Hong Kong, one might say, is the mother of all Asian mega-cities. Shenzhen has long outstripped Hong Kong in terms of population. But expansion requires new places where people can meet. Cultural buildings should take over this function for the future of metropolises that have no time for organic growth. That is why so many museums and cultural centres are currently being built in China.

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In China there are many cities with millions of inhabitants that do not have a developed urban culture. They seem to have no beginning and no end, like cities without history. The spectacular cultural buildings are intended to give these cities a face. All over the world, these buildings are supposed to tell you which city you are dealing with. They should be landmarks like the opera for Sydney.
And indeed, great buildings have been built. Courageous buildings. Buildings that would have triggered years of debate in Europe. Stunning interiors. A real architecture for the 21st century.

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Urbanisation and megacities are comparable to major natural phenomena. It’s all about contributing and rising to the crucial challenges of the here and now. This 4-part series on the new architecture in the Asian region is about concepts of a new city, necessary, unavoidable and existentially urgent due to the migration of millions of people to Asian cities. It is about answers to the question: How do we want to live in the 21st century? This voyage of discovery through Asian cities in search of answers to the existential questions for civilisation in the 21st century takes us to Japan and China.

Original Title: Visions for Megacities - The Asian Experiment
A film by Michael Trabitzsch
© 2014-15, Licensed by Autentic

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