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Updated: 2005-11-17 09:17

House to hold APEC leaders at 10 million dollars

 APEC峰会韩国召开 釜山世峰楼安保一流

House to hold APEC leaders at 10 million dollars
A general view of the APEC House, 'Nurimaru', in Pusan, about 420 km southeast of Seoul, October 25, 2005 file photo. (REUTERS)

Costing nearly 10 million dollars for each hour APEC leaders will meet there, South Korea's newest convention hall is said to be capable of withstanding bombs, earthquakes and even a tsunami.

Named Nurimaru meaning "top of the world", the iconic dome aiming to be a haven of tranquility for visiting dignitaries rests on 12 pillars and is nestled on the tip of a rocky islet off the coast of Busan port.

Companies in South Korea designed and built the 19 million dollar glass and steel structure in a year to house the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders, although they only meet there for two hours on Friday.

Secrecy has surrounded the preparations for Nurimaru, with Busan city officials saying even they are not allowed to approach the house without special identification.

"Even people working for APEC cannot go there easily," said one official.

APEC leaders, including US President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, will spend five hours in total at Nurimaru.

They will be able to contemplate traditional Korean interior motifs in complete safety, organisers of the project say. The circular roof, modeled on a traditional Korean pavilion , is covered with titanium-coated steel, built to withstand the heaviest of storms.

A web of security cameras, metal detectors, beam sensors and bullet-proof screens will reinforce security in the three-storey, 3,000 square-metre building.

"It is prepared for any earthquake or bombs or even tsunamis," a Busan city official in charge of Nurimaru, said.

The building houses a conference hall, a dining room and reception, as well as a media centre.

Once APEC is over, Nurimaru house, funded from Busan's coffers, will be open to the public for two days after the summit, and serve as a memorial hall to the event until March.

It will then be available for conferences, but nobody has made bookings yet, Busan city officials have said.

(Agencies)

韩国为即将举行的亚太经合组织领导人峰会新建了一座会议中心,据说这里不仅可以抵挡炸弹、地震,即使遇到海啸也固若金汤,而每小时将近1000万美元的代价也着实不菲。

这个地方名叫“世峰楼”,意思是“世界之颠”,座落于釜山海岸边一个多岩石的小岛上。由12根大柱子支撑起的整个圆顶具有韩式传统风格,为来访的各位政要提供了一个安静的会议场所。

为了迎接前来参加第21届亚太经合组织领导人峰会的各国和地区领导,韩国公司在一年内花费1900万美元设计并修建了这座钢筋结构的玻璃建筑,尽管领导人们本周五只会在那里待上两个小时。

整个“世峰楼”的筹建工作都是秘密进行的,釜山的政府官员说如果没有特殊的身份证件,连他们都无法接近这座楼。

“即使是APEC的工作人员去那里也不是那么容易,”一位官员说。

亚太经合组织各成员国和地区领导人包括美国总统布什、中国国家主席胡锦涛、日本首相小泉纯一郎,他们在“世峰楼”会谈的时间加起来总共5小时。

领导人们将在绝对安全的情况下商议如何解决历史上遗留下来的朝韩问题,APEC会议的组织者们说。韩国传统阁楼式的园形屋顶上覆盖了一层镀钛钢板,这样的设计能够抵挡最剧烈的暴风雨。

在这座三层楼高、3000多平米的建筑中,监视系统、金属探测器、光束传感器和防弹屏构成了一个网络,加强安全保卫。

“无论遇到什么灾难,地震、炸弹袭击,甚至海啸,这里都做好了准备,”负责“世峰楼”的一位釜山市官员说。

“世峰楼”中有会议厅、餐厅和接待处,还有一个媒体中心。

APEC会议一结束,由釜山市出资建造的“世峰楼”将对公众开放两天,直到明年3月这里都将作为此次会议的纪念馆。

釜山市的官员介绍说,这里以后将成为召开会议的场所,不过至今还没有收到任何预约。

(中国日报网站薛晓文编译)

 

Vocabulary:

dignitary: an important or influential (and often overbearing) person(权贵,高官)

pavilion : large and often sumptuous tent(亭,阁)

 

 

 
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