Criticism is mounting against Western architects—from Herzog & de Meuron to Rem Koolhaas—who have created projects in China despite revelations of human rights abuses in Tibet. As eurotopics reports, security expert Ko Colijn writes in the Vrij Nederland that both athletes and architects should make a gesture of respect for human rights at the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. "Powerful dictatorships have always had a predilection for modern architecture," writes Colijn. "They expect these buildings to constitute a thousand-year monument to their greatness. […] The new autocrats are perfect matches for modern super-architects, and give them carte blanche to realize their biggest dreams. […] If you can accuse Olympic athletes of helping a tasteless regime to dubious splendor, then the same is true of the viagra architecture in Qatar and Beijing. […] There is a functional correlation between the height and predominance of these towers and the infallibility of the unelected leaders who inhabit them. But there is less correlation between the towering political status of Chinese President Hu Jintao and a high jump of 2.38 meters."
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