The March issue of That's Beijing is out now – paper-and-ink form citywide and digital pdf form right here. In this month's cover story we ask Beijing-based architects to discuss the impact of weird architecture in the context of the city.
Here's our Editor-in-Chief Stephen George's introduction to the issue:
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and so it is true of weird buildings. You say, “abominable eye-sore” – I say, “stunningly attractive.” The point being, concepts of taste are entirely subjective and open to interpretation. President Xi Jinping – who last year publically called for an “end to weird architecture” – no doubt has his own take on what constitutes weird, though he has so far chosen not to elaborate. The absence of an official clarification following Mr. Xi’s remarks (weird, it appears is ambiguous as well as subjective) has left many, myself included, wondering what it might mean for Beijing.
Granted, this city is not everyone’s idea of a beautiful place. During a talk at the Bookworm Literary Festival in 2013, American author Lionel Shriver publicly declared the capital to be the ugliest city she had ever seen. Each to their own. Personally, I’ve always found Beijing’s willingness to experiment with bold architectural forms to be among its primary attractions. But what do the people responsible for designing these buildings think? For this month’s Cover Story I meet with seven of the most exciting architects currently working out of Beijing to get their responses to Mr. Xi’s comments, and find out their views on the city’s best and worst buildings.
The Cover Story also provided me with one last opportunity to work alongside the exceptionally talented Noemi Cassanelli before she leaves China later this month. Noemi, whose photography features prominently throughout this month’s Cover Story, has been an essential part of what we’ve been trying to achieve at the magazine since our redesign last March. She will be hugely missed and we wish her the very best of success in her future endeavors.
Elsewhere in the magazine
- Karoline Kan investigates the authorities’ efforts to clamp down on the ancient practice of fortune telling.
- Andrew Chin previews the very best of the forthcoming JUE Music and Arts Festival.
- Oscar Holland has breakfast with mysterious London dubstep pioneer The Bug.
- Will Philipps meets the man responsible for crafting Great Leap Brewing’s new must-try pizza menu.
Of course, it's also packed with all the best Beijing news, restaurant and bar reviews, events and listings for the month ahead.
And so, until the next time, stay weird Beijing.
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