Controversial chimney stokes industrial heritage debate

An aerial view of the chimney, standing close to the West Second Ring Road in Beijing. The Tianning Pagoda can be seen to the left of the smokestack. Wang WU/FOR CHINA DAILY

The controversy has raged for nine years, but now it seems the fate of a landmark Beijing building has been sealed.

A 180-meter-high chimney, dubbed "the most obtrusive building on the West Second Ring Road", will be transformed into a spacious observation deck - standing just 8 meters above ground level.

The chimney, in Xicheng district, was built in 1976 for the Beijing No 2 Thermal Power Plant, which was shut down and relocated to the suburbs in 2009 to reduce air pollution.

Since then, the site has been redeveloped as a cultural and artistic district, similar to the popular 798 Art Zone.

Wang Wu, director of the renovation project, said the plan to reduce the height of the chimney, drawn up by a team from the Architectural Design and Research Institute at Tsinghua University, was delivered to the Beijing planning department last month.

"Once approved, the project will begin," Wang said.

Before the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing cracked down on pollution and dismantled chimneys that emitted noxious particles into the atmosphere.

However, the highest chimney in the downtown area remained, fueling heated public debate over its fate.

Experts said the debate is a sign of great progress, indicating a growing awareness of historic buildings, and the government is now more cautious when it comes to city planning.