In any 21st century city that is worth living in, the various social, cultural and economic functions form a tight, multifaceted web. Living, working, leisure and recreation are no longer separate from each other, but pervade the entire framework of the urban settlement area. City planners and architects take this plurality into consideration, insofar that they allocate certain suitable spaces to these functions, and design them according to the needs and desires of their users.
Buildings in the Botanical Garden Shanghai, China Auer Weber, Roland Halbe
Especially in developing metropolises, where different needs compete for finite space, concepts are required that reconcile the relationship between the public and the private, along with the overlapping urban functions, so that an urban atmosphere can develop.
Great Mosque in Algiers KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten, Peter Tjie
But architecture must also create space for new developments and offerings. Whereas in industrialised countries, a high degree of architectural change is demanded by the profound demographic changes that are occurring, in emerging and developing nations, the need for medicinal care, educational establishments or stronger industry are the drivers. But both require the same approach: the creative treatment of existing structures on the one hand, and typological innovations on the other.