Inheritance and Fusion: Exploring the Essence and Form of Modern Chinese Architecture

Author: (USA) Peter G. Rowe
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: This is the Chinese translation of Architectural Encounters with Essence and Form in Modern China, published by MIT Press in 2002. The two American Harvard scholars systematically analyze modern Chinese architecture, objectively presenting its developmental process. The explanations are clear and accessible. The book revolves around a series of discussions conducted during the author's time at a design studio in Beijing, leading to an exploration of Chinese architectural ideas and practices since the opening of treaty ports in the 1840s. The focus is on "Essence and Form," or "Ti and Yong"—two fundamental concepts that have profoundly influenced China's modernization. Over this and a half-century, "Ti and Yong" have undergone numerous historical transformations, from "Chinese essence, Western utility" to "Socialist content and national form," and finally to "Modern essence and Chinese form."
The book begins with the progress of Chinese culture since the Qing Dynasty's forced opening to the West in the mid-19th century, including the emergence of reforms, republicanism, and socialist ideologies. It then explores the following aspects: architects returning from overseas studies, the influence of the West on Chinese architecture, four architectural tendencies blending tradition and modernity in the 1920s and 1930s, and the debates over "large roofs" and other architectural forms in the 1950s. Subsequently, the book discusses the near-abandonment of architecture during China's economic difficulties in the late 1950s and the Cultural Revolution, the revival of the construction industry in the 1970s and 1980s following the reform and opening-up, and the modernization of Chinese architecture under the influence of the socialist market economy today.
The book concludes with an outlook on the future of Chinese architecture. Through its study of the essence and form of modern Chinese architecture, exploration of its developmental trajectory, and recognition of the creative achievements of Chinese architects, the book offers valuable insights.