Modern Guangzhou

Nampaknya kota Guangzhou nggak mau kalah dari Hongkong. Lihat aja apa yang akan dilakukan pemerintah Cina untuk menghidupkan kota ini. Di tepi Pearl River, sungai besar yang mengalir di pinggir kota Guangzhou, paling tidak akan dibuat beberapa buah skycraper yang rencananya akan selesai di tahun 2010 nanti. Kawasan ini nantinya akan menjadi kawasan kota baru yang megah. Dua diantaranya adalah :

1. Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower
Architect: ARUP Qualification
Construction period: 2005 - 2007/2008

The tower will be 450 meters tall and is known as the Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower. Inside the sightseeing tower there is a group of climate floors with gardens. The functions of different floors will be made according to their different climate districts and the floors will be named after their climate districts. A large exhibition hall will occupy the first floor while a 3D movie theater of the desert will be situated 95m above the ground level. A prairie garden in the third public floor, 195m above ground level and a tropics quick dining room at 310m. A temperate zone area and a hotel will occupy the fifth floor, 345-350m above ground, while tundra luxurious dining rooms will occupy the sixth floor, 430m above ground level. 450m above ground will a small city square, known as the North Pole Square be. From the roof above the square an antenna will stretch to 610m. The proposal was one of the three proposal that was approved to the second competition and was finally approved in december. The ground construction started immediately and the tower is currently under construction.

2. West Tower, Pearl River New City, Guangzhou, China
Height: 432m
Number of storeys above ground: 104
Plot space: 31,084.96m2
Total floor space: 448,000m2
Total investments: 750 million USD
Date of ground breaking: 26 December 2005
Estimated year of completion: 2009
Functions: offices, hotel, apartments, convention, shopping, sightseeing, culture and entertainment, etc.


Pada tahapan berikutnya juga akan dibangun East Tower yang letaknya bersebelahan dengan West Tower. Sebenernya di dalam pelaksanaan nanti belum jelas apakah bangunan East Tower ini akan dibuat sama dengan West Tower. Tapi di dalam konsep awal rencananya bangunan West & East Tower ini dibuat kembar dengan pertimbangan supaya terdapat keserasian dan harmony diantara keduanya. Jika tidak ada perubahan kedua menara ini akan jadi menara kembar yang menjadi salah satu landmark di Pearl River New City.