BEIJING

Future city

architecture & urban planning

Of the three cities in this exhibition, Beijing has a unique status. Home to the imperial palace and court since 1420, it is China’s political and cultural centre.

Recently, as host city of the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has entered the fast track of urban transformation. Sports and cultural infrastructure, commercial housing, business facilities and sustainable cities are being planned and built on a spectacular scale. China is eager to project to the rest of the world a new, modern image.

Beyond the grand schemes and commercial ambitions, a new generation of architects and urban planners, mostly practising independently from the state system, is searching for its own vision of modern China.