Guangzhou's 'Blocks Building' Is a Gem of Postmodernism

Behind the Concrete is a monthly snippet where we introduce a piece of architecture that has a unique design and/or interesting story.

We’ve acquainted you with the bizarre Guangzhou Circle, a building that resembles an old Chinese copper coin. Now, it’s time to introduce Guangzhou’s ‘blocks building’: a structure that looks like a pile of colossal toy blocks. Some have sneered at its peculiar design, saying it should be called the ‘coffin building,’ while others praise it as an architectural gem of postmodernism. But we’ll let you be the judge.

Owned by the Nan Fung Group, an investment corporation based in Hong Kong, the ‘blocks building’ is a mixed bag of office buildings, a shopping mall, live music venue, cinema, hotel and exhibition hall. Nan Fung Group reportedly invested a whopping RMB5 billion in its creation. 

Situated behind the Canton Fair complex and facing the Pearl River, it serves to entertain and service the world’s business traders when they gather in Guangzhou for the annual fair. 

It also hosts auto exhibitions on a regular basis and, in typical only-in-China fashion, rock concerts on the second floor, because why not?

See listing for Nanfeng Hui.

Click here for more Behind the Concrete.