September 2003
GROUNDBREAKING OF YINTAI CENTRE IN BEIJING
World Renowned Architect Designs 350,000 Square Meter Project in China
ATLANTA September 10, 2003 - John Portman & Associates, Inc. (Portman), an internationally recognized architectural and engineering firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Shanghai, China, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the Beijing YinTai Centre, a 3.76 million-square foot (350,000 sm) mixed-use complex in Beijing, China, owned by the China YinTai Holding Co., Ltd.
This hallmark development is on a 333,600-square foot (31,000 sm) site in the heart of the Beijing Central Business District at the southwest corner of the Beijing Jian Guo Men Wai World Trade Bridge. The project is a comprehensive mixed-use complex consisting of two 45-story, 790,000-square foot (73,500 sm) office towers that will be divided vertically with sky lobbies; and a 62-story, 1.21 million-square foot (113,000 sm) Park Hyatt hotel tower with 250 guest rooms, 32 hotel serviced apartments, 210 residential serviced apartments, and a glass lantern top that will contain the hotel public areas, lobby, restaurant and bar-lounge.
At the base, a large podium will connect the three towers, providing ballrooms, meeting space, shops, and restaurants, while the beautifully landscaped roof garden, with a stone paved terrace and water features, provides areas for gatherings and a pavilion for special occasions. A large space under the podium is planned to provide motor access to the complex, and will grant each tower its own entry. This complex will enhance the Beijing skyline, serve as a retreat from congested surroundings, and enhance the lifestyle of people working and living in Beijing.
Architecture is foremost a humanistic concern that is then given form by distinct cultural and contextual influences, said John Portman, chairman of John Portman & Associates, Inc. Architecture is first about people and program. Since early in my career I have been a keen observer of people and how they respond to their built environment. Although successful buildings must be functional, to make the architecture memorable the architect must discover the common denominators that evoke a positive response. The formation of space, large and small, is a powerful tool. Another is nature; it is one of the most effective means to weave elements of sensory appeal into the design. Thus, landscaping and water are often an integral part of the architecture, inside and out.
Secondly, architecture, as a public art, becomes part of the culture and context. It must recognize the time, place and circumstances in order to respond to the unique physical and cultural character that is the essence of each place. Each culture generates its own distinct architectural forms. These forms reflect patterns of living, seeing and feeling. Therefore, it becomes essential that we include an imaginative approach to indigenous form in new architecture, thus building a continuum with the past. Yet, as building methods, materials, and techniques have changed, formal archetypes should not be used literally. Rather, they should be abstracted from the spirit of the culture and recognize the time frame of their own creation.
The Beijing YinTai Centre is scheduled to open in 2007, in time for the 2007 Olympics in Beijing.
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