Gate to the East
| Gate of the East (东方之门) | |
|---|---|
 Gate of the Orient under construction, June 2012 | |
| Alternative names | Gate of the Orient or The Pants Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Under construction |
| Type | commercial, transportation |
| Location | Suzhou, Jiangsu, China |
| Construction started | 2004 |
| Completed | 2014-15 |
| Height | 301.8 m (990.2 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Size | 340,000 Sqm |
| Floor count | 68 |
| Lifts/elevators | 6 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | RMJM |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Gate to the East, also known as the Gate of the Orient, (simplified Chinese: 东方之门; traditional Chinese: 東方之門; pinyin: dōng fāng zhī mén) is a $700 Million (USD) skyscraper recently built in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. It is intended to be a gateway to the city that emphasizes the city's continuing significance in modern China. The building is planned to be built to a height of 301.8 metres (990 ft), and located in the heart of Suzhou's central business district. It will be used mainly for transport and commercial purposes. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2014-15.
Architecture
Being the tallest building in the Suzhou metropolitan area, the Gate to the East serves as a landmark, especially for the Suzhou Industrial Park district. Its position precisely indicates the intersection of the historical East-West-axis of Suzhou Old Town with the West bank of Jinji Lake. The form of the building clearly shows the passage of the East-West-axis in between its two towers, and thus also indicates indirectly the South-North-direction. As of February 2015, the Gate to the East ranks 97 in the Wikipedia List of tallest buildings in the world.
Criticism
Though intended as an iconic gateway, the Gate to the East has been oft criticized – both humorously and angrily – as resembling a pair of trousers.[2][3][4] The Daily Mail questioned: "Architectural triumphs or just plain pants?", stating: "China's latest superstructures resemble a giant pair of long johns..."[5] The landmark has thus led to a slew of internet parodies.[4]
Transport
- Rail transit: Gate to the East Station
- Line 1
- Line 6
See also
- Architecture of China
- List of tallest buildings in China
References
- ↑ "Gate of the Orient, Suzhou, China – Portfolio". RMJM. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ↑ 04 Sep 2012 (2012-09-04). "British-designed skyscraper resembles big pants, say angry Chinese". Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ↑ September 05, 2012 2:23PM (2012-09-05). "$700 million skyscraper 'resembles a pair of pants'". News.com.au. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Netizens: New China building is 'pants' | CNN Travel". Travel.cnn.com. 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ↑ "Architectural triumph or just plain pants? China's latest skyscraper mocked for resembling giant pair of long johns | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
External links
Coordinates: 31°19′01″N 120°40′44″E / 31.31694°N 120.67889°E