Sunday, May 20, 2012, 4:04 AM CST – China

Visual Report

Demolished: February 12, 2007 | Lifespan: 18 years | Reason: Named as host city for the 2008 Olympic football matches, the Shenyang city government replaced the stadium with a new one. Demolished: February 13, 2008 | Lifespan: 11 years | Reason: Demolished due to an urban renovation project, despite estimated lifespan of 100 years. Demolished: February 20, 2009 | Lifespan: 15 years | Reason: To be replaced by a real estate project. Demolished: March 30, 2002 | Lifespan: 4 years | Reason: Violation of national flood control regulations.

Reduced to Rubble

December 2011 Issue | by News China Magazine

Topping the world rankings in scale and number of new projects, in any one year China maintains over 2 billion square meters of construction sites, accounting for 40% of the world’s total cement, iron and steel production. But while new buildings seem to spring up overnight, many last only a few years; demolition work, often under the guise of “improvement” or “renovation,” is common. Reduced to piles of rubble, many buildings suffer an untimely demise, shrouded in clouds of dust and smog.
 

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