French architect Paul Andreu dies at 80

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French architect Paul Andreu, who designed the national theater in Beijing and Shanghai Pudong airport, died on Thursday at the age of 80.

Born in Cauderan, southwest France, on July 10, 1938, and graduated from School of Fine Arts in Paris in 1968, Andreu established his fame internationally at the age of 29 for designing and constructing Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, also known as Roissy Airport, in 1967 and working for it for decades to make it the second biggest airport in the Europe.

During his life, he designed as many as 20 airports across the world, including in Dubai, Jakarta, Cairo, and Brunei. He also built the Grande Arche de la Defense on the outskirts of Paris (in association with J.O. Spreckelsen) and the French Terminal at the entrance of the Channel Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world connecting the UK and France.

The National Center for the Performing Arts, September 22, 2018 /VCG Photo

In China, his name will be remembered for his design for the National Center for the Performing Arts, which is adjacent to Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. The titanium and glass shell, which spans 212.2 meters from west to east, is the world's largest dome-like structure. Surrounded by an artificial lake, the structure has become an iconic Beijing structure since its inauguration in September 2007.

With China's fast urban development, he found the country a favorable place to display his talent. His other works in China include Terminal 1 of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Guangzhou Gymnasium and many more. He was also appointed as city planning consultant for the Chongqing Municipality.

His outstanding achievements in architecture won him many awards, including the Grand National Prize for architecture (1977), Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1995), and Crystal Global Awards (2006). He was a member of the section of architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts since 1996.