Design and Architecture
Original Copies: Duplitecture in China
Newly affluent Chinese would rather live in copies of the White House than buildings inspired by their own heritage. A look at the vogue for duplitecture in China.
By Frances Anderton • • 28m ListenWhere do newly affluent Chinese want to live? In buildings modeled on the White House, Austrian villages and English towns. Bianca Bosker, Qingyun Ma and Marissa Gluck discuss copycat culture in China, from cell phones to cities; plus, Jason Groman and Barbara Bestor on nostalgia for Palm Springs Modernism and a new attitude in architectural photography.
Banner image: Replica of the Eiffel Tower at the Tianducheng development in Hangzhou, China. Photo by Biana Bosker