Popular Culture Review Vol. 14, No. 1, February 2003 | Page 27

The Chinese Architect in Shenzhen

23

Architecture is thus not primarily a physical (!) fact, or act, but instead is now
the most overwhelming “activity” in the city. In Shenzhen today, architecture is a
staple of conversation and is the overriding topic in media. Stories of new .build
ings, construction, and the real estate markets make headlines in newspapers nearly
every day. Real estate prices are analyzed like trading securities, with market fluc
tuations described in points; in Las Vegas terms, the real estate “exchange” is the
architectural casino where investors gamble on high returns, and the index indi
cates how many investors have placed their “bets”. As the mayor of Zhuhai, a
neighboring city to Shenzhen, announced enthusiastically, “Development is the
only way”, a proclamation now being carried out with zeal. It is importantly, for
many, mostly an abstraction of numbers, published in newspapers like stock quotes,
upon which restless speculation takes place. This is a new type of “virtual” archi
tecture, but instead of that familiar term manifesting itself in computer-based im
agery as in the West, it is in China centered on the amount of money, the complete
commodification of architecture.
The Specifics of Shenzhen Architecture and Shenzhen Architects
Let’s get specific. Most buyers do not see what they are purchasing in the pre
sale phase. Pre-sales is a phenomenon resulting from increased interest in real
estate developments; a certain percentage of units are sold prior to the commence
ment of construction to reduce risks for developers. There are also large-scale
exhibitions to promote and sell new building projects; property transactions take
place at “architectural stalls”. At those stalls, the “one-dragon-method-of-service”
is provided, ranging from purchasing the housing unit to obtaining real estate prop
erty certificates. In these stalls, models, master plans, unit plans, and elaborate
renderings of projects are displayed, videotapes of completed buildings are shown,
and shuttle buses for immediate site visits are available. Customers shop from stall
to stall, comparing prices and special offers and features. Buyers often make pur
chases based only on representative models. These exhibits and stalls make shop
ping for houses so easy that they have become the most efficient and effective way
to sell “commodity buildings”. Because customers do not see what they are buy
ing during the pre-sale phase, advertisements become indispensable. Building plans,
elevations, and perspectives rendered in beautiful colors on large billboards on
streets and constructions sites are the most visible large-scale advertisements. News
papers are filled with real estate property advertisements, often loudly promoting
special deals and conditions, as if architect