Skyline sculptor
Updated: 2014-01-09 10:11
By Sun Yuanqing (China Daily)
|
||||||||
Photo provided to China Daily |
Born and raised in China, Yao earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in Tsinghua University and worked in the Architectural Design and Research Institute there before she went to the US in 1993 and got a master's degree in architecture at Miami University. Yao worked for several architectural firms in New York City as a licensed architect. She joined OMA in Rotterdam in 2003 and came back to Beijing for the CCTV project in 2004.
All her passion for the project sprung from the first moment she saw the design, she recalls.
"It instantly struck me with the unprecedented structure. But I never thought that I would have the chance to get involved and for so long," Yao says.
The 234-meter skyscraper was completed in May 2012. The adjacent Television Cultural Center, which caught fire in 2009, is undergoing reconstruction with a hotel and a theater inside, Yao says.
Debate has never stopped about the CCTV building. Locals dubbed it "the big pants" because of its shape, while architects have criticized its enormous size and cost. But Yao remains cool in the face of the controversy.
"Time will tell," Yao says. "Every country has its own moment for great architectures. For New York, it was the early 1900s. And in China, it could be now."
- Post-baby Duchess
- Victoria Beckham S/S 2014 presented during NYFW
- 'Despicable' minions upset Depp's 'Lone Ranger' at box office
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
A different class of teaching |
HK media mogul passes away |
Drug base fell to long arm of law |
Growing food
|
Holiday blues |
Keeping their motors running |
Today's Top News
The changing face of Chinese ODI in US
China imports more US-built cars
China has most outbound tourists
Top court seeks judicial transparency
Wearable tech leads trend in CES
Students challenged on China knowledge
Chicago lures Chinese tourists
Delta authorities pledge to battle smog together
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |