Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province of what is called Southwest China. It has an elevation of about 3,600 ft, an area of 3,102 sq. mi., and, as of the 2010 census, a population of 4,324,561, out of whom 3,037,159 lived in the 7 urban districts. In 2016, Guiyang was named as the Best-Performing City in China by the Milken Institute because of the city’s “growth in jobs, wages, (and) gross domestic product (GDP). Here we show you just some of the amazing buildings in this rapidly growing city because…how else would you know?
1 The 397-foot tall Liebian Building features a spectacular waterfall, providing a dramatic spectacle from the plaza below. At 350-feet, the waterfall is among the tallest artificial waterfalls in the world—and easily the largest artificial waterfall located in an urban area.
2 The Ecological International Convention and Exhibition Center – 201 Tower has officially been awarded the certification of “the tallest steel truss suspension structure building in the world” by the World Record Association.
3 The World Trade Center is a vibrant mixed-use hillside city and riverfront park development that showcases the best of its surrounding natural environment. The dense, pedestrian-friendly complex comprises 21 structures: a composition of high-rise and low-rise buildings that extends from the site’s eastern hillside to the river on the western side. At over 1,200 feet tall, a landmark tower is the centerpiece.
4 The Hebin Theater is both a signature building and a unique cultural resource for the city
Taking the form of stacked river stones, the building form is abstracted into ellipsoid shapes with large elliptical glass openings revealing the public circulation within the building and allowing for views out from the lobby to the city and the river beyond.
5 The International Financial Center, which is due to be completed in 2020.
Nowhere in China is the disparity between economic reality and architectural ambition more stark than in Guiyang, capital of rural Guizhou, the poorest province in the country, which has the fifth most skyscraper plans of any Chinese city. The twin 335-metre towers of the Huaguoyuan development, by Arup, are now almost complete, standing as the centrepiece of a new mixed-use office, retail and entertainment complex, while SOM is busy conjuring the even higher Cultural Plaza Tower, a 521-metre glass spear that will soar above a new riverfront world of shopping malls and theatres.
6 Fake Hills (featured in the March ’16 issue of the network) is a residential developement designed by MAD architects.
7 Huaxi Tower is a 330 ft tall office building that was a joint venture between MAD Architects, TWA, and several other international architects.
8 The Twin Towers enrich the city skyline with a simple modern presence that emphasizes symmetry and balance. The façade reflects simplicity and uniformity, enriched with an assortment of explicit details. The towers were constructed simultaneously and rose from a deep excavation of the entire site.
