Here is an interesting article from Stuff.co.nz.
No longer content with building rows of nondescript
skyscrapers, Chinese developers are reshaping city skylines to look like
mountain ranges.
Construction is under way of the Nanjing Zendai Himalayas
Centre in the Jiangsu province in eastern China with completion expected in
2017.
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| These are artists impressions. The buildings are not yet up/ The sky will not be as blue as this I think. |
Referred to as a "live-in mountain range" by
architecture blogs, the design stems from the Chinese shan shui ethos: a
spiritual harmony between nature and humanity.
A series of mixed-use towers are joined by weaving
corridors and elevated gardens. The buildings, some as tall as 120 metres,
flank a low-rise village that is connected to them by footbridges.
According to MAD, the "towers along the edge of the
site act as a mountainous backdrop, while water features such as ponds,
waterfalls, brooks and pools connect buildings and landscapes to integrate all
of the centre's elements".
Shan shui, which translates into mountain-water, also
refers to a style of Chinese painting that depicts natural landscapes.
What MAD is calling "a fully realised shan shui
city" is certainly not the first eyebrow-raising design from the
Beijing-based firm.
Last year, construction of MAD's design for the Sheraton
Huzhou Hot Springs Resort in the Zhejiang province was completed. The curved
hotel rises out of Taihu Lake and resembles a glowing horseshoe.
MAD is also behind the curvaceous Absolute Towers in
Mississauga, Canada, completed in 2012.
Although Nanjing is one of the earliest established
cities in China, in recent decades it has been transformed into a modern
industrial hub.
Below is a picture of a typical scene in China these days. All the old
buildings are knocked down and acres and acres of new tall concrete and brick buildings go up.
Great for housing large numbers of people, but hardly beautiful.
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