Towards, 2010 World Expo Architectural Culture Series No. 2: Appreciation of Architectural Art Styles

Author: Shen Fuxu, Huang Guoxin (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Shanghai modern architecture evolved from traditional Western architecture. Therefore, to appreciate the artistic style of Shanghai modern architecture, it is necessary to compare it with Western modern and contemporary architecture, identifying and appreciating it through this comparison. This book is written based on this approach and is suitable for a wide range of readers, including designers, faculty and students of universities and colleges, as well as architecture and tourism enthusiasts.
Shanghai modern architecture evolved from traditional Western architecture. Therefore, to appreciate the artistic style of Shanghai modern architecture, it is necessary to compare it with Western modern and contemporary architecture, identifying and appreciating it through this comparison. In the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai, leveraging its superior natural conditions and cultural environment, especially the profound cultural heritage resulting from continuous exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures, as well as northern and southern regional cultures, launched an unprecedented urban development boom, rapidly becoming a prominent economic and cultural center in China and even the world. Shanghai became a stage where both Chinese and foreign architects competed to showcase their talents and demonstrate their extraordinary skills. At that time, the arrival of numerous foreign architects and the return of early Chinese architects who had studied abroad brought advanced Western architectural concepts and technologies to Shanghai, permeating its modern architecture with Western architectural influences. Meanwhile, some local Chinese architects at the time advocated for the preservation of traditional Chinese architectural culture and pioneered the New Classicism architectural style in Shanghai. Against this historical backdrop, a major exchange, collision, and integration of Chinese and foreign architectural cultures ultimately took place in Shanghai. Coupled with the rapid advancement of global architectural technology and the introduction of new building materials at the time, Shanghai's modern architecture flourished, leaving behind a wealth of invaluable cultural heritage.