23 Oct 2014
Chinese President: 'No more weird architecture'
BY Tom Anstey
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an end to China’s abstract and strange-looking architectural structures, calling for morally inspiring art to “cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles.”
During a recent speech at a literary symposium in Beijing, Xi said buildings such as the CCTV headquarters, which is one of Beijing’s most iconic towers should no longer be built in the city.
Xi also commented that Chinese art (and architecture) should “disseminate contemporary Chinese values, embody traditional Chinese culture and reflect Chinese people’s aesthetic pursuits.” Chinese internet users, however, have been divided on the matter – with the no camp saying that “China is not a foreigners’ test field”.
Several leisure-related developments have been built in China in recent times that have a less-than-normal or unique look about them:
Sifang Art Museum
The Sifang Art Museum in Laoshan National Forest Park, Nanjing, China was designed by innovative firm Steven Holl Architects. The museum opened its doors to the public in November 2013 and is shaped like a hollow box on legs.
The Qingdao Culture and Art Centre
The Qingdao Culture and Art Centre, also designed by Steven Holl, will house four museums connected by a specially designed light loop that mimics the characteristics of China’s Jiaozhou Bay Bridge.
Doumen Observation Tower
A fish-inspired structure announced in August by architecture firm RMJM will naturally divide the structure into three sections – a ground-level podium housing shops and restaurants, a middle section containing leisure facilities, and a top-floor observation deck offering 360-degree views.
Duplitecture cities
One of the most obvious styles of ‘abstract architecture’ is the growing trend of duplitecture – architectural replicas of tourist areas and attractions around the world – in China. The latest is a CN¥10.8bn (US$1.7bn, €1.3bn, £1bn) recreation of Queenstown in New Zealand, which will sit alongside imitations of Davos in Switzerland and also a ‘Scottish-style’ town. The development is set for 2020.
Phoenix Towers
Wuhan, the capital city of central China, could be home to the world’s tallest pair of buildings by 2018, as part of an ambitious mixed-use scheme. Designed by Chetwoods Architects, a UK-based firm, proposals for the world’s tallest towers and are awaiting final approval from Wuhan’s mayor. The new Phoenix Towers, standing at 3,280ft (1 km) tall, would take up seven hectares of a yet-to-be developed 47-hectare site in the heart of China.
The President’s criticism comes at a time when China is starting to gain international acclaim for its architectural design. Recently in 2012 Wang Shu, an architect based in Hangzhou, became the first Chinese person to win the Pritzker Prize.
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