Macao, a Special Administrative Region of China, is among the most densely populated regions in the world and a thriving metropolis marked by a dynamic blend of contrasting urban typologies. The city's urban complexity, resulting from rapid growth and high-density construction, cannot be simply characterized as the ?Las Vegas of the East,? as the city is sometimes referred to. Its historic center has been largely preserved and has undergone rapid development: A series of newly built, large-scale leisure and entertainment complexes defi ne the city's iconic casino district, while urban planning and architecture in various new areas refl ect ambition and confi dence in contemporary urban development. In this publication, the curators of the Macao exhibition at the 19th Venice International Architecture Biennale, architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, present the co-existing parallel worlds of Macao. The many-faceted architectural landscape of Macao is documented through Iwan Baan's remarkable photography. AUTHORS: Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu are architects and educators. In 1997, they co-founded Amateur Architecture Studio in Hangzhou, China. Together, the two also founded the architecture department at the China Academy of Art in 2003. Their focus on re-establishing a contemporary language for Chinese architecture is reflected in their built works such as Ningbo Historic Museum and the Xiang- shan Campus of the China Academy of Art. The latter was named one of ?The 25 Most Significant Works of Postwar Architecture? all over the world, selected by the New York Times in 2021. Iwan Baan is a Dutch photographer based in Amsterdam and the U.S., known primarily for images that narrate the life and interactions that occur within architecture. With no formal training in architecture, Baan's photographs reflect the questions and perspectives of the everyday individuals who give meaning and context to the architecture and spaces that surround us. His artistic approach has given matters of architecture an approachable and accessible voice. In 2012 he received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for his work on the Torre David in Caracas, Venezuela, gaining him further international acclaim. 146 illustrations
