Shanzhai is a Chinese neologism that means “fake,” originally coined to describe knock-off mobile phones marketed under such names as Nokir and Samsing. In the West, this would be seen as piracy, but in Chinese culture, originals are continually transformed and thereby deconstructed. Instead of aiming for the “original,” this approach fundamentally questions the possibility of creation ex nihilo. On January 27, 2012, Arno Brandlhuber presented a scenario for the Berlin Palace based on the principals of Shanzhai in a satirical contribution for the German televesion program ZDF Aspekte: In 2017, the Chinese investor Han Hao, who specializes in the continuation of failed major European projects, takes over the reconstruction of Franco Stella’s Berlin Palace, which was unfinished due to cost explosions. For the roofing of the almost completed concrete shell and the huge residual area, the investor envisions Norman Foster’s roof construction, which was originally designed for the Reichstag building, but was never realized. The structure should protect the future customers of the “Palace of Luxury” shopping mall, which was to be the new program for the Berlin Palace, from wind and weather.
ZDF Aspekte Shanzhai-Schloss "Palast des Luxus"