Learning from CCTV | An Interview with Rory McGowan | Mark Magazine#24
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“A typical thick smog looms over the Beijing Central Business District, and yet from where I sit it does not hinder my view. In fact, it is hard not to drift between the man and the monument. The man is structural engineer and director at ARUP Rory McGowan, and the monument, the China Central Television building. And being 23 floors up in an office tower a few blocks from the CCTV gives me an even better perspective. Next to it, of course, is the infamous TVCC which erupted in flames last year and has since been left in its charred state. ‘You can ask me whatever you want,’ Rory states while entering the room, ‘except about that one.’ I understand the sensitivity about the issue and tell him that it is not the reason why I am here. Having joined Arup in 1986, Rory McGowan has been involved as an engineer in a massive amount of benchmark projects: Casa da Musica by OMA , CCTV and TVCC by OMA , Congrexpo by OMA , Villa VPRO by MVRDV, National Space Center by Grimshaw and Kansai National Airport by Renzo Piano, just to name a few.”
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You began working for Arup 23 years ago. How did you land the job and what makes working there a pleasure?
Rory McGowan: At the time I knew very little, except that Arup was considered the best. The story is rather clichéd: I literally knocked on their door in Dublin, got an interview and the job. So, this is my first job. I have witnessed Arup grow into a large company that functions with the freedom of a small company, which is highly unusual, but is one of our foundations for success. Despite the company’s other sectors, I still remain principally project focused which is not customary for a director. My main interests are working with architects on designs.
Could you describe your transition from the London to the Beijing office?
Rory McG: In 2002 at the London office, I became the director of the team for the CCTV building, leading the competition and engineering. As a consequence I was asked to move to China.
Learning from CCTV | An Interview with Rory McGowan | Mark Magazine#24
Throughout the past years you talked extensively about the CCTV building. I am interested in your reaction when first confronted with three key CCTV models; 1. the Styrofoam model 2. the shaking table model and 3. the final form.
Rory McG: In April 2002 I walked into the OMA office in Rotterdam. A large blue Styrofoam model sat on the table and Rem Koolhaas, Ole Scheeren and a few others were looking at it. Rem introduced the project, the competition and said: ‘This is what we are thinking about.’ At first I was taken aback: it was outrageous but at the same time was a drop dead serious proposal. We all knew what the OMA circumstances were based on our prior experiences with them, like the hyper building and other projects in the 1980s and ’90s. The issues of connectivity, a large workforce in one single building, structures resting against one other, were par for the course. The shaking table model was probably the riskiest moment in the whole project. The engineering tools that are available to us today are pretty accurate and when faced with a university-made physical model it felt strange.
The sophistication of any physical model is so poor that anything could happen. The test was successful, but if it hadn’t been, or the model had been badly made, then it would have set off a series of unstoppable events. As for what you see through these windows, the standing CCTV building, well, I had the benefit of sitting at this desk throughout the entire process. Everyday I would see it rise bit by bit out of the ground and now that it is finished, it is hard to believe. …..” read the rest of the interview at moving cities
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