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December 17, 2025

‘A cave complex worthy of Batman!’ Mind-boggling buildings that showed the world a new China

Canadian Centre for Architecture, MontrealThe birth of the People’s Republic is seen as a time of drab buildings. But this dazzling show, featuring a factory in a cave and a denounced roof, tells a wildly different story

‘A cave complex worthy of Batman!’ Mind-boggling buildings that showed the world a new China

TL;DR

  • An exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture explores modern architecture in communist China (1949-1980s).
  • It challenges the stereotype of this period as architecturally monotonous, revealing innovation and stylistic debate.
  • The exhibition draws on official archives and previously unseen private materials.
  • Architecture was a key instrument in socialist nation-building, shaping cities, industry, and identity.
  • Early projects like the Ten Great Buildings fused Western, Soviet, and traditional Chinese styles.
  • Design directives changed rapidly, influenced by political shifts and Soviet critiques.
  • The period saw experiments with local materials and industrial byproducts due to resource shortages.
  • The exhibition touches on the "Third Front" industrial development campaign and its concealed facilities.
  • It highlights the use of materials like rammed earth, construction waste, and bamboo as substitutes for conventional resources.

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