Beijing, the new playground for architects:

Andreu's Egg - the new Beijing Opera House

Herzog and de Meuron, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Paul Andreu... all the big names now have projects going on in the Capital. It'll be an exciting decade to come in terms of new architecture. But there's always the question of architecture Vs. sustainable urban planning: progress is all good, until you start leaving the People behind. What will happen to all the 四合院 (the courtyard houses), the 胡同 (neighbourhood alleys), the old communities and their old ways of life? As we speak, they are getting bulldozed over to make way for the glossy new buildings and infrastructure. I can't help but feel that the Chinese government is repeating the classic mistakes made in Brasilia and Chandigarh. New architecture + non-human scaled urban spaces does not = urban vitality.