China’s Bi-City Biennale Experiments With Nomadic Architecture

Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture–the only international biennale that is specifically focused on urbanism–unfolds this year around the curatorial themes of Sustainability and Vitality, giving these global concerns the daily awareness they deserve.

The Biennale’s exhibitions and programs aren’t just showcasing the most forward-thinking ideas from internationally renowned architects; they’re experimenting with putting theory into practice and transforming ideas into actions, incorporating the works into the city’s public spaces. The Ultra Light Village is a curatorial project by Terence Riley that puts five architects’ ideas into an actual urban environment, creating a new model of residential development while raising public awareness and establishing a dialogue around these critical issues.

Unlike traditional architectural models, the Ultra Light Village’s buildings are meant to be detached from the soil. Transformative structures are built with new lightweight materials that allow re-location to occur in a simple shift. The concept creates an alternative way of thinking as the globe’s urban development increases rapidly. The projects will be traveling to different exhibition venues in the city during the Biennale, a moving exhibition that’s also an experiment in sustainable urban development.

Take a look at some of the participating architects’ impressive ideas below.

Wei Chunyu, Chang Sha, China

Amateur Architecture Studio, Hangzhou, China

MOS Architects, New York, United States

Studio Up, Zagreb, Croatia

obra architects, New York, United States

Images courtesy of Shenzhen and Hong Kong Biennial of Urbanism and Architecture & designboom CN.