New Space for Built Experiments in Rural China

Introduction

In China, where dynamic urbanisation and globalisation processes have been taking place, the question arises: what happens to the countryside? Work, leisure time, living conditions, income, family structures and lifestyles of the rural population are changing fundamentally. Therefore, the sustainable development of villages and their centres as well as traffic, energy and infrastructure is a major challenge. In recent years, Chinese architects, planners and artists are travelling increasingly to the countryside to take part in the realisation of rural construction projects. A keynote by Li Xiangning, curator of the exhibition Building a Future Countryside in China, gave insights into different rural regions and built projects that promote positive future prospects. Afterwards the Chinese architect Shui Yanfei presented some work results of the office Naturalbuild, Shanghai.