from street level as i walked around the site. I guess its because im using a lot of zoom making it look like i've been up in some nabour building taking the pictures!

To convince you, here is my walkmap of that little trip around the site, and again, i didn't even walk up a meter anywhere to take any of the pictures of TVCC!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/cityx/Other/TVCCrout.jpg

hey it's still hard to imagine how this pix down could have been taken fron street level..but i trust u.

I am just really impressed

i have a zoom 10x camera and i know i cannot achieve such performance !

could a specialist in camera explain how such point of view is possible, up close to such a massive building, just using a zoom....first of all using zoom 10X means that u are far from the building. Then if u are far (and unless u are on a nearby hill) , normally u may not see a pix that way , with the top of 100 meters + buildings appearing in foreground...

really intriguing

^^ remember i am talking about my TVCC building pictures which is what Atmosphere asked about (if i am right). The CCTV picture ( http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0239smallX.jpg ) is taken from the YinTai Centre Skybar two weeks after i took the tour around the site and photographed TVCC. :)

^^ remember i am talking about my TVCC building pictures which is what Atmosphere asked about (if i am right). The CCTV picture ( http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0239smallX.jpg ) is taken from the YinTai Centre Skybar two weeks after i took the tour around the site and photographed TVCC. :)


OK infact u are mistaken, Atmosphere was asking about that YinTai Centre Skybar picture if you read carefully ;)

ok that's why i was not getting it...

that skybar is it open to public, how much is the entrance and is there a long queue to get in ?

In a Dutch tv show the architect Rem Koolhaas said they would restore the TVCC building. :)

Sad and shocked..........................!:dizzy::drool::no:

^^ didnt see any activity at TVCC, its still a dark ghost structure.

Pictures i took of TVCC.
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0020smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0021smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0022smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0026smallQ.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y162/cityz/Xian%20and%20Beijing/DSC_0027smallQ.jpg

:omg:

that skybar is it open to public, how much is the entrance and is there a long queue to get in ?

Its free, you enter it through the Hyatt hotel. There are actually three floors on top with different restaurants, but only the first floor is open to public as far as i know since i was stopped from walking up to the floor above. I recommend it alot since it gives you the best view of Beijing CBD. :)

OK THANX ;)

tvcc was an ugly skyscraper anyway....what will they do with the land when destroyed

Aren't they repair?

it's a shame. Looking at it, now I'd be happy if they tear it down and convert the space to a grass park.

i think they should demolish it

It cannot be demolished. The CCTV and TVCC buildings' foundations are integrated. TVCC's weight is needed to press the foundation plate down on the north side, so that CCTV won't tip over on the south.

Why don't they at least try to repair it.. :ohno:

theyre gtting there, legal disputes and politicking Im thinking. When the Millennium Bridge in London started wobbling on its opening day in 2000 it was closed, and took a whole 2 years before they placed dampeners in.

It cannot be demolished. The CCTV and TVCC buildings' foundations are integrated. TVCC's weight is needed to press the foundation plate down on the north side, so that CCTV won't tip over on the south.

I seriously doubt that!
The weight of each support will be straight into the ground. A raft foundation of that size is extremely unlikely to be the case. Even a small house would not have a raft foundation of this sort.

^^ Chinese sources indicate that it was the case.

具体负责央视新址勘察的耿一然工程师介绍说，央视新楼的怪异形状导致了对地基压力的极端不平衡。“两座巨型塔楼和旁边的低矮建筑位于同一个地基之上，这就像把一辆坦克和一张书桌放在跷跷板的两边”

http://www.szjs.com.cn/htmls/200308/23743.html


主楼与北配楼共用一个地基，有地下通道相联，如果大火由此扑向纯玻璃幕墙结构的主楼，后果不堪设想。他们当即报告，并严防死守。

http://sxzx.360doc.com/content/090304/22/16546_2713739.html

http://blog.caixun.com/?uid-687838-action-viewspace-itemid-12259

Much ado about CCTV tower's naked truth

2009-08-22

You are unlikely to have missed the new CCTV headquarters if you are a Beijing resident or have visited the city recently. But has the structure appeared to you as male and female genitals?

Well, that's what the building's Dutch architect Rem Koolhas seems to think, or at least his magazine-style book, Content, tries to portray, architecture scholar Xiao Mo says in an article posted on the Internet.

"The 3D animated model we see of the CCTV headquarters is actually a giant backside getting larger as you zoom in," writes Xiao, referring to two photographs (rather collages) in Content. The main building of the CCTV complex is in the background. A naked woman, kneeling in a pose to resemble the architecture, occupies the foreground in one of them, while another woman, in a bikini and holding a gun, stares at you from the other.

Despite the collages being six years old, Xiao's posting has made many netizens join him in terming the building a "disgrace".

But Ai Weiwei, leading architectural designer and curator who has a copy of Content on his bookshelf, said it was a ridiculous joke, created by people who do not understand architecture and a section of the media that has not bothered to find out the truth.

The book was compiled by a team that included Koolhaas, Ai told China Daily, which had designed many possible covers and listed them as part of the book's content.

Most of the possible covers are parodies on politics or sex. One of them presents former US president George W. Bush, in a hat made of finger chips as Rambo in First Blood.

"We talked a lot about his (Koolhaas') philosophy of design," Ai said, claiming to be a good friend of the Harvard professor. "I am sure simple imitation of genitals was not his inspiration." Genitals are a common design philosophy in architecture, so there is nothing wrong even if Koolhaas was inspired by them.

Noted commentator on architecture and art Fang Zhenning corroborated Ai, saying: "Koolhaas thinks architecture should be sexy, but his philosophy is not as simple and vulgar as some people accuse it of being," Fang said.

That the six-year-old collages can still create a controversy reflects the conflict between some conservative Chinese architects and their Western counterparts, who have designed important structures in China in recent years, such as the National Center for the Performing Arts and the National Stadium.

"Some of their design philosophy is too avant garde for many Chinese architects," Fang said.

Ole Scheeren, the German architect who designed the CCTV building along with Koolhaas, was not available for comment.

The CCTV headquarters has been in the news for some time now - for the more than 5 billion yuan ($735 million) it cost to build and more recently for the blaze that engulfed a smaller building in the complex early this year.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/22/content_8602854.htm

Hilarious!

I seriously doubt that!
The weight of each support will be straight into the ground. A raft foundation of that size is extremely unlikely to be the case. Even a small house would not have a raft foundation of this sort.

You're right! The foundation are not connected.

Plans to rebuild damaged CCTV building under way

2009-10-29

BEIJING: The chief architect for the new headquarters for China's state broadcaster said Wednesday that preparations are under way to begin reconstruction on part of the complex that burned in a massive fire triggered by illegal fireworks earlier this year.

http://www.scmp.com/files/SCMP/News/Static%20Files/CCTVRBright.jpg

Architect Ole Scheeren said in an interview with the Associated Press that the high-level investigation into the fire that damaged a China Central Television building is "almost near its conclusion" and plans are under way to begin rebuilding soon.

"The reconstruction has not yet officially begun," he said. "However preparations are underway for the start, but no specific date has yet been set."

Rows of scaffolding are now visible around the perimeter of the charred tower, though no workers have been spotted on the site.

In February, the 520-foot (159-meter), 44-story building, known as the Television Cultural Center, was engulfed in flames after an illegal fireworks display arranged and paid for by CCTV to mark the end of the Lunar New Year festivities. One fireman died fighting the blaze.
The building had housed the nearly completed luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel, television studios, an exhibition space and a visitors' center. It's part of the same 5-billion-yuan ($735-million) complex that houses the iconic, futuristic-looking CCTV headquarters designed by Scheeren and famed partner Rem Koolhaas.

The stunning complex, which helped transform the capital's skyline for last year's Olympics, had served as a monument to CCTV's rising ambitions.

Scheeren said preliminary findings indicate that the main concrete structure of the fire-damaged building does not have to be torn down. The main CCTV building itself was not damaged, he said.

"The preliminary findings are that the building can be repaired," he said, "It's still intact and safe. There will mainly be a repair effort but not a complete rebuilding."

Scheeren said there is no truth to rumors that the two buildings were interconnected and served as a counterweight for each other.

"The two buildings are completely unrelated structurally. There's no connection between them. I think it's very important to dispel this kind of story that the two buildings are connected and one depends on the other. That's absolutely not true," he said.

Scheeren gave no further details on a timeline for the reconstruction. But he said his firm OMA is continuing work on the main CCTV headquarters and expects to be completed by next year.

"On the construction, the interior fit-out on the building, we're looking at completion of that sometime next year," he said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/29/content_8867286.htm

------------------------------------------

The article makes no mention of any new fire safety measures.....

As bad as that fire was, it probably didn't reach the kind of temperatures that would damage the tower's structural integrity. Hopefully, it will be rebuilt with a dazzling glass skin to accompany the CCTV's incredible exterior.

^^ Chinese sources indicate that it was the case.

Your sources say that the main structure is connected to the sorrounding affliated buildings.

The TVCC is not an affliated structure to the CCTV HQ.

Here's more. From Wall Street Journal.

http://s.wsj.net/img/wsj_print.gif (www.wsj.com)

OCTOBER 30, 2009
China Moves to Repair Fire-Damaged TV Building

By SHAI OSTER (http://online.wsj.com/search/search_center.html?KEYWORDS=SHAI+OSTER&ARTICLESEARCHQUERY_PARSER=bylineAND)


BEIJING -- China plans to repair a tower gutted by fire eight months ago in the new headquarters compound of its national broadcaster, the project's architect said, shedding light on the fate of a building that has come to symbolize incompetence at one of China's most powerful government institutions.

The soot-blackened shell of the 44-story, boot-shaped Television Cultural Center building has remained largely untouched since February, when it was set ablaze by an illegal fireworks display arranged by an official from China Central Television for the Chinese Lunar New Year. The fire engulfed the building, which was meant to house a luxury hotel and conference center and which sits just next to the iconic, two-leg tower that is the centerpiece of the CCTV headquarters compound.

Ole Scheeren, an architect in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture who designed the CCTV compound with his partner Rem Koolhaas, said inspections show the high-rise's steel frame is safe. "The preliminary findings are that the building can be repaired," he told the Associated Press in an article published Thursday. "It's still intact and safe. There will mainly be a repair effort but not a complete rebuilding."
A spokesman for OMA confirmed Mr. Scheeren's remarks. Mr. Scheeren couldn't be reached to comment. CCTV didn't respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Scheeren's remarks are among the first public statements on the future of the damaged building, part of a $635 million CCTV complex in the heart of the capital's Central Business District that had drawn criticism and praise for its unusual design. The metal-covered Television Cultural Center and its glass-sheathed neighbor were part of a wave of landmarks built in Beijing before it hosted the Olympics in August 2008.

Getty Images

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NA-BB586_CCTVSU_G_20091029175451.jpg
China plans to repair the Beijing complex that housed the Chinese Central Television headquarters and a hotel, according to the project's architect. The building was gutted by a fire in February.


The February fire, which claimed the life of a firefighter, triggered public criticism of CCTV, the most important arm of the Chinese government's propaganda apparatus. CCTV quickly accepted responsibility for the blaze.

But the broadcaster remained silent on its plans for the building, while its damaged façade deteriorated from rain, wind and sun. Many residents of the capital have come to see it as a rebuke to CCTV's ambitious plans to modernize its image. The broadcaster has had to push back plans to move into the neighboring glass tower, though it was undamaged.

Mr. Scheeren attributed the delay in the project's resumption to a request by the Chinese State Council for a detailed investigation into the fire and its impact. He said the inquiry was nearly complete. "The reconstruction has not yet officially begun," Mr. Scheeren told the AP. "However, preparations are under way for the start, but no specific date has yet been set."

Write to Shai Oster at shai.oster@wsj.com

Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Come on guys, how can you even think two towers are connected. We have watched from this very same forum pages how these buildings had been built. There were no connections or what so over.

"China plans to repair the Beijing complex that housed the Chinese Central Television headquarters"

Thanks for proving how clueless Western media are about issues regarding China, WSJ...

China plans to repair a tower gutted by fire eight months ago in the new headquarters compound

Now Staff stop being such a tool and taking quotes from captions, plus it is about one building in huge country what is there to get worked up about if they get it slightly wrong? There would also appear to be a hint of ignorance in your post too?

"China plans to repair the Beijing complex that housed the Chinese Central Television headquarters"

Thanks for proving how clueless Western media are about issues regarding China, WSJ...

That's like if there was a fire at one of the buildings in Rockefeller Plaza and they said that they were going to repair the New York complex that housed NBC's headquarters. It's accurate.

"China plans to repair the Beijing complex that housed the Chinese Central Television headquarters"

Thanks for proving how clueless Western media are about issues regarding China, WSJ...

I'm not too sure if its a Western media thing, but certainly, for skyscraper lovers like us and with the fire causing such media attention (I'm pretty sure a lot of media outlets would have realised that the building being burnt down was to be a hotel), evident errors like these are annoying and questions their credibility and does not reflect well on the newpaper company.

P.S these buildings may not be as significant as the Olympics buildings, but its just like saying that the opening cermony will be held in the water cube lol. Incorrect information needs to be condemned!!!

Thanks for proving how clueless Western media are about issues regarding China, WSJ...

:nuts:

"illegal" fireworks :lol:

Good to hear that the structure is still ok. However, it will be a hell of a job to replace the cladding and do the other repair works. Probably not much shorter than the actual building of the tower. :(

--

God forbid that! This building may be the most advanced looking building in China!

^^ What exactly? Well since you bumped this thread I'm taking the opportunity to ask how is it going with the burned down building next to CCTV? Last time I was in Beijing I wanted to see it in person but the whole area was sealed off with an enormous metal fence.

January 25 from Shanghai Daily

"Repairs start on fire-ravaged CCTV HQ

REPAIRS will start this year on the landmark new headquarters for state broadcaster China Central Television, part of which burnt in a blaze that killed one fireman last year. Workers are dismantling the steel structure and interior and outer decoration in preparation for the repairs, today's The Beijing News reported. The building is to be repaired instead of torn down and rebuilt because investigation by the State Council concluded the major structure was intact and safe, the newspaper quoted Zhao Zixin, director of Beijing Fire Control Bureau, as saying. After repairs, the building will retain the original look, according to Beijing Urban Construction Group. It will accommodate a five-star hotel, a 1,500-seat theatre and other support facilities as designed. The futuristic-looking 5-billion-yuan (US$735 million) CCTV complex features a pair of enormous, leaning buildings of black glass and steel. The fire in February engulfed an adjacent 159-meter, 44-story building that was to house a luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which was only weeks away from opening. An unlicensed fireworks display arranged by CCTV to mark the end of the Lunar New Year started the blaze. More than 20 people have been arrested over the accident, including staff from CCTV, the fireworks company, the building's designer, builder, supervisor and suppliers.
They will be tried in two groups, with the first batch due to go to trial before mid February and the rest around March, according to earlier reports."


Source: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201001/20100125/article_426837.htm

Funding comes alight for emergency service
26 January 2010
Copyright 2010 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved.

As much as 900 million yuan has been assigned to Beijing to strengthen its fire-fighting capability, one year on from a dramatic blaze at the iconic CCTV complex.

The municipal fire department has already earmarked 50 million yuan of the fund to buy two fire-fighting helicopters.

The money is being transferred from the central government to the municipal authorities in three installments between 2009 and 2011, according to Zhao Zixin, director of the Beijing municipal fire department, at a conference of the standing committee of Beijing municipal people's congress on Sunday.

The department will improve its equipment to fight against large-scale fires in skyscrapers such as the CCTV complex, Zhao said.

"We plan to order two fire-fighting helicopters, which cost 50 million yuan in total," Zhao said on Jan 25.

"We are negotiating with manufactures in Italy and Russia. The helicopters will be stationed at the new police airport, located in the Qiliqu area of Changping district."

And a new fire engine, which shoots out compressed foam, was tested in Beijing recently.

Zhao said the engine is capable of firing foam at its maximum height within a very short period of time.

"During the test, the foam reached the top of the China World Trade Tower III - this is 350 m high," he added.

On Sunday's conference, the restoration of the CCTV complex was also a key issue on the government's agenda.

"The outside walls were destroyed but the main body of the building was not terribly damaged by the fire, according to an investigation by the State Council," Zhao said.

The Beijing Urban Construction Group, responsible for the restoration, reported that as much as 50 percent of the steel structure of the building needs to be replaced. The project will start this year.

Time Magazine named the CCTV complex as one of the world's best architectural marvels of 2007. But the complex caught fire on the night of the Lantern Festival in 2009.

"I don't think it is necessary to repair the complex. It's just a way to burn people's money," said a 26-year-old graphic designer surnamed Zhao.

Zhao lives in a community near the CCTV complex.

"We need to make more space for parks in the crowded CBD area, rather than cold high-rise buildings," he added.

How is it going? is already open?

And a new fire engine, which shoots out compressed foam, was tested in Beijing recently.

Zhao said the engine is capable of firing foam at its maximum height within a very short period of time.

"During the test, the foam reached the top of the China World Trade Tower III - this is 350 m high," he added.

So there's some good that came from this accident after all.
This fire-fighting technology seems very impressive!

21 charged for part in CCTV building fire
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-23 22:14

BEIJING - Twenty-one people in connection to a deadly fire that burned a section of the newly built China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters last year have been charged with causing an accident with dangerous goods, a procuratorate official confirmed to Xinhua Tuesday.

The No. 2 branch of Beijing Municipal People's Procuratorate referred the defendants to the Beijing Municipal No. 2 People's Intermediate Court on Sunday, said the official who asked not to be named.

Among the charged was Xu Wei, former head of CCTV's construction bureau. The official did not disclose the identities of 20 others or the date of the court hearing.

An illegal fireworks display caused the blaze on February 9, 2009 in the 30-story building in Beijing's central business district, which left one firemen dead and eight others injured, including six firemen and two construction workers. It caused direct economic losses of more than 160 million yuan (23.44 million U.S.dollars), the official said.

Earlier this month, a statement from the State Council found 71 people responsible for the fire. Forty-four of them would face criminal charges while 27 others would suffer party and administrative disciplinary action, the statement said.

Funding comes alight for emergency service
..

Alight may not be the best choice of words here. ;)

March 1, 2010, by Oskinny1 at Flickr
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4398389932_78562560ec_b.jpg
There is still a fence around the CCTV main building. Does anybody know when it will be finished and can be visited?

March 1, 2010, by Oskinny1 at Flickr
There is still a fence around the CCTV main building. Does anybody know when it will be finished and can be visited?

I think when that burned out building next to this building is declared safe. It's still possible that it could collapse after the heavy fire, however the change of that is very slim.

Interior shots of the burned out TVCC building

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182453_500x500_0.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182454_500x500_0.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182455_500x500_0.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182457_500x500_0.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182458_500x500_0.jpg

http://img1.gtimg.com/0/18/1824/182459_500x500_0.jpg

^^
I can't believe you can repair that building with such damage like that. I would rather demolish the whole building and start from scratch.

By the way, what is the current progress of the Main Building? Is the interior finally done or are people starting to move to that building?

As long as the structural elements are OK they just need to re-fit the decorations, put in a few new elevators, repaint the walls, and open!

March 1, 2010, by Oskinny1 at Flickr
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4398389932_78562560ec_b.jpg
There is still a fence around the CCTV main building. Does anybody know when it will be finished and can be visited?
http://i31.tinypic.com/2hxsykg.jpg

CCTV tower photos show damage beyond repair: Magazine
3 March 2010
China Daily - Hong Kong Edition

Dramatic pictures of a CCTV tower set ablaze by errant fireworks were made public for the first time on Tuesday, more than one year after the fire.

Along with an investigative report, the Beijing-based Caijing magazine ran eight exclusive pictures taken inside the gravely damaged 30-story annex tower at the new headquarters of the State-owned national television network. The photographs show the infrastructure of the building seemingly beyond repair.

An illegal fireworks display organized by former CCTV officials caused a massive fire on Feb 9, 2009. Flames consumed the exterior and interior decorations of the luxury annex building, investigations by prosecutors and other government officials have found. The blaze caused 160 million yuan ($23.4 million) in damage and killed one firefighter while seriously injuring eight others.

During two recent visits to the devastated scene, two Caijing writers and a photographer noted some supporting columns inside the complex were beyond repair and must be replaced. The photos also reveal the roof, exterior walls and ceilings of the building also need total revamping. Hotel suites and dining halls, also part of the complex, were also badly burned.

The magazine invited a group of architects to inspect and comment on the pictures. Based on the photographs, the panel concluded that the exterior would be "technically difficult to repair" and that constructors "cannot afford to make any mistakes on safety".

However, the experts could not determine whether the support columns of the complex are so badly damaged that they must be replaced.

Still, the magazine's editors concluded that; "The difficulty of repairing and rebuilding the complex seemed unimaginable for witnesses at the scene."

At least one-third of the total area at the complex must be rebuilt, a special investigation by the State Council, or Cabinet, has found. Architects familiar with the building have said the exterior walls of the 160-m-tall building must be replaced and that the replacement may cost even more than rebuilding the entire project.

CCTV was fined three million yuan for the total damage and its former director, Zhao Huayong, who left his post shortly after the fire, and other CCTV officials got an administrative demotion.

More than 30 men, including former director of the CCTV headquarters, Xu Wei, are about to go on trial on charges they endangered the public security. The trials are expected to get under way in Beijing courts in the coming days.

Construction and safety supervision officials in Beijing will also be prosecuted on allegations they neglected their duties in connection with the fire.

Caijing also reported that CCTV officials considered selling the new headquarters in a bid to cover the fire losses. Neither CCTV nor local government officials contacted by Caijing and METRO on Tuesday could confirm or deny that claim.

Reconstruction work on the complex by its original contractor, China Construction Third Engineering Division Corp Ltd, began in December.

^^ I thought the architect had visited and said repairing the building was feasible and that the structural damge was not significant. Should we trust more in these reporters?

It looks like most of the CCTV Building is repaired.

It looks like most of the CCTV Building is repaired.

CCTV headquarters was never touched by the fire. The only building to be damaged is the hotel, and nothing's been done to it yet.

It looks like most of the CCTV Building is repaired.

repaired?? when...???

^^
I can't believe you can repair that building with such damage like that. I would rather demolish the whole building and start from scratch.

By the way, what is the current progress of the Main Building? Is the interior finally done or are people starting to move to that building?

Are you crazy? I would never demolish a brand new building, even if it were damaged by fire (unless it had severe structural problems). If I were to rebuild it from scratch, the workers would mess up and the building would not look the same. This is about the restoration of a fire-damaged building. I have a prediction that the work will last five years or more.

Whoa, those pictures are awesome! The building looks rendered, but it is real

I took this on Feb 17th, the CCTV II looks horrible

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/20100217111_resize.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/20100217113_resize.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/20100217115_resize.jpg

So they really haven't done much to clean up the damage for a year!

So they really haven't done much to clean up the damage for a year!

yeah shame on them! :ohno:

The worst part is that it's next to one of the greatest buildings ever! Which is now also behind that big bunker-like wall.

^^

I know...i cant stand that rusty wall...hope they will bring it down soon and add some well deserved landscaping...:lol:

So they really haven't done much to clean up the damage for a year!

It must be a pretty tricky job to get the old cladding off safely. It looks like it could fall off at any moment.