Skyline of dictatorship

With an eye on the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, security expert Ko Colijn writes in the left-liberal weekly Vrij Nederland that we should demand a gesture of respect for human rights not only of the Olympic athletes, but also of Western star architects, including Dutch architect Rem Koolhas. "Powerful dictatorships have always had a predilection for modern architecture. They expect these buildings to constitute a 1000-year monument to their greatness. ... The new autocrats are perfect matches for modern super-architects, and give them carte blanche to realise their biggest dreams. ... If you can accuse Olympic athletes of helping a tasteless regime to dubious splendour, then the same is true of the viagra architecture in Qatar and Beijing. ... There is a functional correlation between the height and predominance of these towers and the infallibility of the unelected leaders who inhabit them. But there is less correlation between the towering political status of Chinese President Hu Jintao and a high jump of 2.38 metres."

» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » Architecture / Cities, » Sport, » Asia