No more weird architecture

China’s growth in recent years involved  many architectural  challenges. It was all about building more, higher, faster and better. This  expansion was spectacular and projects were completed in no time.

This helped Beijing to become a modern capital of the future.  However, Chinese president Xi Jinping – speaking at a symposium last week – confirmed that the era of a ‘weird architecture’ must come to an end in China.

What went wrong?

The main problem is that some of the new commercial constructions had weird shapes. As modern as they look for to an outsider,  they nevertheless were often  compared to preposterous objects, like a giant doughnut or a pair of pants. This is exactly what The Chinese President pointed out.

‘Art should be like sunshine from the blue sky and breeze in spring that will inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles’.

This means that even in modern architecture, one should be able to find some traditional Chinese accents.  It does not mean that China does not want to reach some unique and radicle architectural boundaries. However, new buildings must appeal to an average Chinese person. According to the leader, Chinese art should be a reflection of people’s lives.

It does though, seem to be a vicious circle. China’s demand for new, modern buildings is huge and for the first time Chinese architects were recognized for one of the most prestigious awards which is Pritzker Prize (Wall Street Journal).  Simultaneously China is famous and being accused of copying designs and ideas from the rest of the world. There are in fact many replicas of famous world monuments to be found there.

The Chinese president agreed that  artists should have a free hand, not necessarily constrained  to expected pattern designs.  The greatest designs were created as part of a bigger cause, than just a market demand.

Read original text here.