bricworks3 the watercube post-olympics ai weiwei - ARCHILEPSY ...

Another hugely important factor to
consider is the contractual framework
that Western architects must abide
by when working in China. Since
China’s accession to the World Trade
Organization in 2001, the Ministry
of Construction has issued several
decrees which effectively require all
foreign businesses to partner with a
Local Design Institute (LDI) for any
projects on Chinese soil. Ultimately,
the LDI is responsible for producing
the final stamped construction
documents that are used to execute
all projects. The coordination and
collaboration between an LDI and a
foreign design firm can become a hotbed
of frustrating language/culture
barriers, as well as a volatile breeding
"YES, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF
SNAGGING TO BE DONE.
WE'VE DEMANDED A
HIGH STANDARD OF WORK
FROM WHAT IS OFTEN
SEASONAL LABOR, BUT THE
FLAWS ARE SUPERFICIAL."
ground for miscommunication and
mutual distrust. Of course, any foreign
firm working in China who wants to
continue working in China must not
be critical of the process, for fear of
offending potential clients or partners.
For their part, Zaha Hadid
Architects is maintaining a gracious
and politically-correct stance on
the issue, as indicated by their
official response: “Our client and
savvy designers
our contractor for the project were
very supportive. As architects, it is
important to have enthusiastic clients
with great civic pride, a willingness
to innovate and passion for artistic
quality. These are vital characteristics
that allow all architects around the
world to design extraordinary projects.
As with any new building, there were
several superficial elements which
needed adjustment post opening. The
reports (referenced earlier) date from
2010 when these issues were still
being addressed. To our knowledge,
the correspondent had neither made
any recent visits in 2011, nor consulted
relevant project members to validate
the research, as these issues had been
resolved.”
ZHA Project Architect Simon Yu
offered a more candid rebuttal: "I've
just been to inspect the building. It's
typhoon season and it’s been pouring
with rain, but rain isn't ‘seeping
relentlessly into the building’ as has
been reported. Glass panels haven't
fallen from windows and no large
cracks have appeared. I'm not sure
what all this is about. Yes, there's still
a lot of snagging to be done. We've
demanded a high standard of work
from what is often seasonal labor, but
the flaws are superficial."
While recent photographs depict
evidence of water damage inside the
main concourse and a few instances
of haphazard craftsmanship on the
exterior granite curtain wall, Yu’s
assessment of the flaws seems to be
accurate. Considering the magnificent
scope of the undertaking, and the
undeniable structural and spatial
innovation involved in its design and
construction, a handful of reparable
flaws should be considered a major
accomplishment. In many cases,
perhaps the building community has
been too quick to “blame the architect”
without taking into account the
innumerable factors that are wholly
beyond a foreign designer’s control
when working in China.
Regardless, the Guangzhou
Opera House is quickly becoming
a significant milestone in both the
urban development of China, and
the persisting legacy of Zaha Hadid
Architects. With a proposal for a
new opera house in the works for
Baghdad—Hadid’s birth city—and
a host of ongoing projects in Italy,
the US, and abroad, the 62 year old
architect shows no signs of slowing
down. Likewise, with half a dozen
skyscrapers over 100 stories tall slated
for completion in the next 4 years,
neither does China.
Kevin Frank [kevin@archilepsymagazine.com]
> Haphazard joinery
> Water damage
> Deteriorating plaster surfaces
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