As many in my direct circle know, I read quite some news. I try to mention at least once per day that I read something in the news, casually, in a conversation. And since commentary and reviewing is something else I like to do, I thought of starting a series where I write my thoughts about an article I read. A lot of them will be related to China, since that is one of the topics I follow most closely.

Dezeen Awards China 2023 Shortlist: 1.000 Trees Phase 1 by Thomas Heatherwick

Dezeen

Seeing this building pass by in an awards list definitely piqued my interest. I have seen this building mainly as a collection of grey blocks and round platforms. The forms were distinct against the sky and along the river, but they seemed to stand out in the bad way many Chinese buildings will stand out. By being special but also quite ugly.

As it was on the shortlist for a new architecture award from a well-known platform, it made me look up which judges are involved. A quick scroll shows what seems to be a relatively well-balanced team of Chinese and British architects and designers. But I always have a nagging feeling that often buildings for these kinds of awards get chosen more on looks than practical use.

At the same time, somewhere a memory got triggered that I read something about a list of ugliest Chinese buildings and this one being among the top. A quick search proved me right, it was the top pick for 2021. Having read some articles by Thomas Heatherwick als made me doubtful of the attitude its founder has, and reading the quote of the Ugliest Buildings competition judges only reinforces this:

They felt it “lacked a basic understanding of Chinese culture and did not bother engaging in extensive, in-depth emotional communication with the public in advance.” Although it is written in a fuzzy way, I do agree that the building is mainly meant to be eye-catching and does not reflect or reinvent any Chinese aspects in an interesting way. With a bit of luck I will be in Shanghai next year and able to judge it with my own eyes.