China Architecture · Tradition and New Unity

Author: Wu Huajia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: This book includes several papers on modern and contemporary Chinese architecture. The author points out that in the hundred years following the 20th century, China developed a new architectural system in addition to its original one. It is a product of cultural exchange between China and the outside world. Although China was in an unequal position with Western powers at the time, the emergence of this new architectural system was historically inevitable and progressive. The author believes that the ancient city of Beijing, having been transformed into a modern metropolis, can only fulfill its complex functions as a modern capital. Beijing has already and will continue to showcase its unique and unparalleled new appearance as an ancient capital. In fact, Rome, London, and Paris also present their own new appearances as ancient cities to the present generation. The idea of simply preserving the old Beijing city as a historical relic, treating it as a museum city, or fully restoring it to its original state, is unrealistic both in the past and now. Regarding the so-called "European-style" architectural designs currently popular in China, the author argues that they need to be examined in the context of their social and historical roots. Simply dismissing these architectural expressions from the perspective of cultural elites as snobbish and scornful is neither fair nor helpful. The book also describes the transformation process of Chinese architecture over the past century and provides reviews of several contemporary Chinese architects and their works.