Reborn since 1993

Chapter 893 Same people but different fates

The designer industry is also one where the older you get, the more competitive it becomes, including designers in the architecture and fashion industries.

But this kind of old refers to the accumulated fame, influence, resources and so on. It is like a painter. As long as he is famous enough, he can just put a few strokes on the paper and then stamp it. Professionals will interpret it in various ways and then say, this is art!

If you don't have fame, then it's useless no matter how old you are. After a lifetime of fooling around, don't bully the poor young, don't bully the poor old, the dead are the greatest, the tears of grave robbers...

There is no need to mention Norman Foster's strength. Although he is over 60 years old, he is now the most experienced and his creativity has not diminished. He is more adept at using various new technologies and new materials. It is hard to say that he is now at the peak of his career, but he is in the best condition.

"Sir, you're still recovering, you shouldn't have come to Hansi!"

The assistant who was sitting in the back seat of the car with Norman Foster saw Norman Foster still modifying the drawings and couldn't help but remind him to take a rest.

Norman Foster was previously diagnosed with cancer, and after his condition stabilized, he began designing again.

"I can't spend the rest of my life lying in a hospital bed!"

Norman Foster said to his assistant, "This design project is very important to Foster Architecture Design Office. It is the best opportunity for our office to enter the mysterious country of the East!"

“Believe me, there will be many landmark buildings here. That’s an opportunity for Foster + Partners!”

There was a hint of excitement on Norman Foster's face. As a big shot in the construction industry, Norman Foster's vision and sense of smell were naturally quite sharp.

In any region, as long as the economy starts to develop, infrastructure will usher in an explosion, and various landmark buildings will emerge one after another. Norman Foster feels that there are also signs of a major explosion in domestic infrastructure.

If Foster + Partners can win the project of Dongling Hi-Tech's new headquarters building, it will be a natural progression for them to enter the domestic market and receive numerous large orders.

Norman Foster even had a hunch that the new headquarters building of Dongling Hi-Tech would not be his last collaboration with Dongling Hi-Tech.

Foster + Partners has investigated Dongling Hi-Tech and knows that Dongling Hi-Tech has many industries, including Feiyan Technology, which is listed on NASDAQ. Will these technology companies need to build headquarters at that time?

Several cars arrived in Pingyang one after another. Norman Foster did not go directly to the headquarters of Dongling Hi-Tech. Instead, after taking a tour around Pingyang, when passing by the Torch Industrial Park and Oriental Times Shopping Mall, Norman Foster's car stopped for a while.

The architectural styles of these two places can only be considered mediocre to Norman Foster, but he can also see the architectural style that Li Dongling likes, which makes him more confident about the new headquarters project of Dongling Hi-Tech.

"Sir Foster, welcome to Hansey!"

Li Dongling, Ren Yuefeng, Hu Zixian and other senior executives of Dongling Hi-Tech welcomed the arrival of Norman Foster's team and complimented the foreign old man.

"I am also honored to come to this Eastern continent!"

Norman Foster also said a few words, and the group walked towards the Dongling Hi-Tech headquarters.

“The Oriental Times Shopping Mall is now the best shopping mall building in Asia, and the Torch Group Industrial Park is a miracle of modern industrial aesthetics!”

Norman Foster praised the Oriental Times Shopping Mall and Torch Group to Li Dongling.

Li Dongling glanced at Norman Foster. Who said these foreign old guys don’t understand the ways of the world?

The two parties came to the meeting room of Dongling Hi-Tech's headquarters. Li Dongling looked at the people from Foster + Partners and said, "Thank you very much for coming to Hanxi. Dongling Hi-Tech has only one goal, which is to build a headquarters building and park that will not be outdated in the next ten or twenty years, or even longer."

"This is also the purpose of our visit to Hanxi this time. Foster + Partners also hopes that this building can become our first landmark building on the mainland!" Norman Foster also said.

Ren Yuefeng took out the design drawings that Foster & Partners had handed over earlier and asked Norman Foster, "Mr. Norman!"

“We want to know how technically difficult this Oriental Tower building and park is?”

The Oriental Tower designed by Norman Foster for Dongling Hi-Tech has an entire glass curtain wall on the exterior, which has a strong visual impact. A large number of new technologies will also be used inside.

These include a constant temperature system, an adjustable shading system, double-layer insulating glass, and LED lights that can be used for light shows, etc. Many of these are new technologies, which means they are technically difficult and... expensive!

"There are technical difficulties, but I think they can be overcome. The technologies I have equipped for the new Dongling Hi-Tech headquarters will definitely become mainstream in the future!" said Norman Foster. "The main building of the new Dongling Hi-Tech headquarters, the Oriental Tower, is 101 meters high and will use a lot of glass curtain walls, composite materials and steel. It consists of a main building and six ancillary buildings!
The entire Oriental Tower will show different luster at different times as the light changes. Even at night, when the LED lights are on, the Oriental Tower will light up, and it will become the most dazzling existence in the whole of Pingyang!

It is equipped with a full set of monitoring security systems, fire protection systems, etc. In addition, according to the needs of Dongling Hi-Tech, we have designed a large activity room in the building that can accommodate 1500 people. It can be equipped with top-level projectors, audio equipment, movable tables and chairs. It can be used for press conferences, employee meetings, training, etc.

There is also a cafe in the sky garden and a 24-hour central restaurant. In addition, other buildings in the park also have product exhibition and experience areas, visitor centers, tourist centers, health centers, and sports venues. The entire Dongling Hi-Tech New Headquarters Park will be in a forest style!
In the future, our architectural firm has reserved space for the renovation of the Oriental Tower. After breakthroughs in screen technology are made in the future, a giant screen can be installed on the outside of the Oriental Tower.

In the future, we can add rainwater collection systems to flush the buildings, irrigate the trees in the park, install solar photovoltaic panels, use clean energy, build biogas fuel cells, and so on!"

Norman Foster said excitedly that he had obviously tried a lot of new technologies in the new headquarters building of Dongling Hi-Tech.

Even if some technologies are not yet mature, he has reserved space for their future implementation.

Li Dongling was also a little stunned when he looked at the old man in front of him. To be honest, as a representative of the high-tech school in the construction industry, Norman Foster's vision was not exaggerated.

Except that he did not anticipate the rapid development of the Internet and smart technology and did not use them in the new headquarters of Dongling Hi-Tech, all the other technologies and materials he wanted to use appeared on almost all the buildings in a few years!

After hearing Norman Foster's exaggerated statements, Ren Yuefeng and Hu Zixian were not fooled by the promises, but asked a key question.

"If we follow the design plan given by Mr. Norman, how much will the budget for the Dongling Hi-Tech new headquarters project be?" Hu Zixian asked first.

Previously, Dongling Hi-Tech planned to prepare US$150 million, or about RMB 1.2 billion, for the new headquarters building and park.

But the US dollar these days is much more valuable than the US dollar in the era of massive money printing in the future. In the future, this budget may be equivalent to more than 2 billion yuan.

"If it is built exactly according to the design, the cost may exceed 150 million, reaching 200 million US dollars, or even around 230 million US dollars!"

Norman Foster said to Li Dongling that he knew that the person who could make the final decision on funding would probably be Li Dongling.

When Ren Yuefeng heard that the new headquarters building would cost two or three hundred million US dollars, he couldn't help but feel a toothache.

Dongling Hi-Tech does not have to worry about building a headquarters and dragging itself down like Giant Group did, but Dongling Hi-Tech's new headquarters building is really not cheap.

Li Dongling tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and finally pressed his palm on the design drawing, "Dongling Hi-Tech Headquarters can allocate the budget for the headquarters building!

However, Foster + Partners must continue to optimize the blueprints for this headquarters building to ensure that after it is completed, it will become a pearl among the headquarters buildings of the mainland's technology industry!"

A budget of more than 200 million US dollars is certainly not cheap, but if this headquarters park can be used by Zhixing Dongling Hi-Tech for decades and the design is not outdated, it can be said to be great value for money.

The news that Foster + Partners had undertaken the design project for the new headquarters of Hanxi Dongling Hi-Tech and that the total design fee had reached a staggering US$9.5 million was first announced by Foster + Partners.

Afterwards, the design renderings of the Oriental Tower, the new headquarters of Tanglin Hi-Tech, began to spread wildly in the overseas construction industry. The media in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and other places also announced the news of this being the most expensive technology headquarters building in Asia!
"Hanxi Dongling Hi-Tech Company has chosen the Oriental Tower proposal proposed by Foster + Partners as the design for its new headquarters building campus.

The funding for this new headquarters project has also increased from the previously rumored 150 million US dollars to over 200 million US dollars, making it the most expensive headquarters project currently underway in mainland China!

Many construction companies, including Continental Construction Group, China Railway Construction, China Communications Construction, China Power Construction, Hanxi Construction, Pingyang Construction, etc., have announced their intention to undertake this project! "

……

In Zhu City, Giant Shi, the boss, said to the executives who had followed him for many years and had not left even when he went bankrupt, "Continue to increase the publicity of Melatonin, contact major TV stations, newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, and ask them to place Melatonin ads.

"I won't accept any gifts this year, the only gift I'll accept is Melatonin." I want everyone in the country to hear this line! "

After that, all the executives of Giant dispersed. Giant, which had returned to the health care product industry, is now dominating the market with Melatonin. It took a different approach and linked Melatonin with filial piety.

In addition to advertising, Giant reorganized its ground marketing efforts and began to promote it crazily, causing the sales of Melatonin to continue to soar!

Just as all this was arranged, a Giant executive came in. After hesitating for a moment, he said to Boss Shi, "The Dongling Hi-Tech new headquarters project has been announced to start construction!"

(End of this chapter)