Ordos - A Modern Ghost City

China surpassed the United States as the world's leading manufacturer China is constantly on the move it's estimated that in the next decade 350 million people will leave the land for the city it said that there's around 64 million empty apartments in China ten years ago if you were to talk about the city of oils you'll be referring to the city here the city of dongjin so we're on our way to the autos Dongsheng district it's the old city and we found ourselves a driver so we're hitting this city's there and nothing this is the old city in a city that is growing to an expensive stack was our man when you got yet another one years by many many of you people died kini you know them ah kill him with the old city already expanding and half of the city under construction they decided to move out 25 kilometers away and start a whole entire new city the city that we now refer to as autos they refer to as kangbashi district do you like easy to your old city better I like music we made it toward us the first impression we got when we arrived was that well it definitely our people here is not me as we headed towards the city light we were struck by their intensity I could surprise after 24 hours of traveling we finally made it to our international hotel and surprise surprise the one English speaker had finished work for the day after a great night's sleep we decided to head off into the city and see what we could find amen to Otto's around side of the auto squeeze in here beautiful when you're building everything this city is this than ten years old so we're a little surprised to find this as it was getting late we headed off to find some food we quickly discovered that they had no need for English menus in this part of the world and so we searched for the first restaurant with pictures it was a beautiful calm evening so we decided to wander down to the waterfront and watch the city lighter we're here in the middle of Otto's a lot a lot of the main streets seven o'clock on a Sunday night and not a car and sir just chill after a good day exploring the central city we were determined to get out a bit further and find some of the abandoned sites we'd heard so much about our ultimate aim was to reach the oddest 100 project and for that we needed some serious transport we found a rollercoaster project that never got finished it's been abandoned and as you can see by everything it was abandoned mid job over here you can you've even got the welding tank still connected the pipes pipes are still connected all the way up to the top the welding rods still in the hull all ready to be used was just abandoned no one to be seen you we're up here top of a lookout we've got Auto City in the background we've got the lake here form down here we've got the waterfront area which is got all the horses on it at night this all lights up with water features behind me here we've got the temple surrounded by some large buildings and on the side over here we have a beautiful bridge it's also lit up at night and in the distance we have the order of 100 projects and also the airport this way and here we have one of the board offices public spaces presumably for shows and entertainment but surprise surprise nobody but us in sight on our journeys we found this beautiful little village it looks finished it looks beautiful painted murals on the walls everything that in closer inspection the floors haven't been finished some of the plumbing is still undone and the only residents that we can see a two dogs here here we have been watering the plants all right we're here biking across the bridge to the Ordos 100 project the autist 100 project is an architectural project curated by Hertzog and doom Iran and with a master plan designed by our Weiwei the developer approached Hertzog and de marrón but instead of designing their hundred villas themselves they sent out an invite to 100 different Arctic's they bought the Arctic's from 27 different countries to Ordos and show them the site they gave them a hundred days each to design a thousand square metre villa to suit the allocated site and the master plan the brief was simple and gave a large amount of design freedom they were to designer two or three storey house including a swimming pool study media room wine cellar and servants quarter they were encouraged to stay away from traditional Mongolian and nomadic forms such as the tent in the yurt and were provided with a list of local materials that could be used they all gathered together again to deliver the village designs and an oppressive master plan was completed the construction began on five of the buildings but that's where the story ends Here I am standing in one of the villas half-finished and abandoned why is the door and you can use the window but how do we end up and saw one of the villas you asked let's go back find out all right we're here biking across the bridge to the oddest 100 project on our right-hand side we've got a thunderstorm happening right ahead of us we've got one of this stadiums behind us we're going to cartoon in us as we approach the oddest 100 project we were very aware that there was an electrical storm rolling in and we knew all too well that when you're in the desert with nothing but metal bikes the risk of a lightning strike increases but that didn't stop us we've come too far to miss out on this experience a bit of lightning wasn't going to stop us I'm alright so there's a lot of planning here so we're gonna speed up a little bit hopping on our bikes moving on I'm gonna get out of there so here you have it he orders 100 side up to do it I that is you can see Nickolas thunder lightning whoa okay yeah - knife clatters house scared they say safety first we're here outside probably one of my favorites well the Thunder outside here outside one of my favorite waters 100 buildings this one is just absolutely intricate every detail is bespoke the glass curved angles in different ways all the concrete angles in different ways in every room has its own sort of twist and turn really beautiful inside shame to see it not finished not quite sure what the story is here as you can see there is all sorts of metal panels over the ground it's been here working away putting insulation and by the looks of it it looks like they're actually carrying on with the project so with the great set finished we're here down the roads at another building site got one building here another one here now these buildings are grand to the great scale the brief was a thousand square meters the great examples of architecture except for one thing it appears that they've built fairly cheaply this one as you can see as brick it's been very very intricately laid the brick curbs over Anna credible pattern but on this side you see they've a temperature sort of a flush detail with the glazing running into the cladding and it just hasn't worked my job' next we headed up to the desert via the old city we asked the hotel to organize a taxi but instead we found ourselves riding with the government employee on his day off yesterday we we people can play football game we're here in the desert above autos we spend the day here checking out the sights learning a bit about the Mongolian culture and just having fun on the sand dunes we had one more night and autos so we took the opportunity to explore the other side of the city for heading off to Beijing and did we mention the locals loved us haha what's your name you know what so we're down here at the waterfront Thursday night and we're about to see the water show this is a show that's on every night about 8 o'clock and generally with a show like this you'd expect thousands of people to be watching currently just before it starts is about 8:00 that's our final night here in China and we decide to do something special so here we are on the meteor new section of the Great Wall of China you you you you

Channel: Bryn Railton Design

Views: 215,514

Keywords: Ordos, Film, Doco, Documentary, Short Film, Travel, Biking, Architecture, Ghost City, China, Inner Mongolia

Id: Zw-UAHB5XS0

Length: 26min 30sec (1590 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 05 2016