CHINAS CHINAS IS A RESEARCH PROJECT BASED ON THE TYPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF CHINESE SUPERMARKETS IN THE CITY OF BUENOS AIRES. WITH EXPLORATORY MAPPING FROM THE STUDY OF VARIOUS CASES, A SERIES OF CATALOGS IS MADE. THEY IDENTIFY HOW THESE BUSINESSES ARE INSERTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND WITH DIFFERENT RESOURCES WITHIN THE URBAN FABRIC OF THE CITY OF BUENOS AIRES. WE ARE INTERESTED IN DISTINGUISHING VARIANTS IN THE METHODS OF APPROPRIATION OF CHINESE BUSINESSES IN THE URBAN CONTEXT. THESE SUPERMARKETS ARE THE MOST VERSATILE EXAMPLES THAT DIRECTLY RESPOND TO AND CO-EXIST IN THE SOCIAL, TEMPORAL AND ECONOMIC DEMANDS OF TODAYS »PORTEÑA-SOCIETY«. THE ESSAY AIMS TO INVESTIGATE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS OF BUENOS AIRES, BASED ON AN ANALYTICAL LOGIC DERIVING FROM THE STUDY OF THE PHENOMENON OF CHINESE SUPERMARKETS IN THE CITY. WE OPTED TO ANALYZE SHOPS IN ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF BUENOS AIRES TO DEFINE AND CATALOG TYPOLOGIES GIVEN BY THE BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS WHERE THE SUPERMARKETS DECIDE TO INSERT THEMSELVES. THE VERSATILITY WITH WHICH THESE SCHEMES ARE INTENDED FOR COMMERCIAL USE IS THE STARTING POINT OF THE INVESTIGATION. WE DISTINGUISH PATTERNS OF HOW THEY OPERATE WITHIN THIS SYSTEM, USING RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED INTO COMPLEX TRADE PRECINCTS OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS. UNDERSTANDING THIS SYSTEM, THAT IS DEVOID OF LARGE ANALYZES GIVEN ITS INFORMAL QUALITIES IN ITS MATERIAL SETS, IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE KEY TO SUCCESS. THE SUPERMARKETS COEXIST WITHIN THEIR CONTEXT. IN FACT THEY DO IT IN EACH ONE OF THEIR EXAMPLES, INSERTED IN EXISTING BUILDINGS IN THE MOST UNTHINKABLE CASES. CHINESE SUPERMARKETS UNDERSTAND THE CITY – THEY LIVE IN IT, IN ITS NEIGHBORHOODS, IN ITS BLOCKS, IN EACH OF ITS BUILDINGS AND ITS PEOPLE.