Modern Chinese Urban Housing: 1840-2000

Author: Lü Junhua et al. (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Under the advice of Professor Peter Rowe, the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University and the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University organized a team to conduct research on the history of Chinese residential architecture. After years of collaboration, remarkable achievements were made. This book is the result of this research. After reviewing it, I believe the book has the following characteristics:
(1) The book divides the entire history into three stages based on important historical phases in modern China and the transformation of residential types, spanning 160 years. These are several key stages in the development of modern Chinese residential architecture, with a clear and concise structure that captures the historical context of Chinese architectural development.
(2) The book does not discuss residential architecture in isolation but analyzes the changes in residential types through political, economic, social, technological, and cultural transformations. The evolution of residential types inevitably affects people's living conditions and urban landscapes, and vice versa. Therefore, the authors sifted through extensive materials and documents to record historical phenomena that help us understand and interpret the development of residential architecture.
(3) Studying history to look toward the future, China's urbanization has entered an accelerated phase, with rapid population growth and a significant proportion of urban construction dedicated to residential housing. The book also addresses issues such as population growth, land constraints, and market economies, which are undergoing transformation. Controversies often arise regarding the number of storeys in residential buildings, construction standards, and the need to meet the housing requirements of all social strata. These challenges persist, and current solutions may not be definitive. Conflicts are inevitable, but societal progress requires innovation. However, a comprehensive study of the history and current state of residential architecture helps us identify achievements and shortcomings, inspiring further exploration of the future.
This international collaborative research team represents a new attempt with great vitality. The book will be published simultaneously in Chinese and English both domestically and internationally, which will enhance understanding of Chinese residential architecture abroad and provide Chinese scholars with new insights for comparative research, building upon existing explorations.
[Preface] A great nation always has a splendid culture, and architectural culture is no exception, with residential architecture holding a particularly important position. China, with its vast territory, long history, and diverse ethnic groups, has a rich variety of ancient residential architectural types. As early as the 1930s and 1940s, modern architectural scholars began to study them. In the 1950s, a wave of comprehensive surveys was launched, yielding remarkable results. Since the 1980s, scholars both at home and abroad have paid increasing attention, with research reports being published regularly and content gradually deepening. The study of modern Chinese residential architecture has gradually gained prominence. Its practical significance is direct and important, but due to the complexity of the subject, past research has often been fragmented, focusing more on individual cases and specialized topics, with a relative lack of historical synthesis and holistic studies. Many issues remain unresolved for now.
In terms of quantity, China has achieved tremendous progress in residential construction over the past few decades, especially in recent two decades. However, in terms of architectural design, residential varieties and types remain overly homogeneous, with too few architects dedicating themselves to residential design research. As a result, few high-quality residential designs align with current architectural trends (e.g., integrating local geographical, cultural, economic, and technological conditions). There is still much to be done and explored in this field, which is a reflection of our observations on architectural development over the years.
Today, the objective conditions for residential research are well-established (e.g., substantial construction volume), and we hope to see greater progress in this field in the near future. In light of this, the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University and the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, under the advice of Professor Peter G. Rowe, organized a team to conduct research on the history of modern Chinese residential architecture. After years of collaboration, outstanding results were achieved. This book is the result of this research. After reviewing it, I believe the book has the following characteristics:
(1) Regarding the classification of residential architecture, the book divides the entire history into three stages based on important historical phases in modern China and the transformation of residential types (1840–1949, 1949–1978, 1979–1999), spanning 160 years. These are several key stages in the development of modern Chinese residential architecture, with a clear and concise structure that captures the historical context of Chinese architectural development.
(2) The book does not discuss residential architecture in isolation but analyzes the changes in residential types through political, economic, social, technological, and cultural transformations. The evolution of residential types inevitably affects people's living conditions and urban landscapes, and vice versa. Therefore, the authors sifted through extensive materials and documents to record historical phenomena that help us understand and interpret the development of residential architecture.
(3) Studying history to look toward the future, China's urbanization has entered an accelerated phase, with rapid population growth and a significant proportion of urban construction dedicated to residential housing. Additionally, the book addresses issues such as population growth, land constraints, and market economies, which are undergoing transformation. Controversies often arise regarding the number of storeys in residential buildings, construction standards, and the need to meet the housing requirements of all social strata. These challenges persist, and current solutions may not be definitive. Conflicts are inevitable, but societal progress requires innovation. However, a comprehensive study of the history and current state of residential architecture helps us identify achievements and shortcomings, inspiring further exploration of the future.
The author of the book, Lü Junhua, is a professor at Tsinghua University, who has dedicated his life to the research and planning of residential architecture since the early 1950s. Professor Peter G. Rowe is the author of Housing and Modernity and has been collaborating with Tsinghua since the early 1990s, enthusiastically participating in important architectural research across China. Professor Zhang Jie has been engaged in the protection of urban historical areas since returning from his studies in the UK and is currently involved in residential construction.
This international collaborative research team represents a new attempt with great vitality. The book will be published simultaneously in Chinese and English both domestically and internationally, which will enhance understanding of Chinese residential architecture abroad and provide Chinese scholars with new insights for comparative research, building upon existing explorations.