February 26 - May 31, 2008

Building China: Five Projects | Five Stories

By: Wei Wei Shannon/Curator

The People's Republic of China is undergoing a phenomenal transformation. In just a few years, the country has developed a thriving market economy, a place where existing and new cities are rapidly growing into modern metropolises. A new generation of architects is active in the vanguard of this construction, developing their own architectural identity.

Building China: Five Projects | Five Stories, is an exhibition which takes an intimate look at contemporary architecture in China, a slice of the Chinese built environment, a glimpse of contemporary Chinese culture. The exhibition features five unique architectural case studies. Conceived and designed by Chinese architects, located throughout China and completed recently. Many of the buildings being exhibited in the U.S. for the first time offer the public insight into China's ever changing landscape. Through the stories of these five projects, the following themes emerge: Production of Contemporary Culture, Reinventing Urban Fabric, Making the Private Public, Reinterpreting Traditional Design Philosophy, and Hybrid Development Models. These significant case studies of contemporary architecture introduce critical voices from the People’s Republic of China, rebutting the West's stereotypical interpretation of China as a homogeneous society.

Building China: Five Projects | Five Stories
Center for Architecture l New York
Exhibition on view February 26 - May 26 2008

Curator: Wei Wei Shannon, People's Architecture
Co-Curator: Shi Jian
Photography: Iwan Baan
Graphic Design: Omnivore
Exhibition Design: Popular Architecture

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