The Phoenix International Media Centre (

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

: 凤凰国际传媒中心;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally writte ...

: ''Fènghuáng Guójī Chuánméi Zhōngxīn''), also known as the Phoenix Centre (凤凰中心; ''Fènghuáng Zhōngxīn'') is a building in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China. It is located in the southwestern corner of Chaoyang Park in Beijing. The centre features a torus-like design. The building's sculptural shape originates from the " Möbius strip" and establishes a harmonical relationship with the alignment of the turning road, the street corner, and Chaoyang Park.

History

In 2007,

Phoenix Television Phoenix Television is a majority state-owned television network that offers Mandarin and Cantonese-language channels that serve mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and other markets with substantial Chinese-language viewers. It is operated by ...

, a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

-based television network, proposed to build a media centre in Beijing. The building meant to represent not only the corporation spirit of Phoenix TV but also the profound cultural tradition of China. The centre was designed by the government-owned

Beijing Institute of Architectural Design } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

, with executive chief architect Shao Weiping. The enclosing of the final form involved 3,800 glass panels. Unlike the nearby CMG Headquarters, the building is reportedly open to the public.

Design

According to Architect Shao Weiping, the design of the building resembles DNA-like double helix that has been wrapped into a loop. He adds that the circular contours of the Phoenix complex echo the

yin-yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

symbol of ancient Chinese philosophy. The Phoenix Centre is notable for being an experimental building designed by a domestic firm. Within the doughnut-shaped exterior "shell" are two conventionally-structured interior towers. The contours were designed using parametric 3D modelling software. The software, including Frank Gehry’s Digital Project modeling tools, enabled him to "intricately manipulate" the parameters of the overall design and structural engineering of the Phoenix Center, to precisely control the airflow around the building and to convert the facade’s steel diagrid into a network of miniature canals to transport raindrops into an array of reflective pools surrounding the building. The structure features a parametrically designed

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

. The building covers a land area of 18,000 m², with a construction floor area of 72,478 m². The two independent office towers under the shell generate shared public space. In the east and west parts of the shared spaces, there are continuous steps, landscape platforms, and sky ramps. A dedicated visitors’ pathway winds past the building’s broadcasting studios and explorers may interact with reporters during the tour. The centre accommodates television production studios, offices and businesses.

Awards

In 2017, the building won the

Outstanding Structure Award The Outstanding Structure Award is an award presented by the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering to the Engineer, Architect, Contractor, and the Owner in recognition of ''the most remarkable, innovative, creative or othe ...

, presented by the

International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) is a non-profit organisation with mission to promote the exchange of knowledge and to advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profess ...

. The association stated that the "Phoenix Centre represents a complex spatial structure originated from 3D parametric design techniques resulting in an extraordinary interaction of architectural and structural aspects”.

Gallery

File:凤凰中心东中庭的台阶和坡道仰望.jpg, Image of the interior File:建设中的凤凰传媒中心环内（2011年）.jpg, Empty space within the “torus”, 2011

References

{{authority control Buildings and structures in Chaoyang District, Beijing Office buildings completed in 2014 2014 establishments in China Office buildings in Beijing Tourist attractions in Beijing Postmodern architecture in China

History

Design

Awards

Gallery

See also

References