Heyu Lu

"THE-POOH-PERPLEX": KITSCH-TECTURE IS MORE

This thesis explores a new type of landmark architecture in an age of the rise and consolidation of Chinese state power. The exploration starts with a special interest of kitsch-object architecture and investigates its potentials against the backdrop of the resurging cult of personality in present-day China. The project undertakes the Baiyang Wetlands in the newly announced Xiong’an New Area as a testbed to design a wetland theme park as a parallel response opposed to the master plan from the central government. Ultimately, the thesis examines a state of duality in architectural iconicity and symbolism, demonstrating an alternative approach for how iconic architecture can be achieved of proposed new cities like Xiong’an.