Copy That: Architectural ‘Borrowing’ in China
A building (right) resembling the one designed by architect Zaha Hadid (left) is going up in the city of Chongqing, China.
For tourists who travel to China, one thing they may find is the incredible array of designer goods. But caveat emptor!
China is also the land of the knock-off: knock-off designer handbags, knock-off blockbuster movies on DVDs, etc. But now, it seems the knock-off has gone off the charts in terms of proportion: entire buildings.
The Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid unveiled her designs (left in the picture above) for the Wangjing Soho complex in Beijing in 2011. It’s now under construction.
But a building that looks a lot like Hadid’s is going up in the city of Chongqing, and it may actually be finished first.
Avi Friedman is a professor of architecture at McGill University in Montreal.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!