Inner Mongolia, Pushing Architecture’s Limits
Cai Jiang is a local tycoon in the resources-rich desert region of Inner Mongolia. Jiang, who made his money in coal and dairy, has lately turned his focus to real estate. He has recently expressed intent to design individual houses for his planned multi-billion dollar “cultural district”. He is expecting that each structure have adequate space for luxury amenities such as servants’ quarters and indoor pools. In 2007 he recruited Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the architectural masterminds responsible for the Beijing Olympic stadium, who in turn recruited one hundred architectural firms from twenty-seven different nations (including 23 from the United States).
The district in which Cai Jiang wishes to construct his vision is known as the “Ordos.” A handful of American architects have compared this area to Texas, referencing its wide-open spaces, frontier attitude, and abundant natural resources. The Ordos has been expanding exponentially and it population is slated to “reach 100,000 by the end of 2008 and five times that number by 2010.” Development is rampant around its new urban center, Kangbashi, and includes Jiang’s proposed cultural district.
The teams that accepted Jiang’s offer, for some did not offer a reply to the emails they received for they thought it was a hoax due to its simple design, had to create a model that would fit into the one quarter to one half acre lots and pique Mr. Jiang’s interest. Jiang was partial to modern designs and ideas and was not enthused by designs attempting to incorporate traditional Mongolian structures such as yurts. The architectural teams are free from the normal constraints of design such as historic preservation. Jiang is expecting his project to be completed by the end of 2009. He then plans to sell each of the one hundred lots to local businessman, for an estimated 1.5 million dollars each, who would use them as primary residences, secondary vacation homes,...