In an interview published today by the magazine ""Unica"", Ricardo Bofill,
the Spanish architect, said that Beijing over the last few years was turning
into a ""Hollywood for architecture"". Terra Actualidad - EFE
During a recent visit to the construction site for the tourist project, which is being built on the island of Porto Santo, the archipelago of Madeira, Bofill said that the ""star system"" of the architects could be found in the capital of China, where the professionals there were showing themselves to be the most prestigious.
The architect believes that Beijing is the city which has changed the fastest throughout its history, and that it would create the same enthusiasm that we had towards Hollywood.
Bofill indicated that for his work he needed ""humanistic disciplines"" and ""speciality techniques"". He continued by saying that working with a Nippon philosopher helped him to understand the society of the Asian country, without which, working there would be very complicated.
He was awarded the prize for best architecture and urban integration in 1998, by the Lisbon Town Hall for the Atrium Saldanha building.
Bofill believes that it is the Mediterranean cities which have the best planning. ""They combine functions and social classes, where life in the street is more active. He confirms that it is essential to a city that it has its streets full of life, without which, it would merely be a suburb massed with people.
The Spanish architect''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s project in Porto Santo has an investment of 125 million euros, and includes a hotel, a casino, 193 apartments and 12 villas on the edge of a nine kilometre beach.
14.01.2006 - terra.es
