Overview

A 108-meter high Eiffel Tower rises above Champs Elysées Square in Hangzhou. A Chengdu residential complex for 200,000 recreates Dorchester, England. An ersatz Queen’s Guard patrols Shanghai’s Thames Town, where pubs and statues of Winston Churchill abound. Gleaming replicas of the White House dot Chinese cities from Fuyang to Shenzhen. These examples are but a sampling of China’s most popular and startling architectural movement: the construction of monumental themed communities that replicate towns and cities in the West. Original Copies presents the first definitive chronicle of this remarkable phenomenon in which entire townships appear to have been airlifted from their historic and geographic foundations in Europe and the Americas, and spot-welded to Chinese cities. These copycat constructions are not theme parks but thriving communities where Chinese families raise children, cook dinners, and simulate the experiences of a pseudo-Orange County or Oxford. In recounting the untold and evolving story of China’s predilection for replicating the greatest architectural hits of the West, Bianca Bosker explores what this unprecedented experiment in “duplitecture” implies for the social, political, architectural, and commercial landscape of contemporary China. With her lively, authoritative narrative, the author shows us how, in subtle but important ways, these homes and public spaces shape the behavior of their residents, as they reflect the achievements, dreams, and anxieties of those who inhabit them, as well as those of their developers and designers. From Chinese philosophical perspectives on copying to twenty-first century market forces, Bosker details the factors giving rise to China’s new breed of building. Her analysis draws on insights from the world’s leading architects, critics and city planners, and on interviews with the residents of these developments.

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With her lively, authoritative narrative, the author shows us how, in subtle but important ways, these homes and public spaces shape the behavior of their residents, as they reflect the achievements, dreams, and anxieties of those who inhabit them, as well as those of their developers and designers.-- www.goodreads.com The topic is multifaceted, to be sure; Bosker's account handles it comprehensively, presenting the various angles with patience and care.-- Publishers Weekly In her fascinating new book . . . Bosker focuses on the suburbs for the upper class that began to be built in the late 1990s, following the privatization of real estate. These are not just individual buildings but entire streetscapes, with cobblestone alleys, faux churches (often used as concert halls), towers, and landscaping designed to reproduce the feel of European and North American cities. . . . Original Copies is filled with analysis about why these developments flourish.-- NYR Blog The analysis draws on a wide range of sources from architects, critics, builders, city planners, and residents of the replicated landmarks. Well written and organized, this book contains plenty of vivid photos from real estate brochures, websites, and the author's own camera. It is a valuable read for students who are interested in the cultural and social aspects of architecture in contemporary China.-- Choice

The topic is multifaceted, to be sure; Bosker s account handles it comprehensively, presenting the various angles with patience and care.-- <i>Publishers Weekly</i>

With her lively, authoritative narrative, the author shows us how, in subtle but important ways, these homes and public spaces shape the behavior of their residents, as they reflect the achievements, dreams, and anxieties of those who inhabit them, as well as those of their developers and designers.-- www.goodreads.com The topic is multifaceted, to be sure; Bosker's account handles it comprehensively, presenting the various angles with patience and care.-- Publishers Weekly The analysis draws on a wide range of sources from architects, critics, builders, city planners, and residents of the replicated landmarks. Well written and organized, this book contains plenty of vivid photos from real estate brochures, websites, and the author's own camera. It is a valuable read for students who are interested in the cultural and social aspects of architecture in contemporary China.-- Choice In her fascinating new book . . . Bosker focuses on the suburbs for the upper class that began to be built in the late 1990s, following the privatization of real estate. These are not just individual buildings but entire streetscapes, with cobblestone alleys, faux churches (often used as concert halls), towers, and landscaping designed to reproduce the feel of European and North American cities. . . . Original Copies is filled with analysis about why these developments flourish.-- NYR Blog

Author Information

Bianca Bosker is a graduate of Princeton University. She lives in New York and is senior tech editor at the Huffington Post.

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