Architecture award to Beijing's futuristic Galaxy Soho slammed by heritage group
Critics say professional body's decision to award Galaxy Soho building is a setback for efforts to preserve vanishing old Beijing
A Beijing heritage group says it's still waiting for the Royal Institute of British Architects to explain why it gave a large, futuristic mall and office complex in the heart of old Beijing one of its most prestigious honours.
The award for architect Zaha Hadid's Galaxy Soho would only make preserving the capital's historic structures more difficult, according to the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Centre.
The non-governmental organisation sent an open letter more than one month ago to the institute, protesting its decision to honour the structure.
"We know that the letter reached the institute a while ago, but we have not heard from them yet," said the centre's founder, He Shuzhong.
Completed in October last year, Galaxy Soho is characteristic of the British-Iraqi architect's fondness for swirling, cornerless designs. Four white, domed structures, connected by bridges, rise 15 storeys from the Second Ring Road to form 330,300 square metres of shops and offices. The structures sit on a 50,000 sq ft plot of land, where a decade ago stood a labyrinth of hutongs.
"If Galaxy Soho had been built on the outskirts of Beijing, we would not have had any objections. But it sits on the inner side of the Second Ring Road, within Beijing's protected area. We felt that by doing this, the architects have joined hands with the government and developers in destroying old Beijing," He said.