Happy Chinese New Year!

via dezeen

"While walking to their urban destination, people will feel as if they are sometimes walking in the nature... the city skyline that used to be controlled by technology and power is now back to the artistic mood of faraway-so-close that our ancients have perceived in the nature."

MAD Architects 2017 Masterplan for Nanjing,China, based on Yansong's Shan-Shui City concept; an urban strategy based on a style of Chinese landscape painting and named after the Chinese words for mountains and water.

Steps; xcoma bar

via http://www.designboom.com
I love step seats, so naturally I love this bar by Shanghai practice KUU (kok meng tan, satoko saeki). The steps provide informal seating during events when the bar is used as an exhibition space.

Thames Town; China's mini England

photographs: David Wyatt

The Satellite town of  Thames Town lies on the outskirts of Shanghai in China. According to BBC Two's recent programme Made in Britain it's houses attract more tourists than the middle class inhabitants it wanted. I can't believe this is based on a British town. Looking at it I originally thought it was German, and it's so fake, it's like one of those model railway towns around the track. I'd still like to go there though, in like a zombie scenario, with the weird empty streets, it would just feel like frolicking through a life sized dolls house, a fantasy city, a static Disney land. I make no sense.

In my head, post appocalytpic worlds are always accompanied by unlocked doors you see, and an abandonent of rules, so that running freely through empty houses would be accepted and you find yourself within the middle class fake english homes and I bet you they would be decked out in fake furniture too but with Chinese motifs here and there, like the food labels or the clocks. And prepared on a tacky laquered table would be set numerous tea sets within each home surrounded by the whiff of dissapointment and false hope. Hmmm, I still make no sense and I sound mad, but I like it.