Buildings that look like pants. Or a teapot. Or a liquor bottle. Or a… whatever that is supposed to be. Those are just some of the bizarre buildings that have become the hallmark of China’s architectural scene over the last decade.
But they may be the last of their kind, according to new urban planning guidelines from China’s State Council forbidding the construction of “odd shaped” and “bizarre” buildings on the mainland.
The new directive — which was designed to tackle the problems associated with increasing urbanization and explosion of city sizes — calls for architecture that is “suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye.” It is also an attempt to be true to China’s cultural heritage.
This is not the first attempt to reign in what has become a showcase for architectural imagination: In a less official move in 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for less “weird architecture” to be built.
Liu Shilin, head of the Institute of Urban Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told the South China Morning Post that city officials have spent huge amounts of taxpayers’ money on erecting impractical, strange-looking buildings that did not meet public or city needs.
“These buildings do not have much value in terms of use, and cost a lot to operate and maintain. Quite a few were torn down soon after completion,” Liu said. “The [new] policy is heading in a good direction.”
Here’s a look at some of the most noteworthy of China’s fantastic facilities before they become just a memory:
While the weird building ban is getting most of the media attention, the new guidelines also set a goal that in 10 years, 30% of new buildings will be prefabricated. In addition, no more gated communities are to be be built, and those that exist will be opened to the public.
