“Czech quarter” in Shanghai reaches completion

Radio Prague first reported back in 2004 on plans to build a “Czech quarter” in the Chinese city of Shanghai. That project is now a reality, with apartment blocks, villas and a hotel built to resemble the architecture of Prague - in fact the hotel is modelled on Prague’s Rudolfinum concert hall. There’s also, inevitably, a Czech-style pub.

For a country which has built a scale model of the Eiffel Tower, it’s perhaps no surprise that China now has something akin to a model of Prague. Well, perhaps that’s something of an exaggeration, but China’s largest city – Shanghai – now has a Czech quarter, with 300 apartments, 40 villas, a shopping centre and a hotel, all inspired by the architecture of the Czech capital. It was planned by a team of five Czech architects including Petr Fuchs, who designed 20 villas for the project. He explained to Radio Prague how it came about.

“It all happened in a very poetic way. An influential Shanghai developer called Mr Tu Haiming – a very intelligent and interesting man - approached the Czech Union of Architects via the Czech Embassy, and asked them for information about leading Czech architects. He then visited about twenty Czech architectural studios, including my own, and examined our previous projects. And within a week, he’d chosen five of us for his project.”

Petr Fuchs says he was initially rather taken back by the offer, but was soon working enthusiastically on the rather unusual plans.

“The thing is, China is currently experiencing a huge decorative boom. If you build a blank wall, by morning it will feature an ornament of some kind. And this doesn’t really sit very well with our modern concept of architecture. What’s popular in Europe right now is minimalism, constructivism, the most basic forms and shapes possible, but that’s not what the Chinese want! All of a sudden all the workers and peasants want to live in extravagant ornate castles – that’s how I’d put it.”

Unfortunately Petr Fuchs hasn’t yet made it to Shanghai to see his creations brought to life. He hopes, however, to change that soon – he’s planning to visit the 2010 Shanghai Expo World fair.