Linked Hybrid, Beijing

Steven Holl Architects ; Li Hu , lead architect . Groundbreaking on December 28, 2005 ,

scheduled for completion in 2008 . Linked Hybrid , which will house 2,500 people in 700

apartments covering 1.6 million square feet , is a model for large-scale sustainable

residential architecture . The site will feature one of the world's largest geothermal cooling

and heating systems , which will stabilize the temperature within the complex of eight

buildings , all linked at the 20th floor by a " ring " of service establishments , like cafes and

dry cleaners . A set of dual pipes pumps water from 100 meters below ground , circulating

the liquid between the buildings' concrete floors . The result : The water circulation system

serves as a giant radiator in the winter and cooling system in the summer . It has no boilers

to supply heat , no electric air conditioners to supply cool . The apartments also feature

gray-water recycling -- a process that's just starting to catch on in Beijing in much smaller

buildings -- to filter waste water from kitchen sinks and wash basins back into toilets.

  Eco City , Dongtan

 Masterplan by Arup , for the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corp . In planning stages ,

first phase to be completed in 2010 . Developed by the Shanghai Industrial investment

Corp. , Dongtan Eco City , roughly the size of Manhattan , will be the world's first fully

sustainable cosmopolis when completed in 2040 . Like Manhattan , it's situated on an

island -- the third largest in China . Located on the Yangtze River , Dongtan is within close

proximity of the bustle of Shanghai . By the time the Shanghai Expo trade fair opens in

2010 , the city's first phase should be completed , and 50,000 residents will call Dongtan

home-sweet-sustainable-home The goals to be accomplished in the next five years :

systems for water purification , waste management , and renewable energy .  An

infrastructure of roads will connect the former agricultural land with Shanghai .

Olympic Stadium, Beijing

Herzog & de Meuron . Under construction , to be completed in 2008 . Sports stadiums

have long followed the enduring design of one of the original wonders of the world , Rome 's

Coliseum Herzog & de Meuron's National Stadium in Beijing is an attempt to rethink the

classic sports arena layout for more ecologically correct times . The Swiss architects

( of Tate Modern fame ) wanted to provide n atural ventilation for the 91,000-seat structure 

-- perhaps the largest " eco-friendly " sports stadium designed to date . To achieve this ,

they set out to create a building that could function without a strictly enclosed shell , yet

also provide constant shelter for the audience and athletes alike . To solve these design

problems , they looked to nature for inspiration . The stadium's outer grid resembles a

bird's nest constructed of delicately placed branches and twigs Each discrete space within

the facility , from restrooms to restaurants , is constructed as an independent unit within the

outer lattice -- making it possible to encase the entire complex with an open grid that allows

for natural air circulation . The architects also incorporated a layer of translucent membrane

to fill any gaps in the lacy exterior

Donghai Bridge , Shanghai/Yangshan Island

China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group , Shanghai # 2 Engineering Co. ,

Shanghai Urban Construction Group Officially opened in December , 2005 . A key phase

in the development of the world's largest deep-sea port was completed when China 's first

cross-sea bridge -- the 20-mile , six-lane Donghai Bridge -- was officially opened in

December, 2005 . Stretching across the East China Sea , the graceful cable-stay structure

connects Shanghai to Yangshan Island , set to become China 's first free-trade port ( and

the world's largest container port ) upon its completion in 2010 . To provide a safer driving

route in the typhoons and high waves known to hit the region ,

Donghai Bridge is designed in an S-shape.

The structure , reported by Shanghai Daily to have cost $1.2 billion , will

hold its title of China 's -- and one of the world's -- longest over-sea bridge for only a couple

of years , though . In 2008 , the nearby 22-mile Hangzhou Bay Transoceanic Bridge , which

also begins ( or ends , depending on your journey ) in Shanghai , will earn the superlative.

National Grand Theater, Beijing

Paul Andreu and ADP . Under construction , to be completed in 2008 . Located near

Tiananmen Square , the 490,485-square-foot glass-and-titanium National Grand Theater ,

scheduled to open in 2008 , seems to float above a man-made lake . Intended to stand out

amid the Chinese capital's bustling streets and ancient buildings , the structure has

garnered criticism among Bejing's citizens for clashing with classic landmarks like the

Monument to the People's Heroes ( dedicated to revolutionary martyrs ) , the vast home of

the National People's Congress , or Tiananmen Gate itself ( the Gate of Heavenly Peace )

French architect Paul Andreu is no stranger to controversy -- or to innovative forms . A

generation ago , in 1974 , his untraditional design for Terminal 1 of Paris 's Charles de

Gaulle airport was criticized for its unusual curves , yet Andreu's groundbreaking , futuristic

building later was seen to distinguish de Gaulle from more generic European and 

international air hubs . ( The same airport's Terminal 2E , also designed by Andreu , gained

attention in 2004 when it collapsed , tragically killing four people . )

   Beij ing 's daring National Grand Theater is as much a spectacle as the productions that

will be staged inside in the 2,416-seat opera house , the 2,017-seat concert hall , and the

1,040-seat theater . At night , the semi-transparent skin will give passersby a glimpse at the

performance inside one of three auditoriums , a feature that highlights the building's public nature .