Gate to the East

Gate to the East (东方之门)
Gate to the East in Suzhou
Location within China
Alternative names Gate of the Orient or The Pants Building
General information
Status Complete
Type commercial, transportation
Location Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Coordinates 31°19′01″N 120°40′44″E / 31.31694°N 120.67889°E / 31.31694; 120.67889Coordinates: 31°19′01″N 120°40′44″E / 31.31694°N 120.67889°E / 31.31694; 120.67889
Construction started 2004
Completed 2016
Cost $700,000,000 (USD) (Budget)
Height 301.8 m (990.2 ft)
Technical details
Size 340,000 square metres (3,700,000 sq ft)
Floor count 68
Floor area 450,000 m2 (4,800,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators 6
Design and construction
Architect RMJM
References
[1]
The Gate of the Orient on the west bank of Jinji Lake

The Gate to the East, also known as the Gate of the Orient, (simplified Chinese: 东方之门; traditional Chinese: 東方之門; pinyin: dōng fāng zhī mén) is the current tallest building in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. It is intended to be a symbol of a gateway to the city, that emphasizes the city's continuing significance in modern China. The building is planned to be built to a height of 301.8 metres (990 ft), and located in the heart of Suzhou's China–Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) district. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2016 at a cost of $700 million USD. Its location precisely indicates the intersection of the historical east-west-axis of Suzhou Old Town with the west bank of Jinji Lake.

Criticism

Though its design was an iconic gateway, the Gate to the East has been subjected to mockery by western mass media as "resembling a pair of trousers".[2][3][4] The Daily Mail questioned: "Architectural triumphs or just plain pants?", also stating: "China's latest superstructures resemble a giant pair of long johns..."[5] The landmark has thus led to a slew of internet parodies.[4]

Transport

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gate of the Orient, Suzhou, China – Portfolio". RMJM. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  2. ↑ 04 Sep 2012 (2012-09-04). "British-designed skyscraper resembles big pants, say angry Chinese". Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  3. ↑ "$700 million skyscraper 'resembles a pair of pants'". News.com.au. 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  4. 1 2 "Netizens: New China building is 'pants' | CNN Travel". Travel.cnn.com. 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  5. ↑ "Architectural triumph or just plain pants? China's latest skyscraper mocked for resembling giant pair of long johns | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.