The new guard of Chinese architects is drawing the future of the country

The radical transformation that has begun in China for the past thirty years has led to an unprecedented boom in urban and architectural development. When the Pritzker Prize honored the Chinese architect Wang Shu in 2012, a first for the institution, this was a way of showcasing the challenges faced by massive urbanization in the country. “Urbanization, as everywhere else in the world, must happen in harmony with local culture and needs. We hope, said the committee, that the many opportunities of urban planification and architecture will consider both the unique heritage of this country and its future needs in terms of sustainability.”

China has indeed become an immense worksite and architecture firms have multiplied. Their sky-scrappers have redefined the Beijing and Shanghai skylines. The CCTV tower by Rem Koolhaas and the Olympic stadium by Herzog and Meuron have become symbols of Chinese architectural modernity. This year alone, another building by the Dutch architect will be inaugurated in Hangzhou, a stadium built by the Zaha Hadid firm in Xi’An, a library by Snøhetta in Beijing and towers in Shenzen by Foster + Partners.