Designer glass building to be auctioned

16:07:20 18th July 2008

A massive glass building by French architect Paul Andreu is to be auctioned off in the Sichuan province, China.

The £90 million complex and gardens were built using public money and are being sold to raise cash to aid the victims of the May 12th earthquake.

The building was originally designed for the local government and is essentially a huge glass dome with six spurs around it.

The move to sell the glass structure comes amid criticism that followed government officials moving into the building days after the earthquake, which killed 70,000 people.

The building will be auctioned to the highest bidder and proceeds will provide new housing and buildings for the areas worst affected by the quake.

The stunning structure itself survived the earthquake intact thanks to its reinforced glass and strong design.

Andreu also designed the famed Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris as well as Beijing's new national theatre.