Shenzhen | 2013 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture

The 2013 Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) opened on 6th December in Shenzhen, China and runs to 28 February 2014. Adhering to his manifesto statement of “Biennale as risk”, the Creative Director and Co-Curator of the Biennale, Dutch curator Ole Bouman has overseen the transformation of a derelict Shenzhen glass factory into a 'Value Factory', a unique and functional exhibition space created from the reclamation of a piece of heritage and history. Various Dutch participants including Droog Design, OMA Architecture, International New Town Institute, as well as talented young designers will showcase their work and latest design ideas at the UABB 2013. Entitled as Made by Us, The New Institute, the Netherlands’ national institute for the creative industry, has invited research group The Mobile City to help it to develop an ongoing dialogue between Chinese and Dutch architects, media makers and designers on the idea of smart cities.

An old Shenzhen glass factory will first change. Spearheaded by Team Ole Bouman, the revitalisation effort not only provides a unique and functional exhibition space for the Biennale but it reclaims a piece of heritage and history. As a broader objective, the makeover is also a step in redefining Shenzhen’s identity. In completing the urban intervention, Mr. Bouman now calls it a Value Factory to manufacture ideas and knowledge. Built in 1986, the former Guangdong Float Glass Factory had been derelict since 2009. The metamorphosis began in May as an international collaboration effort when a dozen emerging international architects were invited to design for the factory transformation. Started in the middle July, the whole transformation process has been completed in only three months. Already, the Value Factory appears to be achieving its goals by developing strong alliances with partners both local and regional, and from all over the world. Among them include globally renowned cultural institutions like Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), MAXXI, OMA, Droog Design, International Architecture Biennale of São Paulo, MIT, MoMA New York, and the Berlage.