Phantom and Flesh

Laura del Pino

College: Michael Graves College

Department: MG School of Architecture

Abstract:

My research examines the architectural logic of copying in contemporary China, where replicas, reconstructions, and simulations have become central mechanisms of urban production. Rather than treating architectural copies as failures of originality or authenticity, my paper investigates how duplication operates as a generative cultural, technological, and spatial practice. Focusing on cases such as Tianducheng, Phoenix Island, Shanghai Disneyland, and the reconstruction of Datong’s historic city walls, my focus is on how value, meaning, and authenticity are produced when architecture is conceived as a copy of a copy.Methodologically, my study combines architectural analysis, visual research, and critical theory. It draws on Western frameworks of mechanical reproduction and simulacra (Walter Benjamin, Jean Baudrillard) alongside East Asian philosophical perspectives on imitation and renewal, particularly the concept of "shanzhai". Through close reading of built form, material assemblies, and their mediated representations, my paper traces how digital renderings, prefabrication, and image circulation increasingly function as architectural originals, with buildings materializing as their physical afterimages.My research concludes that contemporary Chinese architecture challenges Western hierarchies between original and copy. In these contexts, replication does not necessarily signal loss of authenticity but enables continuity, accessibility, and cultural translation. The study’s significance lies in reframing architectural copying as a critical lens through which to understand globalization, digital production, and evolving notions of heritage. By positioning the copy as an active agent rather than a derivative object, the paper contributes to broader debates in architectural theory, urban studies, and design pedagogy.