China uses 33% of the world’s overallconsumption of reinforced concrete.

Chinese architects account for 1% of the world total, but the turnover from building

work is 1/10 of the world total.

How does this condition e!ectarchitecture? How the big demand of

projects in"uences the process and the #nal result? What is the contemporary

Chinese Identity?

From 2011, a team of architects come to China to understand the phenomenon of the Chinese architecture interviewing the

new generation of Chinese Architects, collecting meetings, conversations, ideas

and provocations with masters,developers, curators, critics and artists.

The team visited their works anexperienced the places of their practice.

This research tries to analyze and to understand what is architecture in China,

to see how vast the architectureexperience is to understand what hap-pens in the midst of the Construction

Boom in Asia.

The condition of chinese architectureElaboration of a Critical Approach

TCA Think Tank is an international rese-arch group founded in Shanghai in 2011 by Italian architect Pier Alessio Rizzardi and

Chinese architect Zhang Hankun, with the contributive thoughts from Joseph di Pa-squale head of AM Project, architect Yibo Xu and Remo Dorigati Polytechnic Univer-sity of Milan. TCA was born as aggregator

of informations about the architecture, culture, history and critic always related to the present conditions. Through the pro-duction of projects and researches TCA pushes the understanding of the nowa-

days situation exploring theTheoretical Condition of the Architecture.

TCA Think Tank

FOUNDERS

Pier Alessio Rizzardi is an architect, researcher and theoretician, founder of TCA Think Tank. Since 2013 he’s been Assi-stant Professor at Polytechnic University of Milan, Faculty of Architecture, journalist for l’ARCA International Magazine, correspondent for STUDIO Architecture and Urbanism Magazine, Editor of the Series of Books “Protagonisti”.

He studied architecture in Polytechnic University of Milan and at FAU-USP, Sao Paulo and obtained Master’s Degree at Polytechnic University of Milan. Since 2007 he had collaborated with UMM Sao Paulo, Bamford Dash Architecture in Melbourne, MUDI-JDS in Shanghai and AMproject in Milan.

Pier Alessio Rizzardi has been published on books, magazines and online platforms among the others MARK, East West Innovation GIZMO, ARTRIBUNE, ArchDaily, Designboom etc. He was the curator of the conference “The Condition of Chinese Architecture” in Polytechnic of Milan University, he was guest of the discussion “The Future of The Museum in China” in Beijing at STUDIO X in collaboration with Columbia University.

Zhang Hankun is the co-founder of TCA Think Tank research group. She is graduate student of Master’s in Architectu-re at Polytechnic University of Milan. In 2011 she gained working experience in KH architects, Shanghai, in the !elds of architectural design and urban development. She attained bachelor’s degree in architecture at Northwestern Polytech-nical University, China, and attended Erasmus Exchange programme at Polimi in 2010.

Zhang Hankun has been published on books and magazines and online platforms among the others MARK, East West Innovation, ArchDaily, etc.

TEAM

Andrea Vertone / videomaker / / ItalyEdna Gee / editor"/ / South Africa

Katerina Dimova / architect"/ / BulgariaNi Ya / architect / /"China

CONSULTANTS

Yibo Xu / architect / / China

CONTRIBUTORS

Harry den Hartog / professor / / ChinaDaniel Gillen / professor / / USA

Roland Karthaus / professor / / United Kingdom

In short, the research consists of 3 sections: Nowadays reality, the contemporary architecture studied through the big numbers of its expansion, the size and quantity of projects, the issue of demolition-history, the relationship between the project and the context and the so-called “no context”, the explanation of numbers of the Chinese phenomenon and condition that determines its architec-ture and the will of the search for identity. Trends Pano-rama, they are divided between objects mega-structural, landmark buildings and buildings icons, traditional and vernacular architecture. Considerations, the opposite point of views of Rem Koolhaas and Yung Ho Chang, one focused on the understanding of the reality and the current situation in Asia and the other one de!ning a new type of architecture focused on the quality of the space and the against the formalism.

The numbers of the urban development in Asia conside-ring the European one are incredible: 5 times faster (in 20 years happened what has been done in Europe in 100 years), 8 times bigger (23 cities with more than 5 million people in China while only 3 cities in Europe) and this covers a population twice as big (731,000,000 in Europe 1,342,000,000 and in China). It’s intuitive as these data lead to a way to tackle the project completely extra-neous to a Western architect. [1] Currently, the urban population exceeding the rural population rose up to 51%. It is estimated that this will reach 83% in 2035 when the process stabilizes. [2] The urban population requires services and infrastructure.

The design approach is thus based on the big numbers. One need only consider that the projects that are ad-vertised in Europe as the CCTV Tower by Koolhass and opera house by Zaha Hadid are dozens or even hundreds of times much smaller than other projects in construc-tion: infrastructure, construction of new cities, industrial areas, ports etc. The number and size of projects stron-gly in#uence the way of making architecture. In China, the face of the city is characterized by the de-molition. To quote Wang Shu, Pritzker Prize, only 10% of the historical buildings in China has survived to this day. Basically the reasons that can be found are two. [3] The !rst is based on past history: the traditional architecture used wood as the main material for building. The result is then the practice to reconstruct the image of archi-tecture with new materials. The second is based on the recent history: the Cultural Revolution used the cancel-lation of the past in order to build the new culture. The lack of historical urban tissue creates dynamics comple-tely di$erent from those found in Western cities. With the almost total demolition of historic parts of the cities the Asian society must constantly face with the concept of tabula rasa. This leads to the possibility of free deve-lopment with a complete world to rebuild. The number of architects is extremely signi!cant. The proportion of residents and architects is 40,000 to one, incredible if we think that Italy is raised to 400 people for an architect. The number is 100 times greater. [4]

If you look at the data of Chinese architecture, we see the peculiarity of the Asian condition. The Chine-

The condition of chinese architectureElaboration of a Critical Approach

se architects must be much more e%cient than their Western counterparts to work. The volume of the use of reinforced concrete in China is 33% of the world total amount, the number of Chinese architects in the world is one hundredth of the total. The turnover instead stays to a tenth of the world average. [5]This creates the theoretical condition of Chinese ar-chitects and architecture of China. A Chinese unique phenomenon is the process of City-making. The state, the only landowner, rent the land to individuals allowing them to build. In this way the state receives funding from the private sector.

The state government has absolute control, not only through the possession of the land, but also through the

imposition of masterplan. The government cannot do anything else but planning, it doesn’t have an absolute power on architecture. [6] The government de!nes a masterplan in which investors and architects formal-ly de!ne the buildings and then the shape of the city. Homes are sold as investments, and these remain empty for years. [7]

Today, the condition of Chinese architects imposes the reduction of both the design and construction time. The project with limitless possibilities becomes me-chanical as industrial production and not time is left to think about it. The speed of execution and the will to characterize the site generate examples such as One City Nine Towns in Shanghai, satellite towns in Europe-

an style. After 1980, the new Economic politics and the freedoms gained stimulated people to seek an impro-ving in their living condition. Everything that came from abroad was seen as innovation, a goal to aim. China wants to experience life in Western way. Investors get the message and build idealized European cities.Real Estate is built, used, and when it cannot give any more pro!t, it is being demolished to make way for a new investment. “Tou Fu Buildings” are buildings in which materials and technologies are sacri!ced to lower production costs and speed up the execution time. No one escaped from this trap even the Archistar as Zaha Hadid Opera House Guangzhou experienced the conse-quences of such philosophy. [8]

The cultural upheaval of recent generations has resulted in a hybrid architecture, where pro!t directs the project. The large numbers of Chinese architectural theorem, the Olympics and Expo and the economic boom create opportunity and need to build. But China is still there, since it opened its doors to the West, in the process of creating its own identity.

The architectural trends of recent years can be grouped by di$erent types: International Architects (iconic archi-tecture that aims at large-scale projects), Local Archi-tects, the new Chinese generation (small-scale architec-ture and vernacular) and background Architects.The Archistar entered in the Chinese architectural sce-ne, interpretating the voluntary of China to be visible at

the world level.

As it was Manhattan in New York nearly a century ago, China turns into a new stage in world architecture. This architecture is pointing up. Skyscrapers have a strong iconic impact: this is given by higher image and then eco-nomic returns. The city remains a “shopping window” for the modernization of the country, as Deng Xiaoping wanted Pudong in Shanghai, The “Manhattan of China.” China wants importance and visibility; the tendency of the government is toward recognizable, great and iconic architectures seeking a world-wide recognition.

“Nostalgic Architects” pursuit the “Chineseness” in ar-chitecture through the idea of rebuilding portions of the city in a traditional style. The idea of Mao was the new against the old. Now is the old against the new.

“Traditional Iconic Architects” use the way of the magni-

!cation in scale of images of the cultural tradition. They explicate architectural symbols by putting an immediate icon in the city. Architects use traditional symbols like lanterns, fans, dragons, coins to instil in their buildings, the icon of “Chineseness.”

“The Vernacular Architects” are composed by who have studied in leading universities of the United States. The-se architects are open to experimentation contaminated by Western notions. They reject the current architec-tural situation, creating a choice based on the purity of the tectonics, radical shapes, vernacular materials and simpli!ed building technologies. If we compare the timelines of the Chinese and Western architecture, we

see the existing time gap. Analyzing the current ways of doing architecture of the new generation of architects, you will notice many features in common with the archi-tectural period of post-war Europe and the West, from New Empirism in Sweden, to German Neo-expressioni-smus, but also English Brutalism, Italian Neorealism and Brazilian Brutalism.

3. CONCLUSIONSConcerning the architectural critic there are di$erent point of views.3.1. Eastern viewFrom the Eastern side we can read from the writings of Yung Ho Chang, a Chinese architect and theoretician, clearly convey the message of the need for critical archi-tecture that goes against the present-day consumerist situation based on the independence of architecture, radical forms and the use of vernacular architecture.3.2. Western viewThe western counterpart is well represented by Ko-olhaas. Koolhaas talks about the need to pay attention to these emerging phenomena and to study them from

a theoretical viewpoint as the necessary attitude for upgrading the architectural profession and maintaining a critical spirit.As it was Manhattan in New York nearly a century ago, China turns into a new stage in world architecture.

[1] [2] [4] [5] R. Koolhaas, S.Boeri, S. Kwiter, N. Tzai, Hans Ulrich Obrist, ‘Mutation’, ACTAR, Bacelona, 2001[3] W. Shu, ‘Geometry and narrative of Natural Form, Kenzo Tange Lecture, HGSD. 2011[6] A. Demagistris, ‘Storia dell’architettura dell’iltimo Sessantennio’, Politecnico di Milano University, Milan, 2010[7] J. Grima, G. Cambiaggi, ‘Instant Asia’, SKIRA, Milano, 2008[8] M. Moore, ‘Guangzhou Opera House falling Apart’, THE TELEGRAPH, 2011

CONVERSATION WITH...Since 2011, TCA visits China staying in Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Hangzhou. The Team meets face to face the main actors of the “New Generation of Chinese Architects”:

Many well known architects of the last generation studied abroad in the best American faculties and sometimes in Europe, confronting a di$erent way to deal with the design. They experience freedom and learn how to contaminate architecture with art and literature. Once they come back in China, they !nd a di$erent situation from the universities in the West. The students relate the knowledge acquired abroad with the Chinese reality. They have the will to aban-don the architectonic language of 30 years’ closeness which weighs upon them to search the lost identity through the possibilities of experimentation.

Ma Yansong / MAD ARCHITECTS

Zhang Yonghe / FCJZ

Liu Xiaodu / URBANUS

Rocco Yim / ROCCO DESIGN ARCHITECTS

Xu Tiantian / DNA ARCHITECTURE

LU Wenyu / AMATEUR ARCHITECTURE

Zhang BIM / ATELIER Z+ SHANGHAI

Zhang Lei / AZL ATELIER

CHEN Yifeng / ATELIER DESHAUS

Qi Xin / QIXIN ARCHITECTS

Liu Yuyang / ATELIER LIU YUYANG

Zhu Pei / STUDIO PEI ZHU

Li Hu / OPEN ARCHITECTURE

Liu Jiakun / JIAKUN ARCHITECTS

Li Xiaodong / LI XIAODONG ATELIER

ARCHITECTURAL REPORTS

Museum Bridge in Anren / FCJZ

Television & Broadcasting Center / MADA

Qingpu Youth Centre / ATELIER DESHAUS

Dafen Art Museum / URBANUS

Sculpture Museum / JIAKUN ARCHITECTS

Oct Design Museum / STUDIO PEI ZHU TONGJI Architecture Faculty / ATELIER Z+

Red Brick Galleries / FAKE DESIGN

Xiaopu Culture Center / DNA ARCHITECTURE

Hua Art Museum / URBANUS

Resort, Xi’an / MADA S.p.a.m.

Siheyuan, landscape / Qi Xin

Father’s House / MADA S.p.a.m.

Songzhuang Residence / DNA ARCHITECTURE

TCA reports the experience of the Chinese Architects through video do-cumentaries and photoessays of their

most expressive buildings. It reports the environment, the reality, the context and the non-context of the projects.

Songzhuang Art Center / DNA ARCHITECTURE

CONTENT

AcknowledgmentsPier Alessio Rizzardi ConditionLiu Jiakun PrefaceNote on the text

Nowadays realityBackground / A portrait of the countryGrowth 24 7; Bigness the scale of the project

Architecture / Issue about the project Demolition

issue; Starting from scratch architecture of the tabula

rasa; Chinese architects are the most importants; city

making process; ‘Imitate’ the West to turn it East; Copy

and paste strategy no time for thinking; Tofu buildings

Learning from the WestImpositions Beaux-Art

Self-impositions Republic; 1st revulution Soviet Archi-

tecture; second revolution American Post Modern; New

generation “Coming Back students”

ConversationsZhang Yonghe / FCJZ Liu Jiakun / JIAKUN ARCHITECTS Ma Yansong / MAD ARCHITECTSLiu Xiaodu / URBANUS Zhang Lei / AZL ATELIERLU Wenyu / AMATEUR ARCHITECTURELiu Yuyang / ATELIER LIU YUYANG Rocco Yim / ROCCO DESIGN ARCHITECTSZhang BIM / ATELIER Z+ SHANGHAILi Xiaodong / LI XIAODONG ATELIERQingyun Ma / MADA S.p.a.m.Zhu Pei / STUDIO PEI ZHULi Hu / OPEN ARCHITECTURECHEN Yifeng / ATELIER DESHAUSQi Xin / QIXIN ARCHITECTSXu Tiantian / DNA ARCHITECTURE

Issues

Issue 1 / 1 Building in 7 days Spontaneous city; instant

building

Issue 2 / Sublime chaos 55 families 1 country

Issue 3 / Icon, symbol, sign, index The meanning

beyond

Issue 4 / Chinese way to bignessIssue 5 / Urban balance

Learning from the East

Postscript

Image creditsIndex

7101520

22

48

94

138152164178184196208218230240252264272284290296302320332

340348354358

368

Li Xiangning

Harry den Hartog

Book contents

THE CONDITION OF CHINESE ARCHITECTURE:Elaboration of a critical approach

Nowadays reality: Background / A portrait of the country; Architecture / Issue about the project;

Learning from the West

Conversations -

-

Issues:

Learning from the East:

Exhibition: Tshingua University Beijing; Exhibition at Tongji University, Studio X BeijingWhere

Press: Chinese Architectural and Industrial PRESS How

Print run: 5.000Quantity

Title: “The Condition of the Chinese Architecture:Elaboration of a critical approach”What

Publication date: August 2014When

Author: Pier Alessio Rizzardi (supported by TCA Think Tank Group:Zhang Hankun, Xu Yibo, Joseph di Pasquale, Remo Dorigati,Edoardo Giancola Katerina Dimova Edna Gee)

Who

Media Partners:patronaged