Construction Review Magazine

CR March 2010

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Qi zhong Forest Sports City Arena

cr cover dec / jan It has a steel roof with eight sliding petal-shaped pieces (takes 8 minutes to open or close) which resembles a blooming magnolia, Shanghai's city flower. A flower popularly known for its medicinal value in China. The roof enables the stadium to host both indoor and outdoor tennis events. The seating capacity is 15,000 people. The Qi zhong Forest Sports City Arena, also known as Qi Zhong stadium, is an arena in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.The complex is located on an 80-hectare area, in the southwest of Shanghai, in Minhang District.

LEONARDO GLASS CUBE

With the opening of the Leonardo glass cube in Bad Driburg, Germany the vision of developing glass as a construction material is increasingly becoming popular with architects. In a unique and innovative architecture, the multifunctional building unites an academy area as well as a design lab.

Don't Count Your Titanium Eggs before they Hatch

Witold Rybczynski

Why architects can't predict the future.

Abu Dhabi has recently announced plans to turn itself into a sort of Arabian left bank, with cultural venues designed by architects Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Jean Nouvel. Beijing, meanwhile, completed the giant steel bird's nest of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron's Olympic stadium, and also has Paul Andreu's titanium-egg National theater, and Rem Koolhaas' unusual state television headquarters, which locals have dubbed "the twisted donut." An obscure sheikhdom on the Gulf and the world's largest communist dictatorship have unexpectedly become the latest hotbeds of avant-garde architecture.

Architect Charl M de Villiers

Edward Mungati His aim is to offer his clients cost-effective design solutions that are sensitive to their lifestyle, their building site and budget. He believes that joyful buildings are the end result of good communication with the client, together with design excellence aimed at addressing the client's needs. Charl Villiers has gained extensive experience in the residential, corporate and commercial markets. In an interview with Construction Review he reveals his design trademarks as clean lines, dynamic spaces and simplicity.

Summery

E-edition

Nigeria: Progress of the Abuja Road Expansion

The Lot 1 of the Abuja airport road expansion project is already 20 percent complete, while lot 2 is at 12 percent. This is according to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCADA) officials.

E-News

Other News

Uganda: Linking Sudan and Uganda

The cement producers in the East African region have made plans to expand. This has triggered a stiff competition as cement makers increase their production lines, a move that will ensure sufficient supply at reduced prices. At least five cement manufacturers across the region - Kenya's Athi River Mining, Tororo Cement and Hima in Uganda as well as Tanzania's Tanga and Tanzania Portland Cement (producers of Twiga cement) - have already made their intentions of multi-billion shilling expansions known.

saitama

South Africa : Refurbishing Cape Roads

Cape Town requires US$550 million to refurbish roads and maintain them in a good condition according to the director of the roads department If the work is not carried out now, the repair costs on compounded damage could become six times more expensive per kilometre within five years and 18 times greater within eight years.

saitama

Kenya: Overhaul of Railway System to Cost US$8.5 Billion

The infrastructure of Kenya’s rail system will undergo two major overhauls. The first is the laying of a new standard gauge line to run from Mombasa to Kampala and on to Kigali, Rwanda. Kenya and Uganda have already agreed on this. Kenya Railways says the building of the line requires US$8.5 billion.

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It has a steel roof with eight sliding petal-shaped pieces (takes 8 minutes to open or close) which resembles a blooming magnolia, Shanghai's city flower. A flower popularly known for its medicinal value in China. The roof enables the stadium to host both indoor and outdoor tennis events. The seating capacity is 15,000 people.