Modernism minus Utopia

As China continues its rapid growth, many architectural critiques are giving their take on the developments there. One of whom is Edwin Heathcote of the Financial Times who suggests that in China, “the architects are feted and celebrated, their mad monoliths realised by cheap labour, the unattainable dreams of the west manufactured cheap in China.” In a hard-hitting critique of the architectural developments in China, Mr Heathcote proposes that in Beijing, “the world’s greatest architects have virtually given up on the idea of the city. This is modernism minus utopia, and with no context – physical, topographical, political, theoretical or urban. The simple, single image is everything.”

Read the article here.

Adib is the co-founder of 5ft Creatives and a designer at Farmwork. He likes to walk on the FiveFootWay.