English Professor, Carole Creekmore is pictured at the Great Wall of China.Carole writes , "One of the most impressive finds for me in China is the architecture. Of course the Great Wall, Longmen Caves, Imperial Palace, and other historic sites are almost unbelievably impressive, but I especially enjoy noting architectural variety when I travel, always looking for examples to share in Humanities classes. I was first struck by the juxtaposition of historical and modern constructions. A colorful and traditional pagoda might sit next to a more sleek and modern skyscraper. China impresses me with its ability to preserve and value the ancient along with welcoming the new. The size of structures also seem to echo the surrounding landscape. At a Buddhist temple, an enormous gate and statue of a warrior are facing tall, craggy mountains as equals. At the same temple, I could find perfect miniatures to scale, suitable to fitting snugly in the palm of the hand.
But the most exciting architectural site to me has been the structures being finished for the upcoming Olympics. Before we left home, I watched a TV special about the construction of the "Bird's Nest," the signature building for the Olympics - and for years to come. This will likely be Beijing's equivalent of the Eiffel Tower to Paris as a city symbol. Beijing and cities around it are filled with modern buildings, many reflecting cutting edge architectural styles and variety. One explanation on the TV special is the fact that China is open to new and innovative styles of architecture. Architects throughout the world find the country with its vast available work force and support ready and willing to encourage and accept the new and innovative. The epitome of this attitude is to expressed in the Olympics buildings.
Standing alone and reflecting in its own glory is a silver building with the top several stories constructed into the shape of the Olympic flame, extending above and beyond the building itself. This silver tower has enormous screens several stories high located on each side. They will be projecting constant images, effectively incorporating technology into the surface of the structure itself.
The structure near this building is the most impressive in its originality. It gives the appearance of being an enormous silver-ribbon laced bird's nest. Thus the nickname. Its size is almost unimaginable, but the tiny workers on top of it make its massive but airy size and proportion all the more impressive. Designed internationally, it is a future wonder-of-the world. It is not only immediately recognizable as identified with Beijing, but also as an architectural landmark. I can't help but wonder what and where will be the next building to challenge this one."
