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28/6/2005

Ideal City – Real Projects

Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partner in China

China is at present the largest construction site in the world and in times of globalization, the internationally best known architects center there. The transformation of Chinese society, the big flow of migration from rural to urban areas as well as the industrial settlement of rural regions are creating a need to plan whole cities out of nothing. One of the greatest challenges facing architects today, is how modern architecture can be transferred to China and be adapted to another culture.

The architects von Gerkan, Marg and Partner (gmp), who have won more competitions in Germany than any other architectural firm in the last 40 years, are also being more successful in China than all other European competitors. Over a period of only six years, more than 100 projects have been drawn up by gmp, of which five have already been completed, 13 are in the planning phase and 30 slated for definite implementation. The first project realized by gmp was the German School in Peking, the result of a competition won in 1998. The diversity of their designs and plans ranges from a museum in Shanghai, an opera and a stadium to numerous university campuses and residential developments, through to the National Museum in Peking, currently the biggest museum project in the world.

The dream of every architect – namely the planning and realization of an entire city – is to be fulfilled for gmp with their proposal for the new city Lingang near Shanghai. The metaphoric model of the city’s structure is the image of concentric waves caused by a drop falling into water. The focal point of the new metropolis will not be an urbanized city-center, but a lake with a diameter of 2.5 kilometer and an eight kilometer long lakefront promenade. Between the promenade and the bordering green belt will be the center of urban life with offices, stores, shopping arcades, cultural facilities and apartments. The concentric structure will be overlapped with streets and lanes arranged radially, derived from the principle of a wind rose. The new satellite town was originally planned for 300,000 inhabitants - a figure, however, which has now grown to 800,000.

With models, photos, drawings and a short film, the exhibition will present the most important projects by gmp in China. The focus will be on the planning of the new city Lingang, whose association to other ideal cities will be illustrated in a separate section containing original historical documents and references. The section “Urban Elements” will highlight the National Museum in Peking. All structures and projects will be elucidated in detail on textile banners resembling Chinese scrolls.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue in German and English, published by Hatje Cantz Stuttgart (190 pages, ca. 250 illustrations) and will cost 22 euros in the museum shop or 34 euros in bookstores.

On the occasion of the exhibition “Ideal City – Real Projects”, an evening event entitled “Architectural transfer – talks and discussions” with Meinhard von Gerkan, Thomas Herzog, Richard Hordon, Christoph Valentien and Siegfried Zhiqiang Wu will take place on June 30, 2005 at 18.00 in the Audimax of the TU München, main entrance Arcisstrasse 21.

Guided tours through the exhibition will be offered on the following Thursdays at 18.00: July 7, July 21, Aug. 4, Aug. 18, Sept. 1, Sept. 15 and Sept. 29, 2005.

Press preview: June 29, 2005, 11.00, Temp 1

Opening: June 29, 2005, 19.00

Pinakothek der Moderne
Barer Str. 29 - München

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