The collapse of a terminal at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport killed four people, including two Chinese. The incident has sparked suspicion regarding the work of famous French architect Paul Andreu. According to reports, Paris authorities are currently investigating any illegal activity during the planning and construction of the Beijing National Theatre project, designed by Paul Andreu.

The investigation into the collapse of the terminal is continuing, said Taiwan’s Central News Agency. A Charles de Gaulle Airport spokesman said that the investigation would take several months to complete.

Architect Paul Andreu at the construction site of Beijing National Theatre in December 2003 (Getty Images)

Paul Andreu, the famous French architect who designed the collapsed terminal at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport is also the architect of China’s National Theatre. Upon learning about the airport accident, he returned to France from the Theatre’s construction site in Beijing to cooperate with the investigation. However, French media reported that the Paris public prosecutor’s office has confirmed that last year authorities had started a preliminary investigation on the bidding process of China’s National Theatre and searched Andreu’s residence and office at that time.

The Theatre’s estimated $325 million construction cost raised dispute after the design proposal was approved. Mr. Ma, an architect from California, told to Radio Free Asia that many complained that the controversial architectural style of the National Theatre did not fit in with Tiananmen Square and its surroundings.

On the West Side of the “Great Hall of the People” there are mostly Chinese historical buildings, including the “Great Hall of the People” itself, which gives a sense of classical elegance. Mr. Ma said Paul Andreu is placing this “weird thing” there and said that, viewed it from an architectural perspective, “It’s a bit taboo.” Nearly 50 temples signed a petition letter opposing the design and more than 100 Chinese construction experts warned that when completed the new Theater will be an international laughingstock.

Professor Shao Li at the University of Nottingham indicated that European architects emphasized coordinating a new building with its surrounding areas. However, China’s National Theatre is an exception.

Shao Li said that many English architects do not agree with China's modern building style, and Paul Andreu took an unorthodox path. Usually, other countries consider the surroundings, especially in European countries where there is also a rich cultural heritage to cherish.

Shao Li believes that many architects the world over would have loved to design a modern building in China, knowing that the Chinese government has been flexible about maintaining traditional building styles. In Europe these kinds of design opportunities would be hard to imagine.

An article in a Beijing business journal called China the experiment lab for foreign designers. The report said that the “crazy Westernization” would provoke Chinese cities to become neither East nor West, and lose their Eastern characteristics. Mr. Ma, a construction designer in the United States, indicated that Beijing’s National Theatre design is very modern. Aside from its appearance, the new structural design will raise its construction cost.

Beijing National Theatre under construction (Getty Images)

Mr. Ma also added that the structure is quite daring. The construction cost will be expensive because it uses carbon fiber to reduce its weight and also strengthen its structure. Some have calculated that each section will equal the construction cost of building two elementary schools.

French media reports that Andreu, the chief architect of Charles de Gaulle Airport, had worked with the airport to obtain the bid to design China’s National Theatre. Moreover, an British consulting firm that assisted in winning the bid increased their consultation fee from 8 percent to 15.4 percent. The authorities suspect that a large amount of illegal commission-taking may have been involved.

After the Charles de Gaulle Airport incident, Chinese officials said that there had been no corruption during the bidding process for the Theatre project and the building is absolutely safe.

Besides China’s National Theatre, Andreu has participated in the Shanghai Pudong Airport design. The Shanghai airport group indicated that Pudong airport is very traditional and safe in its design and structure.