Comments on: BOOK REVIEW: Bianca Bosker’s New Book, Original Copies, Dissects China’s Bizarre Knockoff Architecture Trend http://inhabitat.com/book-review-bianca-boskers-new-book-original-copies-dissects-chinas-bizarre-knockoff-architecture-trend/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Sat, 18 May 2013 14:21:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: philatonian http://inhabitat.com/book-review-bianca-boskers-new-book-original-copies-dissects-chinas-bizarre-knockoff-architecture-trend/comment-page-1/#comment-505862 philatonian Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:00:53 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=486442#comment-505862 None of these are "copies," and most are only inspired by regional architecture. Paris's Eiffel Tower is almost twice as tall as China's, which isn't the only replica. You can find the same "copies" in Las Vegas (which has its own, even taller, Eiffel Tower) or Dubai, or any theme park in the world. Architecture in Florida and Southern California is heavily borrowed from Italian and Spanish styles. The title of the book is a bit misleading, and the content isn't anything new. The United States mimicked Europe for the better part of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. If developers in China were truly replicating entire Medieval or Midwestern villages and claiming them their own design, it would be notable. It's not. It's just a handful of uninspired architects and developers offering up some gimmicky tourist traps. None of these are “copies,” and most are only inspired by regional architecture. Paris’s Eiffel Tower is almost twice as tall as China’s, which isn’t the only replica.

You can find the same “copies” in Las Vegas (which has its own, even taller, Eiffel Tower) or Dubai, or any theme park in the world. Architecture in Florida and Southern California is heavily borrowed from Italian and Spanish styles.

The title of the book is a bit misleading, and the content isn’t anything new. The United States mimicked Europe for the better part of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

If developers in China were truly replicating entire Medieval or Midwestern villages and claiming them their own design, it would be notable. It’s not. It’s just a handful of uninspired architects and developers offering up some gimmicky tourist traps.

]]> By: riptionator http://inhabitat.com/book-review-bianca-boskers-new-book-original-copies-dissects-chinas-bizarre-knockoff-architecture-trend/comment-page-1/#comment-502846 riptionator Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:20:50 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=486442#comment-502846 I don't think they are as good as the originals. For one, Western countries don't have brown water. I don’t think they are as good as the originals. For one, Western countries don’t have brown water.

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