BEIJING: A new 44-story luxury hotel in central Beijing was engulfed in flames Monday after being showered with sparks from fireworks set off during the biggest Chinese holiday.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries.
The Mandarin Oriental hotel, designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and still under construction, caught fire sometime before 9 p.m. as the skies above the Chinese capital were filled with fireworks - part of celebrations of the lantern festival that follows the Lunar New Year.
The shooting flames sent off huge plumes of black smoke and showered the ground with embers. At least seven fire crews were on the scene and the police held back crowds of onlookers and closed a nearby elevated highway to ensure safety.
One onlooker, Li Jian, said he saw smoke rise from the roof of the hotel shortly after a huge burst of fireworks showered it with sparks, though it was not clear if the sparks had started the fire.
“Smoke came out for a little while, but then it just started burning,” Li said.
People answering the phone at the Beijing Fire Department confirmed the fire but said they were unable to give any details.
Crews had largely extinguished the larger flames about three hours after the fire began, although hotspots continued to flicker.
Beijing usually tightly restricts the use of fireworks in the city center, but waives the rules each year during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Monday, the final day of the exemption period, marked the first full moon since the Lunar New Year, and massive fireworks barrages exploded in open spaces throughout the city.
The hotel, which had been due to open this year, is next to the Z-shaped headquarters of China Central Television, a major prestige project for the city. The television headquarters was not burning. The Mandarin Oriental had been expected to be one of the most luxurious hotels in Beijing, with 241 rooms.
Both buildings were designed by Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren for the firm OMA. Both were nearing the end of construction.
The fire had destroyed years of hard work, said Erik Amir, a senior architect at OMA, who rushed to the site.
“I think it’s really sad that this building is destroyed before it can be opened to the public,” he said.
The building at the center of the blaze was used during the Beijing Olympics last year, the Xinhua news agency said, citing an unidentified CCTV staff member. Companies moved out after the games finished, the report said.
The hotel employs 60 staff all of whom work in pre-opening offices nearby, Mandarin Oriental said. The offices were empty when the fire began. The company does not own the building.
The building features an angular loop of glass and steel. The CCTV project, valued at 5 billion yuan, or $731 million, has been nicknamed “da kucha,” or “big shorts,” by city residents, alluding to the double tower connected at the top.
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Fire engulfs landmark of skyline in Beijing
The Associated Press
9 February 2009
BEIJING: A new 44-story luxury hotel in central Beijing was engulfed in flames Monday after being showered with sparks from fireworks set off during the biggest Chinese holiday.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries.
The Mandarin Oriental hotel, designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and still under construction, caught fire sometime before 9 p.m. as the skies above the Chinese capital were filled with fireworks - part of celebrations of the lantern festival that follows the Lunar New Year.
The shooting flames sent off huge plumes of black smoke and showered the ground with embers. At least seven fire crews were on the scene and the police held back crowds of onlookers and closed a nearby elevated highway to ensure safety.
One onlooker, Li Jian, said he saw smoke rise from the roof of the hotel shortly after a huge burst of fireworks showered it with sparks, though it was not clear if the sparks had started the fire.
“Smoke came out for a little while, but then it just started burning,” Li said.
People answering the phone at the Beijing Fire Department confirmed the fire but said they were unable to give any details.
Crews had largely extinguished the larger flames about three hours after the fire began, although hotspots continued to flicker.
Beijing usually tightly restricts the use of fireworks in the city center, but waives the rules each year during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Monday, the final day of the exemption period, marked the first full moon since the Lunar New Year, and massive fireworks barrages exploded in open spaces throughout the city.
The hotel, which had been due to open this year, is next to the Z-shaped headquarters of China Central Television, a major prestige project for the city. The television headquarters was not burning. The Mandarin Oriental had been expected to be one of the most luxurious hotels in Beijing, with 241 rooms.
Both buildings were designed by Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren for the firm OMA. Both were nearing the end of construction.
The fire had destroyed years of hard work, said Erik Amir, a senior architect at OMA, who rushed to the site.
“I think it’s really sad that this building is destroyed before it can be opened to the public,” he said.
The building at the center of the blaze was used during the Beijing Olympics last year, the Xinhua news agency said, citing an unidentified CCTV staff member. Companies moved out after the games finished, the report said.
The hotel employs 60 staff all of whom work in pre-opening offices nearby, Mandarin Oriental said. The offices were empty when the fire began. The company does not own the building.
The building features an angular loop of glass and steel. The CCTV project, valued at 5 billion yuan, or $731 million, has been nicknamed “da kucha,” or “big shorts,” by city residents, alluding to the double tower connected at the top.
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