Urban Landscapes

Almost every city， big or small， has several stand-outbuildings recognized either for their cutting-edge beauty… or repulsiveness. Nevertheless， they all reflect the cultural flavor of the city， as well as the tastes and philosophies of its designers and planners.

Good or Bad Architecture？

Not long ago， Circle of Life， a new architectural landmark in Fushun City， northeastern Chinas Liaoning Province， became a hot topic on the internet. The local government invested more than 100 million yuan in the installation， which is reputed to be inspired by a concept work of an eminent American sculptor. Despite its stunning aesthetic value， the expensive ornament evoked strong mockery and criticism from Chinese netizens for its extreme lack of practicality. Many used Photoshop to humorously give the ring more pragmatic features – deeming it a door to another dimension， a magic mirror， or a portal for aliens to reach earth.

Earlier， Gate of the Orient， constructed in Suzhou， was jokingly dubbed “Drooping Trousers.” Viewed from above， the two wings of Olympic Sports City in Hangzhou resemble the top of a two-piece womens swimsuit， hence its nickname “Bikini Building.” The new CCTV building in Beijing is widely known as “Big Shorts.” Some online posts describe the five individual pillars of the tower now under construction in Beijing Olympic Green as“five gigantic nails.”

Although it is unfair to judge a building purely on its appearance， it remains a concern when so many architectural projects – some even from internationally celebrated designers – stir such overwhelming criticism from the public. According to Zhu Changjun， a social critic in China， the primary cause is that decision makers seldom seek public opinion before initiating projects.“Urban landmarks are public buildings，” he opines. “Public opinion must be gauged before greenlighting investments and design plans. Even if the investment comes from private organizations， the public still shouldnt be ignored. For example， the investors of Suzhous ‘Gate of the Orient claim theyre not concerned with the buildings profitability. However， once an urban building is erected， it becomes an integral part of the cityscape and even the citys culture. So， every citizen has the right to praise or criticize it.”

“It is unnecessary for successful architecture to serve as a landmark of a city，” illustrates British architect Richard Rogers.“Like music， architecture has its own language： light， texture， rhythm， order， flexibility， adaptability， space and privacy， and environment.”

In 1977， his design for the Pompidou Centre in Paris was completed， sparking fierce debate among residents. Over time， however， legendarily pretentious Parisians gradually accepted the building and the modern industrial culture it symbolized. Public attitude towards urban architecture can change over time. However， one thing is certain： All buildings are expected to enhance urban life.

Behind Architecture

Every locales cultural genes are preserved through its unique architecture， such as siheyuan （quadrangle dwellings） of Beijing， Shikumen of Shanghai， classical gardens and stone bridges of Suzhou， ‘horsehead gables of southern Anhui， stilted bamboo buildings of Miao villages， and tulou （earthen houses） of Hakka villages.

However， most of these distinctive buildings are now hidden in the shadows of the featureless modern structures that have mushroomed in Chinese cities over past decades. Renowned Hong Kong architect Ronald Poon once criticized the trend as “worshiping everything foreign and making all cities identical.”

Currently， a “high jump” competition is sweeping across China. Every city is busy constructing skyscrapers. For instance，Shanghai Tower was designed to reach 632 meters and become the tallest building in China， but before it was even completed， Changsha City， capital of Hunan Province， announced a plan to build the worlds tallest building with a height of 838 meters. As urban skylines are consistently shooting higher， problems have also emerged： The distinct features of different cities have become blurred， while urban planners have embraced such blind faith in super-tall high-rises that they often build monumentally ugly structures.

The trend is fueled by impatience and impetuousness. “Our cities are full of blundering， fake luxuries，” sighs Feng Jicai， a noted Chinese writer and folk culture scholar. “Many have aesthetics mirroring the nouveau riche， easily seduced by anything golden. Some cities are actually constructing golden buildings and taking pride in golden glass. It doesnt take a genius to see money worship when gazing at the reflections.”

The most prominent example is the Fang Yuan Building in Shenyang. In 2012， the building shaped like an ancient Chinese coin was ranked one of the 10 ugliest in the world by CNN.com. Chinese netizens also spared no mercy in their criticism. “TheFang Yuan Building couldnt be more vulgar，” reads one comment.“It reflects naked worship of money.”

In fact， many other buildings have been dubbed “vulgar” by netizens， such as Handans Yuanbao Pavilion wrapped in golden coils and Tianzi Hotel in Yanjiao， Hebei Province， shaped like the gods of happiness， wealth， and longevity from Chinese mythology.

Architecture Needed

Liang Sicheng， known as the “father of modern Chinese architecture，” simplified his definition of architecture： houses built by humans， primarily used as dwellings.

What architecture do city dwellers need？ This question has often been posed during the process of urbanization. Many extraordinary buildings， including the National Stadium （“Birds Nest”）， the National Center for the Performing Arts， and new CCTV building， sparked hot debates when they were first completed. Against a backdrop of increasingly accelerated urbanization and fast-changing public aesthetics， each architectural decision has become incredibly complex， worthy of years of discussion before any ground is ever broken.

Near the Guangzhou-Foshan Expressway on the western outskirts of Guangzhou is a gigantic structure resembling a Hakka tulou. Popularly called “Tulou Community” by locals， it was designed to provide affordable accommodations for low-income families. Since its completion， the building has won many architectural prizes both at home and abroad. In addition， the structure was listed as an example of ‘Chinas Extraordinary Architectureby Time magazine， which praised the design inspired by Hakka tulou dwellings because it “integrated traditional Chinese communal dwellings into the Guangzhou building. The result was a refined， innovative take on the very classic idea of community.”

According to Liu Xiaodu， one of the projects designers， the plan was first inspired by pondering how to utilize a piece of leftover land. The idea of a tulou dwelling met the requirement of providing accommodations for a large quantity of residents within limited space. Meanwhile， it eliminated worries about uneven lighting and ventilation. The design of Tulou Community was completely borrowed from the layout of traditional Hakka tulou except that wooden overhangs were added above balconies and corridors to enhance the privacy of each apartment. In fact， the building integrates dwellings， retail shopping， and even sporting facilities. Its designers hoped to “enable low-income people to reside in the city with dignity.”

In his speech at the 18th International Conference on Open Building held in Beijing in 2012， Chinese architect Bao Jiasheng declared， “Todays architectural projects must focus on the future and be durable. Designers need to consider not only the demands of the current generation， but also the needs of future generations. The final goal of architecture is to achieve sustainable development.”

Dubbed “Chinas only railway station in the air，” Wuhan Railway Station is a good example of sustainable architecture.

The station actually sits on an elevated bridge a dozen meters above ground along the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway. Its main arch and eight ceilings appear like a white crane with extended wings， implying Wuhans position as a “passage linking nine provinces” and Hubei residents nickname， “nine-head bird.”More importantly， it involves plentiful environmentally-friendly features. For instance， part of its roof is transparent to fully utilize sunlight while its square is paved with porous bricks that enhance drainage as well as collect rainwater for irrigation. Its geothermal air-conditioning system stores extra heat underground in summer， and then delivers it through water in winter， which helps cut the stations energy costs by 30 percent.

“Architecture should become the concrete history and culture of mankind，” illustrates Che Shujian， director-general of the Architectural Society of China. “A good building meets peoples needs both materially and spiritually.”