Jaap Bakema’s Open Society in the Twenty-first Century: A Critical Appraisal of ’t Hool, the Netherlands and Montbau, Spain

The concept of the Open Society appeared in the CIAM discourse of the 1950s as an attempt to create condition in the city for society to prosper. These good intentions at the theoretical level did not always translate into success stories in practice, and some of the consequences of such a gap can be still felt today, amplified by multiple...

The Shanghai Lilong in the 21st Century: Can Informal Commercial Activity Save this Threatened Urban Space?

Lilong were gated, hierarchically organized residential compounds built in Shanghai during the colonial era. Stylistically influenced by the West, they also saw China’s concept of the home (jia) change into something more modern (and Western): the family home, while still a home, could also be seen as a commodity. Once covering 80% of the city,...