About Modern Chinese Architecture

When Beijing took center stage for the 2008 Olympics, much was made of the innovative designs for the buildings. Modern Chinese architecture goes beyond the flashy venues where the athletes competed, and includes the day-to-day buildings where people live and work. Between the demands of quick construction and the desire to innovate, Chinese skylines boast an array of different styles.

Overnight Boom

Chinese architecture has been through a number of phases since the country was opened up to Westerners in the 1800s, but it has been recent decades that have truly defined China's modern architecture. Starting in the 1980s, the country began implementing a number of economic changes that led to one of the biggest economic booms of the twentieth century. Ushering in a new era of wealth among many of its citizens, it also meant a drastic increase in the number of new constructions. Not only to house the businesses that flocked to the newly open market, but also to house more and more people in the world's most populous nation.

Housing the Masses

One of the most obvious features of any modern Chinese city is the vast number of apartment buildings that dot the skyline. These tend to be quickly erected, so there is an emphasis placed on ease of construction resulting in a uniformity of appearance. They all tend to be a cluster of grouped towers, each tower in the cluster having the same floor plan (though there may be variations in the number of floors), and arranged around a central grounds. Often these grounds are landscaped with more traditional Chinese motifs, and serve as a communal green space where there are plants and paths and fountains. These complexes form mini-communities within the city as a whole.

Anything Goes

In contrast to the uniformity of housing is the wide variation in design for the commercial buildings. The central hub of most major Chinese cities is awash with skyscrapers, each one with a unique feature to stand out from the neighbors. Other times there are unusual shapes, such as cubes or spheres that are placed in odd location in the building. Then there are buildings such, as the new Telecommunications building in Beijing and the Shanghai Stock Exchange, with a central section spanning the open space between two towers. There are also buildings, such as the Bird's Nest of the Beijing track and field stadium, or the Shanghai Museum which is designed to look like a traditional cooking pot.

Blending of Western and Chinese

Like many nations in Asia, there is a certain fascination with having the biggest building. The Pearl Tower in Shanghai is the world's third tallest tower, and the newly completed Shanghai World Financial Center is the world's second tallest building. In order to achieve the construction of tall structures, many buildings are being built as a joint venture between Western and local Chinese firms. The Water Cube which featured prominently in the 2008 Olympics was a co-venture between a Chinese firm and an Australian one, for example. In some part this is also a response to the idea that Western architects are more innovative, an idea which the advance guard of Chinese architects are working to displace.

Modern and Old Together

Not all buildings are ultra-sleek glass and steel constructs. There are also the more traditional structures. Many of these are employed in shopping centers and tourist spots, and can often be found surrounded by the city. Some of these are reconstructions of former buildings, others are homages to the designs of the past. Even in the uniformity of the apartment complexes, there are often traditional style gazebos that dot the central green space, or a traditional style bridge over the artificial streams. These feature the pointed roofs and wooden structure that were used before the advent of modern building materials in China.

Resources

• Beijing Olympic Venues with pictures of the buildings
• NPR report on Chinese architecture