This album is a mine of knowledge about contemporary Chinese architecture. Everything, from the design of the book, through the selection to the descriptions, essays and photos, is pefected to the smallest detail in Beauty and the East.
The book begins with an introduction by Wang Shu, which lays out the historical and social context in which Chinese architecture currently exists. Due to the size of the country, China is culturally diverse, which is now even more visible thanks to the moment of transition between a traditional, close-to-nature society and a modern, highly industrialized civilization. Architects, urban planners and designers are faced with the task of combining tradition with modernity; it is of course quite a challenge, but it creates an opportunity for new solutions on all levels.
The presented projects are a some of the most interesting works carried out in China after 2000. They feature residential buildings, housing estates and public utility buildings. The common denominator is their modern approach to tradition. The essays focus on specific issues, such as the unprecedented pace of urbanization, the development of museums or the revitalization of historic buildings.
The grandiosity of this album corresponds well to the grandiosity of the imagination of Chinese architects. The freshness and innovation of these projects is really unique and somehow moving, so that it’s hard to look away from Beauty and the East.
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