World’s top architects shortlisted for Amaravati

About Seemandhra / Andhra Pradesh, World Opinion

Hyderabad  :

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who wants to build Amaravati as a world-class capital, has zeroed in on three of the world’s leading architects to conceptualise the ‘government complex’ – which will be the first structure that will come up in the new capital. The three architects are Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas and Richard Rogers, who will ‘compete’ to clinch the deal under the Swiss Challenge method.

Some of the world’s finest landmarks have been designed by these leading architects from Europe. And Naidu is reportedly keen to utilise their services for the grand government complex that will be the seat of power. The winner of the Swiss Challenge bidding process will conceptualise and design the mega structure.

“The building will come up in the proposed Government Core area of the seed capital. The state government is keen to complete the complex by 2018. The 42-floor complex will have 1.32 crore sq feet of built-up space,” said a senior official privy to the development.

Norman Foster has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, which is regarded as the Nobel Prize of architecture. He has designed and built the new German Parliament, the Hearst Tower in New York City, City Hall and Millennium Bridge in London and is regarded by many as the greatest living architect.

Richard Roger has designed the Lloyd’s Building and Peternoster Square in London as also the Millennium Dome. Rem Koolhas had conceptualised the Seattle Central library, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Seoul National University Museum of Art and the iconic Dutch Embassy building in Berlin.

Initially, the state government invited tenders for selection of the architects through the Capital City Development Management Corporation (CCDMC). As many as 10 firms had responded to the tenders. The government kept them in abeyance as it was not satisfied with the participating firms.

This time the government invited the tenders through the CRDA and shortlisted a few companies to participate in the design competition. Norman Foster (Foster + Partners), Richard Rogers (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), and Rem Koolhas (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) figure in the shortlisted architect firms.

The competition under Swiss Challenge will take place for two days from November 20. “The design competition for the smart government complex will be held for two days in Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) office premises. The participants will give their proposals. Based on those, we will take a final call,” N Srikanth, CRDA commissioner, told TOI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / by Sribala Vadlapatla, TNN / November 19th, 2015

2 Visakhapatnam cyclists all set for Paris event

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Visakhapatnam:

Two cyclists from the city qualified for the coveted title of ‘Super Randonneur,’ which is given to a cyclist who is able to complete 200 km, 300 km, 400 km and 600 km cycling brevets in stipulated cut-off time within one cycling season.

Yogesh Tiwari and Anukaran Arzare are the first cyclists from Andhra Pradesh to achieve this title. They are now eligible to participate in the world’s most prestigious endurance cycling race, Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) held once in four years.

These brevets are endurance cycling races organised in the city under the patronage of Paris Club Parisien Randonnuer and Audax India Randonneur. The city cyclists are known as Vizag Randonnuers and championed by Sridhar Vaddi.

First of the series qualifiers, a 200 km brevet, was held in February, 300 km brevet was in August, while the 600 km and 400 km brevets were organised in October. The last race of the qualifiers was organised on October 30 and completed on October 31. “We paddled the entire distance of 400 km in 23 hours disregarding continuous heavy rains and opposing winds, going up the National Highway 16 till Vimancheru near Rajamundhry and back on the same highway. We had to wear helmets, reflective jackets carry repair kits, water and food items,” Yogesh Tiwari said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / November 02nd, 2015

Kakinada Container Terminal set up to serve east India

Business & Economy

Visakhapatnam  :

The Kakinada Container Terminal (KCT), a joint venture company of equal shareholdings among Kakinada Infrastructure Holdings Pvt Ltd (KIHPL), PSA Chennai Investments Pte Ltd (PSA Chennai) and Bothra Shipping Services Pvt Ltd (Bothra), was launched at a trade meet in the city on Thursday.

KCT will have an initial annual handling capacity of 200,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of containers. It has a 300 metre quay as well as mobile harbour cranes and reach stackers.

KCT is situated in the Kakinada Deep Water Port (KDWP), an all-weather port in Andhra Pradesh, and is sheltered by a natural breakwater. The port is well positioned to serve east India’s agricultural, seafood and commodity hinterland, which exports products like rice, sugar, maize, shrimps and paper products. Many leading agricultural companies have set up their processing centres in the region, said an official release.

“KDWP has emerged as the most user-friendly, clean and green port with efficient and mechanised cargo handling systems. With the start of the container operation, it is now the most integrated port in India,” said KV Rao, chairman and managing director of Kakinada Seaports Limited.

Ajit Bothra, director of Bothra Shipping Services Pvt Ltd, said, “The new container terminal will bring container services to the doorstep of the rice bowl, seafood and agri-export heartland of India and result in considerable savings in logistics to the EXIM trade of the region.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / November 06th, 2015