Dutch architect John van de Water presents his book 'You Can't Change China, China Changes You' and talks about moving east as a creative entrepreneur.

Doing Business in China
‘Creative Amsterdam Update: Doing Business in China’, scheduled for November 23rd, is postponed and will take place on January 31st.


BOOK PRESENTATION: ‘YOU CAN’T CHANGE CHINA, CHINA CHANGES YOU’
Young, enthusiastic and ambitious - this was Dutch architect John van de Water when setting off to a rapidly modernizing China in 2004. His intention was to put into practice in China the internationally recognized ideas of NEXT architects, the firm in which he is a partner.

'You Can’t Change China, China Changes You' is Van de Water’s personal, disarming and occasionally hilarious account of this compelling and confrontational quest for an authentic archi- tecture. Are Western design skills able to evolve in a cultural context as radically different as that of China?

Van de Water will be questioned about the content of his book by Wenchian Shi (project leader,MVRDV) and Michiel Hulshof (Go West Project). Afterwards the first copy of the Dutch edition will be presented to Lot van Schaik (former Chief of Cultural Affairs at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in China). This evening will be moderated by JaapJan Berg (Bergplaats) and will take place in collaboration with 010 Publishers.

NEXT architects is a collective of architects, designers, constructors and thinkers with offices in Amsterdam and Beijing. NEXT focuses on product design, architecture, research, city planning and development.