Books China Room: three new books on Chinese urbanization

China Room at the Polytechnic University of Turin, in Italy, has recently published three books that study the changes in the landscape caused by urbanization in China, explore the processes and hierarchical decisions related to large-scale design, and illustrate the impact of creative urban transformation on contemporary architectural trends

China as an urban laboratory

The three new publications by China Room demonstrate the possibilities offered by the Chinese context as a strategic repository for investigating spatial mutations through architectural projects that observe phenomena often at accelerated speeds, emphasizing global behaviors. In this sense, researchers at China Room have looked at China as an expanding laboratory, where precise scientific questions can be tested. Readers can embark on an enlightening journey into multi-scale and multi-actor processes, where spatial transformation is a notable constant.

Urbanization in the Central Plains

One of the books deals with urban growth and suburbanization: Leonardo Ramondetti is the author of the book "The Enriched Field: Urbanising the Central Plains of China", focusing on the urban growth that has transformed China in the last twenty years. Agricultural spaces are radically altered by the construction of new industrial settlements, and new cities dot the landscape. In particular, the Central Plains in the province of Henan, previously predominantly agricultural, lies at the edge of these new developments, undergoing radical changes that give rise to a new landscape, unlike anything seen in 20th century China or elsewhere in the world.

Industrial Renewal and Large-Scale Design

Michele Bonino, Edoardo Bruno, Alessandro Armando, Giovanni Durbiano, on the other hand, in the book "The Story of a Section. Designing the Shougang Oxygen" address the theme of large-scale design and industrial renewal. In particular, the book tells the story of the cross-section of a project to transform a factory into a Visitor Center for the XXIV Winter Olympic Games in Beijing 2022. Through the detailed analysis of over 300 drawings, the evolution of the architectural project moves between Italy and China, weaving both cultural differences and attempts at mutual understanding.

Creative Industries and Urban Innovation

Finally, Maria Paola Repellino in "Fun Mill. The Architecture of Creative Industry in Contemporary China" discusses the creative industries, which have played a crucial role in the economic transition as the manufacturing industry shifted from "Made in China" to "Created in China." Over the past decade, this has led to the explosive growth of creative industries and their physical transposition into cities. Hundreds of creative clusters, artistic districts, cultural areas, media bases, incubators, and parks for creative industries, also known as fun mills, continue to proliferate and trigger real estate enhancement strategies by reinventing important urban districts.

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