space laboratory for architectural
research and design
Artistic Director : Steffen Lehmann
Opening: Tuesday 11 October 2005, 10:00am
Opening of the exhibition by The Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, and The Mayor of Chongqing City.
The exhibition is on show at the Chongqing International Convention Centre, from 11 to 16 October, and will then become a permanent display in the Chongqing Urban Planning Museum.
This selection of Brisbane's architectural achievements in urban design and projects along the river edges, will be showcased in a special exhibition during the 5th Asia Pacific Cities Summit in Chongqing, 11 to 14 October 2005.
The exhibition is supported by the Brisbane City Council and demonstrates how architects have used river-edge public spaces and have well responded to the subtropical climate. The exhibition displays 30 selected projects.
Professor Steffen Lehmann, Chair of Architecture at QUT and the exhibition curator said, 'It's exciting to be able to showcase a significant part of Australia's architecture in an emerging giant like China. I have a particular interest in the history and culture of China. However, I can also see the risks involved in the current massive infrastructure development and rapid modernisation process, and the need to balance the city's economic, environmental and community needs'. 'The exhibition demonstrates that Brisbane is an interesting example of how to create good use of public space along river edges and how to solve the connection and linkage of public spaces', Professor Lehmann added.
Jiang Wei, a postgraduate student at QUT helping to organise the exhibition, is dedicating his research to river front strategies and liveable river cities. Born and educated in Chongqing, he is passionate about his home town, a city of 30 million (population of greater metropolitan area), to apply a new vision to its own river edges and public spaces. He said 'the timing is critical as Chongqing undergoes a massive urbanisation program to become the new gateway to western China'.