The latest oddity in Chinese architecture: the giant birdcage
Wuhan's 'birdcage building' has some questioning whether or not it is an illegal structure
The latest bizarre architectural wonder to make waves in China is a building resembling a massive birdcage.
The two-storey “birdcage building,” which comes with iron bars and a steel hooked top, is located along Hankou Xinhua road in Wuhan city, and was described in a Xinhua report as “looking very garish.”
Xinhua reporters who went to investigate the structure discovered that it was actually an elaborate façade for an exclusive club which offered catering and lounge services for members.
Spokespersons for the club told reporters that they had received permission from Wuhan city officials to build the birdcage, and representatives of Wuhan’s Urban Management Bureau confirmed this.
The Xinhua report did not specify when the building was erected or what sort of club had paid for its construction, but it is likely that the birdcage has received sudden media attention due to a spate of illegal construction scandals that have appeared in Chinese news over the last month.
Two of the most prominent illegal structures thus far have both been built on the rooftops of apartment complexes, and include an elaborate “hanging garden” and a temple.
Chinese netizens were curious about the birdcage, and several Sina Weibo users questioned its legality. One in-the-know poster, a Wuhan resident who went by the online name “Chinese Construction Industry,” answered these questions by pointing out that the building had existed for “a long time.”
“It’s some kind of restaurant lounge,” the poster said. “It’s got a distinct structure that adds a fun look to the area. It should remain where it is.”