Ordos
desert city
Jason
Pelaez
“Each city receives its form from the desert it opposes...”
Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
This book was produced in the context of
Professor Jill Stoner’s seminar and studio
Architecture on the Line 2014-15, in partial
fulfillment of requirements for the Master
of Architecture degree at the University of
California, Berkeley.
Advisors:
Jill Stoner and Tom Buresh
Printed by:
Autumn Press, Berkeley
Copyright 2015
Regents of the University of California
All rights reserved.
iii
iv
Preface
1
I: The Desert
3
Fragments of a Desert City
City of Nature
City of Collapse
City of Abundance
City of Depletion
City of Sanctity
City of Ascension
City of Sin
City of Relocation
City of Transit
City of Recreation
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
II: The City
27
Visions of a Desert City
Architecture of Nature: Garden
Architecture of Collapse: Factory
Architecture of Abundance: Mine
Architecture of Depletion: Silo
Architecture of Sanctity: Monument
Architecture of Ascension: Observatory
Architecture of Sin: Nightclub
Architecture of Relocation: Plaza
Architecture of Transit: Station
Architecture of Recreation: Carnival
29
39
43
47
51
55
59
63
67
71
75
Appendix
81
Notes on Illustrations
87
Sources
91
Acknowledgments
93
v
Preface
Designed for one million people, the newly constructed Kangbashi district rises up from
the Inner Mongolian desert in the Chinese city of Ordos. In an effort to make this coalrich region a thriving urban center, investors poured immense wealth into the city for the
purpose of building countless high-rise apartment buildings, cultural and civic facilities,
schools, park-lands, and all the necessary infrastructure to support a growing metropolis.
However, the decline of several key industries and a slower than expected population
growth forces construction to a halt, exposing the inherent gamble of a city built by
speculation.
The following work explores a reallocation of resources in this over-built and
underpopulated new district in two parts. Part one depicts ten desert cities with themes
parallel to those found in Ordos, and part two is an architectural response to these themes
for the new Kangbashi district. The resulting vision is a place of uncertainty and continual
flux, malleable to shifting political, cultural, and economic climates.
vi
1
I : The Desert
des·ert noun
1
2
3
a : arid land with usually sparse vegetation
b: an area of water apparently devoid of life
archaic : a wild uninhabited and uncultivated tract
: a desolate or forbidding area
de·sert verb
1
2
: to withdraw from or leave usually without intent to return
a : to leave in the lurch
b : to abandon without leave
What captivates us about the desert? There is something foreboding yet equally hopeful
in its lifelessness. The desert is a primordial landscape comprised of only the most
elemental materials. It is strangely familiar, what Freud might call uncanny, because going
into the desert feels like returning to a forgotten home. We are drawn to the desert in
spite of its desolation, or perhaps because of it. The desert is a blank slate—it is where
our greatest fantasies and fears reside. What happens in a place where anything can
happen?
“In a landscape where nothing officially exists (otherwise it would
not be ‘desert’), absolutely anything becomes thinkable, and may
consequently happen…”
Reyner Banham, Scenes from America Deserta
2
Ordos remains caught between two kinds of desert—one of geographical aridity and
barrenness, and one of isolation and abandonment. The people will come: the dreamers,
the displaced, the nomads, and the curious onlookers; but will they transform a desolate
landscape or will they simply become a part of it?
3
Fragments of a Desert City
In order to understand Ordos, it is important to note what it is, what it is not, and what
it can be. The following case studies aim to uncover such an understanding through the
lens of other desert cities. Each map reveals the specific industries or factors that gave
rise and/or fall to each place. Each city contains a vision for the future of Ordos: a city
of nature, collapse, abundance, depletion, sanctity, ascension, sin, relocation, transit, and
recreation (see appendix p.81 for further information).
Ordos Map, 1912
4
5
4.5 km
.3 km
3.3 km
gear up
23° 42’ 0” S, 133° 52’ 12” E
City of Nature
25,000
6
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
0 pop.
With 45% of the develop-able land
dedicated to green space, Kangbashi can serve
as a refuge from the confines of other cities
with limited access to nature.
7
sunken ship
.25 km
.1 km
32° 37’40” N, 129° 44’ 18”E
City of Collapse
5000
8
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
0 pop.
Industrial growth brings jobs to the city, but
what happens when these industries fail?
Where do the workers go, and what happens
to their facilities? Can they serve a purpose,
or do they simply become decaying relics in
a forgotten landscape?
9
30
km
black gold
10
km
26° 17’ 0” N, 50° 12’ 0” E
790,000
City of Abundance
10
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
0 pop.
Rich in coal and natural gas reserves, Ordos
helps to fuel China’s predominantly coaldriven energy consumption. Can the supply
meet the growing demand, and if so, is it
enough to sustain a prolonged economy?
11
diamonds forever
4.5
km
m
.5k
62° 31’ 45.92” N, 113° 59’ 36.74”
37,000
12
What are the impacts of extended resource
extraction in Ordos? Does a transformed
landscape cause lasting ecological damage
or can it provide new opportunities?
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
0 pop.
City of Depletion
13
9 km
3 km
sacred ground
29° 39’ 0” N, 91° 6’ 0” E
170,000
City of Sanctity
14
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
0 pop.
The region, birthplace of Genghis Khan,
maintains a 17% Mongol population and is
one of the few places in the world where the
traditional Mongolian script is still in use. As
the name Ordos implies (meaning many palaces
in the Mongol language), perhaps this is a
place that transcends a normative definition
of city, and exists more as a symbol of an
enduring and rich history.
15
40
km
shop ‘til drop
20
2,100,000
km
7
km
24°57’N 55°20’E
City of Ascension
16
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
1890
1880
0 pop.
With a higher GDP than Beijing, Ordos is
capable of generating great wealth. But
how can this wealth extend beyond the
pockets of a select few, and how can it be
transformative for the city’s future growth?
17
30 km
20 km
5.5 km
12 km
jackpot
36°10’30”N 115°08’11”W
600,000
City of Sin
18
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
0 pop.
Isolated from the outside world, Ordos exists
in a kind of no-man’s-land where events can
unfold under a mask of anonymity. What
happens in Ordos stays in Ordos.
19
0.5 km
2.5 km
rising tides
29°53’15”N 107°42’53”E
1.5 km
70,000
City of Relocation
20
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
0 pop.
The Kangbashi New Area sits along
reservoirs fed from the Yellow River. When
neighboring Dongsheng’s aging infrastructure
fails to meet its water demands, how will
Kangbashi accommodate an influx of new
residents?
21
34° 54’ 0” N, 117° 1’ 0” W
1.3 km
6 km
pit stop
City of Transit
22,000
22
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
0 pop.
If Ordos is located in the middle of nowhere,
then it is halfway to somewhere. How can a
place en route to elsewhere meet the needs of
a transient population?
23
35 km
4.5km
15km
tee time
33° 27’ 0” N, 112° 4’ 0” W
1,500,000
City of Recreation
24
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
1920
1910
1900
1890
1880
0 pop.
With abundant sunshine and mild summers,
Ordos is a destination to host activities away
from the heat, humidity, and pollution of
other major Chinese cities.
25
II : The City
cit·y noun
1
2
3
: an inhabited place of greater size, population, or
importance than a town or village
: the people of a city
slang : a thing, event, or situation that is strongly
characterized by a specified quintessential feature or quality
Like the desert, the city is full of possibilities. People are drawn inside by envisioning what
could be. But unlike the desert, the city’s opportunities are embedded within the vast networks of its people and infrastructure. The city is the anti-desert, existing not as a function
of its nothingness, but as its complexity.
For this reason, a city in the desert seems perverse. Do the resources buried within the
desert carry such a great value that settlement seems justified? Were its founders left with
no place else to go? Or does the desert provide a kind of lawless escapism, removed from
the constraints of outside civilization?
“The Metropolis strives to reach a mythical point where the world
is completely fabricated by man, so that it absolutely coincides with
his desires.”
Rem Koolhaas, Delirious New York
26
27
rejoice
p.36
p.34
reclaim
Visions of a Desert City
p.32
remove
The following operations expose a new vision for Ordos via four section cuts through
the city. Each section examines a different stage of Kangbashi’s development from
now and into the future, revealing a landscape shaped by the repurposing of existing
structures, the removal of unused structures, the reclaiming of the city, and the rejoice of a
growing community. Embedded within the four drawings are ten specific architectural
interventions that mirror the themes outlined in part one. These projects include a
garden, factory, mine, silo, monument, observatory, nightclub, plaza, station, and carnival.
How can an architecture of repurpose, remove, reclaim, and rejoice respond to this underutilized
and overbuilt environment, and what lies hidden beneath the city and between its walls?
p.30
repurpose
Kangbashi Satellite Image, 2013
28
29
30
2020
2015
repurpose
31
32
2030
2025
remove
33
34
2040
2035
reclaim
35
36
2050
2045
rejoice
37
Architecture of Nature
Ordos’ population is a small fraction of its built capacity. How can unused units become
amenities for the existing population? The Garden converts upper units into a rooftop
greenhouse, increasing the overall property values for existing residents and offering a
space of refuge in an otherwise monotonous landscape.
38
39
35000
20000
26000
10000
16000
R2500
13000
15000
30000
The Garden
The demolition of top unit floors and
walls creates space for a glass greenhouse
with lush planting spilling out to a rooftop
pavilion with expansive citywide views.
40
41
Architecture of Collapse
What happens when the dilapidated buildings are beyond repair? The Factory recycles
rubble from outdated structures in service to the creation of new architecture throughout
the city.
42
43
48000
20000
27000
20000
The Factory
The demolition of existing structures
enables the production of rubble-filled
gabion meshes to be used as the building
blocks for future projects.
44
45
Architecture of Abundance
Ordos remains one of China’s richest coal regions. If the Kangbashi New Area fails, will the
land still yield revenue for its investors? The Mine is the result of a landscape torn apart
by an effort to extract whatever value remains buried beneath the soil.
46
47
32000
7000
78000
2000
4000
The Mine
Excavators and belts move large quantities
of earth to expose the coal rich layer
below, creating a massive, stepped pit in
the process.
48
49
Architecture of Depletion
Ordos contains an abundance of unfinished apartment buildings. Should these abandoned
structures fall to waste, or can they serve a purpose? The Silo is a conversion of an empty
concrete frame into a vessel for storage.
50
51
32000
1200
11500
5500
7000
R2
50
0
20000
5500
19000
The Silo
The selective demolition of concrete floor
slabs, and the addition of a large container
and conveyor belt, transform a defunct
apartment building into a facility for the
storing and processing of coal.
52
53
Architecture of Sanctity
Ordos is filled with scattered monuments honoring the culture, conquests, and heroism of
the bygone Mongol Empire. The Monument is a tribute to the current people—the 40,000
brave individuals who have taken a chance on the Ordos dream.
54
55
2000
28000
22000
2000
14000
R6
18000
0
00
R2
0
00
14000
16000
9000
The Monument
Narrow corridors open up to a space
buried beneath the Ordos Museum honoring
the settlers of the Kangbashi New Area with
a massive desert stone.
56
57
Architecture of Ascension
The rapid pace of construction of the Kangbashi New Area demonstrates an aggressive
will to overcome the technical and logistical challenges of building in the harsh Inner
Mongolian environment. The Observatory is emblematic of the spirit and aspirations of a
people not bound by earthly constraints.
58
59
00
00
R1
7000
00
5
R2
The Observatory
Punching out from the Ordos Museum, the
observatory takes advantage of the region’s
clear skies and low light pollution.
60
61
Architecture of Sin
Every city has two sides: one law-abiding in the light of day and one of illicitness in the
shadows of night. What secrets hide in Ordos’ cracks, and what back room deals are being
made? The Nightclub comes to life after the museum closes.
62
63
3300
5000
3300
3300
15000
1500
19000
4000
9000
28000
The Nightclub
Attached to the existing museum structure
like a parasite, the nightclub features a
dance floor, upstairs VIP area, and a maze
of hidden passageways that permeate
through the walls of the museum.
64
65
Architecture of Relocation
Politically motivated construction in Ordos is a way that mayors have boosted GDP
to gain a favorable impression to the Party or outshine their predecessor, creating an
unnecessary surplus of new buildings. The Plaza is an attempt to circumvent this
process by offering a variable construction typology without the necessity for new
building projects.
66
67
29000
15000
7000
29000
7000
29000
00
70
14500
The Plaza
The stockpiling of gabion blocks in the
central plaza allows the mayor to rearrange
the configuration of possible spaces to
accommodate different functions.
68
69
Architecture of Transit
Ordos suffers from poor public transportation networks. Could greater connectivity
promote growth? The Station intends to establish access between the airport, regional
train station, and neighboring city of Donsheng with the burgeoning new district.
70
71
16000
2000
2000
28000
10000
16000
4000
8000
The Station
Constructed from gabion blocks of
recycled buildings, the subway station aims
to draw people from outside Kangbashi into
the heart of the new district.
72
73
Architecture of Recreation
With vast amounts of Kangbashi’s land dedicated to open space, expansive plazas convey
a sense of lifelessness in an already desolate place. Perhaps residents could benefit from
some programming of these empty spaces? The Carnival is an attempt to draw people
into the open spaces by providing a recreational hub for families in and around Kangbashi.
74
75
36000
16000
22000
78000
20000
9000
16000
18
00
0
28000
The Carnival
The central plaza hosts multiple rides and
attractions aimed at drawing people to an
otherwise empty space.
76
77
78
79
Appendix
80
p.6
City of Nature. Alice Springs, Australia.
Alice Springs lies at the geographic center of the Australian continent. Tourists
flock to the city for its proximity to many natural wonders such as Uluru-Kata
Tjuta National Park, Watarrka National Park and the MacDonnell Ranges.
p.8
City of Collapse. Hashima, Japan.
Commonly referred to as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) for its shape and
fortified perimeter, Hashima Island was a Mitsubishi worker town from 1890
to 1974 involved in the extraction of coal from undersea mines. In 1959
the island reached a peak population of 5,259 people, but declined in large
part due to the Japan’s shift from coal to petroleum use. Today, the decaying
buildings are all that remain of the town including one of Japan’s first large
concrete structures (9 stories).
81
82
p.10
City of Abundance. Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
The discovery of oil in the 1920s transformed Dammam from a small fishing
village to a thriving city of over half a million people, spurred by the need
for infrastructure and labor to support the major oil boom. The region now
accounts for a quarter of the world’s oil reserves.
p.12
City of Depletion. Mirny, Russia.
The town of Mirny came into existence after geologists found diamondbearing deposits in this remote part of Siberia in 1955. An industry sprang
up around the excavation of these resources resulting in a massive, open pit
roughly 1200m in diameter and 525m in depth—the second largest man-made
hole on Earth. In 2011 the mine closed due to increasing complications and
dangerous conditions within the pit.
p.14
City of Sanctity. Lhasa, Tibet.
Known as the spiritual center of the Tibetan people, Lhasa is home to
many historic UNESCO sites, including the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and
Norbulingka.
p.16
City of Ascension. Dubai, UAE.
Without substantial oil reserves, Dubai’s financial and real estate markets are
based largely on the service and tourism industries. Dubai is the seventh most
visited city in the world, estimated to accommodate 15 million visitors in 2015.
In addition to having one of world’s busiest airports, Dubai is also home to the
largest shopping mall, and the tallest building—the 830m Burj Khalifa.
83
84
p.18
City of Sin. Las Vegas, USA.
Billed as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas attracted a record 39.7
million visitors in 2013. Lured by the flashing lights, temptation of riches, and
overall hedonism, visitors pour enough money into the The Strip to account for
50% of the entire state’s gambling revenues.
p.20
City of Relocation. Fengdu, China.
The residents of Fengdu are among the one million Chinese citizens displaced
by the building of the Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze .This displacement
forced the construction of a new Fengdu at a higher elevation as rising water
levels began to flood the old city. Located on a nearby mountain, the Fengdu
Ghost City is a complex filled with temples, monasteries, and shrines dedicated
to the afterlife. Due to the rising water levels, the mountain is now an island
and popular tourist attraction for cruise passengers.
p.22
City of Transit. Barstow, USA.
Barstow is a major Southern California transportation hub and home to a large
rail classification yard. Several major highways including Interstate 15, Interstate
40, and California State Route 58 converge in the city. Geographically, Barstow is
the midpoint between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
p.24
City of Recreation. Phoenix, USA.
Phoenix experienced a post-WWII population boom from returning veterans
and a manufacturing industry eager to take advantage of cheap land prices.
As the second fastest growing major city in the United States, people are still
drawn to the affordable cost of living and the warm, dry desert climate that
averages 299 sunny days per year. Many visitors come as well, attracted by the
desert landscape and countless golf courses.
85
Notes on Illustrations
All drawings and photographs, unless otherwise noted, are by the author.
cover
Crop, resize, and color adjustment of original image from Ma Yansong
(see sources).
pp.vi, 28 Ordos. 39°36’1”N 109°46’52”E. Google Earth. 28 September 2013.
28 April 2015.
86
p.2
Ghost towns. The Architectural Review, 28 August 2012. Web. 28. April 2015.
< http://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/ghost-towns/8634793.
article>
p.4
Robert Sterling Clark and Arthur de C. Sowerby: Through Shên-kan. The
Account of the Clark Expedition in North China, 1908-9. London / Leipsic: T.
Fisher Unxin, 1912
pp.6-24
All background satellite imagery from Google Earth. 28 April 2015
(see page for coordinate information).
p.26
Untitled. Google Maps, 20 July 2012. Web. 28 April 2015.
<http://www.panoramio.com/photo/75658242>
87
p.80
Uluru: Heart and Soul of Australia. Wordpress, 14 May 2012. Web.
28 April 2015. < https://thetravelcrew.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/uluruheart-and-soul-of-australia/>
Hashima Middle School. Panoramio. Google Maps, 3 October 2010. Web.
28 April 2015. < http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41640109>
p.82
Elriz Buenaventure. Fanar Tower, Murjan Island. Tumbler, December 2012.
Web. 28 April 2015. < http://elriz.com/post/37542896840/fanar-towermurjan-island-dammam-kingdom-of>
Dylan Forsberg. Mirny Diamond Mine. Tumbler. Web. 28 April 2015.
< http://dylanforsberg.tumblr.com/post/5167053503/the-mirny-diamondmine-in-russia-is-the-worlds>
Potola Palace Scenic Spot. Beautiful China. Web. 28 April 2015.
< http://www.travelchina.gov.cn/tirms/front/en_US/spot_115.html>
Downtown Dubai Overview. Capital Radio. Web. 28 April 2015.
<http://promo.capitalradio.co.uk/dubai/local/>
p.84
Night Time Vegas. The Federal Highway Administration. Web. 28 April 2015.
< http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways/2032/photos/all>
Yangtze Cruise Ship. Our Our 2010 China Tour. Web. 28 April 2015.
< http://prstevens.stonehippo.com/China2010/page7.html>
Ron Reiring. Barstow, CA train station. Flickr, 19 January 2012. Web. 28 April
2015. < https://www.flickr.com/photos/84263554@N00/287198996>
Golf at Arizona Biltmore. Arizona Biltmore. Web. 28 April 2015.
<http://www.arizonabiltmore.com/sports-and-activities/golf/>
88
89
Sources
Banham, Reyner. Scenes in America Deserta (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1989).
Calvino, Italo. Invisible Cities, trans. William Weaver (San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1974).
Gras, Menene. MA YANSONG: From (Global) Modernity to (Local) Tradition (Madrid:
Actar, 2013).
Koolhaas, Rem. Delirious New York (Oxford University Press, 1978).
90
91
Acknowledgments
The preceding work would not be possible without the generous support from a great
number of colleagues and advisors. I am deeply grateful to the UC Berkeley College
of Environmental Design and the Chester Miller Fellowship for affording me the unique
opportunity to visit Ordos, and to Mrs. Zheng Xiaodi (Assistant Professor, Tsinghua
University), Mrs. Zheng Xiaojin (Vice President, Tsinghua Design and Planning Institute),
Mr. Liu Bo (Ordos Planning Institute), and Mr. Tian (taxi driver extraordinaire) for their
great assistance and insight. Additional thanks to Professor and Chair of Architecture
Tom Buresh for his sound and ready advice, and to Professor Jill Stoner for her continued
guidance, enthusiasm, and encouragement.
92
93