Chinoiserie Architecture: Six Extravagant Chinese Houses in Europe

Chinoiserie, the European interpretation of Chinese motifs, flourished in 17th- and 18th-century architecture. Six notable examples include: the Trianon de Porcelaine (Versailles, 1670) by Louis Le Vau for Louis XIV, demolished in 1687; the Chinesisches Haus (Potsdam, 1755–1764) by Johann Gottfried Büring for Frederick the Great; the Drachenhaus (Potsdam, 1772) by Carl von Gontard, inspired by the Great Pagoda at Kew; the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens (London, 1762) by Sir William Chambers for Princess Augusta; the Palazzina Cinese (Palermo, 1806) by Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia for Ferdinand III; and the Chinese Village (Tsarskoye Selo, Russia, 1780s) by Antonio Rinaldi and Charles Cameron for Catherine the Great. These structures reflect European fantasies of China, often inspired by the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing. Many survive today as museums, restaurants, or heritage sites.