Hatje Cantz Publishers
February 15, 2006
Over the last six years, the Hamburg firm of von Gerkan, Marg, and
Partner--gmp, for short--has designed more than 100 projects for clients in
China, 5 of which have been completed and 20 of which are in planning or
construction stages. Preeminent among them is a city made entirely from scratch,
a harbor enclave near Shanghai for 800,000 inhabitants. Lingang New City has
been conceived in concentric rings around an artificial circular lake ; gmpís
plans show everything from a city archive to theaters and churches and
convention centers fulfilling its function while retaining a distinct modern
identity.
Texts include Bernd Pastuschkaís essay exploring the ideal city, illustrated
with urban plans dating from 1493 through Le Corbusier, and an interview with
Meinard von Gerkan, who cites as the biggest challenge his practice faces in
China ìthe Gamb» ceremony during every dinner, that tries to test our ability as
Europeans to hold our drink.
177 p., 28 x 23 cm
EAN 9783775716673