Foreign design firms have become a major force in the international
design competition for two main Olympic venues for the Beijing 2008
Olympic Games.
This is putting the pressure on domestic firms eager to be a part
of Beijing's massive Olympic venue construction plan. The plan
includes 37 stadiums and gymnasiums and 59 training venues.
Altogether 177 individuals and companies had entered the contest
before the 5:00 pm application deadline yesterday. Of the 151
entries targeting the Beijing Olympic Green, which will include an
80,000-seat stadium, 106 are from foreign countries and China's
Hong Kong and Taiwan regions.
Of
the 142 going for the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center, 99 are
from the Chinese mainland.
Many major architectural firms, such as US-based Sasaki Associates and Hellmuth, Obata-Kassabaum (HOK)
International, which designed for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, are in
the race.
But despite the predominance of overseas applicants, the domestic
participants remain confident.
"We will try to add the essence of traditional Chinese culture to
our designs to compete against them," said a participant from
Beijing who entered the competition yesterday.
Participants now have less than three months before handing in
their draft plans to the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission by
July 2. A judging group will select one winner for each competition
before the end of July.
The final designs for the two venues are to be decided before the
end of this year.
The winner of the competition for the Olympic Green will pocket
US$250,000, while the top prize for the Wukesong venue is
US$80,000.
(China
Daily April 16, 2002)