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We all know that buildings don't always turn out like the renderings. Last-minute changes and real-life materials can all cause discrepancies between the vision and reality of a project. In our weekly Flash Forward Friday feature, we take a look at how different projects stack up.
With so many buildings around the world adopting different architectural styles, there's bound to be multiple cases of resemblance to commonplace objects, whether by design or by accident. London's 30 St Mary Axe is one of the most famous examples of this, with locals adopting the playful 'Gherkin' epithet to reference the oddly shaped skyscraper. In the Far East of Suzhou, China, another recently completed structure has attracted some unsolicited attention for its likeness to an everyday item of clothing.
The Gate to the East, also known as the Gate of the Orient, was built as a focal point for a new central business district and doubles as a gateway to the historic city centre. An archway — boasting a landscaped indoor atrium — links two towering volumes that host a diversity of uses. Commercial offices, a hotel and a museum are split on one side from the residential component on the other.
Designed by RMJM, the tower narrowly accomplishes supertall status, thanks to twin spires at each end. Suzhou's second tallest skyscraper closely matches the original artistic depictions, maintaining its tapering aperture and substantial seven-storey podium, although the crowning spires are more prominent in reality. When renderings were released prior to construction beginning in 2004, some had taken notice of the building's similarity to a pair of trousers. When the development was completed in 2015, that comparison only gained more momentum, with international media nicknaming the glassy edifice the 'Pants Building.' Though the structure wasn't meant to symbolize a familiar wardrobe article, RMJM has embraced the jocular nickname.
We will return next Friday with another comparison!
