The morning after

Beijing new and old: the fire-damaged Mandarin Oriental hotel (l) and traditional Chinese hutongs (r)

Beijing new and old: the fire-damaged Mandarin Oriental hotel (l) and traditional Chinese hutongs (r)

The colour and material texture of the charred hulk of the fire-damaged Mandarin Oriental hotel building in Beijing bears a striking resememblance to the traditonal siheyuan, or traditional courtyard residences in China. Ironically, these ancient structures are disappearing rappidly in contemporary Beijing and they are replaced by wide boulevards and high rises, just like the iconic CCTV campus and Mandarin Oriental hotel.

What goes around, comes around.

We wish our friends at OMA the best of luck overcoming this tragic event.

By Michiel — Posted February 12, 2009 — 75 Comments