I recently discovered the work of large-format photographer Edward Burtynsky through Jennifer Baichwal's documentary Manufactured Landscapes. Burtynsky's most famous photographs depict sweeping landscapes altered by industrial expansion. The grand, awe-inspiring beauty of these images is often in tension with the ravaged environments they portray, a point that Baichwal emphasizes in her documentary.

Burtynsky's most compelling work (in my opinion) is his visual documentation of China's ongoing Industrial Revolution, you can view the entire series here.

What a waste, seriously. On Monday (late pass, I know), the new Rem Koolhaas-designed building in Beijing's CCTV complex caught on fire after an unofficial fireworks display staged by CCTV officials (that made no sense). The building would have housed the soon-to-be-open-but-not-anymore Mandarin Oriental.

Megan had some interesting things to say about the current state of China's media democracy (or lack thereof) in light of this architectural tragedy. Also, be sure to check out The Huffington Post for a more comprehensive review of the incident.

Via The Big Picture.