ARCHITECTURAL BIENNALE GIVES FRESH PURPOSE TO INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN SOUTHERN CHINA

Southern China, a region which has emerged through industrialization is now moving forwards, away from its industrial past. In this process the whole urban dynamics are changing and the area is searching for a form of renewal. UABB 2013, the Shenzhen biennale will turn the zone into an international playfield for architects and thinkers on urbanism, from December 6th 2013 to February 28th 2014.

The biennale explores urbanism dynamics of the Pearl River Delta and beyond through architectural, socio-cultural and artistic visions. In this end, two complementary curatorial statements will be proposed. The first angle will involve examining questions of geography, borders and urban life, through an exhibition and national and regional pavilions from around the world. Ole Bouman and his team will be offering another view point through the theme “Biennale as risk”: giving a new purpose to industrial heritage. Creative stakeholders such as Droog Design, MoMA New York, The Netherlands Berlage Institute, and the 2014 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition will present novel approaches on the themes urbanization and borders.

The exhibition will be held in two key venues: an old warehouse at Shekou Ferry Terminal, and a former Float Glass Factory. Both of the sites are being renovated and reinvented not only as showcases for the exhibition, but also as a stepping stone and source of inspiration for the development of the zone. The biennale will also act as a platform for the exchange of ideas on architecture and urbanism; synergizing Western and Chinese visions.
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