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A 108-meter high Eiffel Tower rises above Champs Elysées Square in Hangzhou. A Chengdu residential complex for 200,000 recreates Dorchester, England. An ersatz Queen's Guard patrols Shanghai's Thames Town, where pubs and statues of Winston Churchill abound. Gleaming replicas of the White House dot Chinese cities from Fuyang to Shenzhen. These examples are but a sampling of China's most popular and startling architectural movement: the construction of monumental themed communities that replicate towns and cities in the West.

Original Copies presents the first definitive chronicle of this remarkable phenomenon in which entire townships appear to have been airlifted from their historic and geographic foundations in Europe and the Americas, and spot-welded to Chinese cities. These copycat constructions are not theme parks but thriving communities where Chinese families raise children, cook dinners, and simulate the experiences of a pseudo-Orange County or Oxford.

In recounting the untold and evolving story of China's predilection for replicating the greatest architectural hits of the West, Bianca Bosker explores what this unprecedented experiment in "duplitecture" implies for the social, political, architectural, and commercial landscape of contemporary China. With her lively, authoritative narrative, the author shows us how, in subtle but important ways, these homes and public spaces shape the behavior of their residents, as they reflect the achievements, dreams, and anxieties of those who inhabit them, as well as those of their developers and designers.

From Chinese philosophical perspectives on copying to twenty-first century market forces, Bosker details the factors giving rise to China's new breed of building. Her analysis draws on insights from the world's leading architects, critics and city planners, and on interviews with the residents of these developments.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Foreword(p. vii)
• Acknowledgments(p. xi)
• 1 Into "the Land of Courtly Enjoyments": An Introduction to China's Architectural Mimicry(p. 1)
• 2 The Fascination with Faux: Philosophical and Theoretical Drivers of Architectural Reproduction in China(p. 20)
• 3 Manifestations of Westernization: The Anatomy of China's Simulacrascapes(p. 37)
• 4 Simulacra and the Sino-Psyche: Understanding the Chinese Motivation for Replicating the Alien(p. 67)
• 5 Residential Revolution: Inside the Twenty-first Century Chinese Dream(p. 93)
• Conclusion: From Imitation to Innovation?(p. 118)
• Notes(p. 133)
• Bibliography(p. 147)
• Index(p. 155)

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Publishers Weekly Review

Prevalent in big cities as well as small towns, China's often heavily criticized, so-called copycat architecture is not an entirely new phenomenon. In this academic but accessible volume, Huffington Post senior tech editor Bosker provides a historical context to these examples of bizarre architectural duplication: A Tudor-style Thames Town springs up outside of Shanghai; a "replica of the Eiffel Tower" now graces Champs Elysees Square in a Yangtze River delta town. This Chinese appropriative tradition dates back to "the late third century B.C.E.," when conquered lands were memorialized with miniatures of foreign palaces. That today's government continues investing heavily in real estate, the author suggests, is a testament to the confidence it has in the strength of its economy. Bosker provides varied perspectives on "architectural mimicry" and delves into questions of motivation. What draws residents to "extensive themed communities that replicate identifiable Western prototypes"? Who buys and why? Are places geared toward expats searching for familiarity? Or are developments signs of a Chinese "era marked by discretionary income, consumer goods, and the ideal of the autonomous, individualized home"? The topic is multifaceted, to be sure; Bosker's account handles it comprehensively, presenting the various angles with patience and care. 69 Illus/54 color. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

CHOICE Review

Bosker (senior tech editor, Huffington Post) closely examines the phenomenon of replicating Western buildings, towns, and cities in contemporary China from a variety of angles--philosophical, historical, cultural, economic, political, and social. This volume explores the underlying philosophy and historical context of the architectural reproduction, analyzes the Western elements and components that are selected for replication, probes the motivations that drive the massive construction of replicated towns, and "investigates how these copycat communities offer evidence of China's 'residential revolution'" and lifestyle changes. The analysis draws on a wide range of sources from architects, critics, builders, city planners, and residents of the replicated landmarks. Well written and organized, this book contains plenty of vivid photos from real estate brochures, websites, and the author's own camera. It is a valuable read for students who are interested in the cultural and social aspects of architecture in contemporary China. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. X. Li University of Colorado

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Bianca Bosker is a graduate of Princeton University. She lives in New York and is senior tech editor at the Huffington Post.