Architects attending the Sino-French Architectural Forum in
Beijing on Thursday shared opinions on city and architectural
development in China.
"We need to negotiate the relationship between tradition and
innovation," said Zhang Yu, vice president of the Beijing Institute
of Architectural Design (BIAD).
Zhang said government officials and architects should pay more
attention to protecting the regional character of China's city
planning.
Since 1982, China has classified 99 cities as 'historic cities,'
but most of them are losing their distinctive ancient features in
urban reconstruction and real estate development. Many ruins and
ancient streets risk being demolished.
In Beijing, the 'hutongs' or alleys, which make the traditional
framework of a Chinese city, are disappearing at a rate of 600 per
year.
Liu Kaiji, consultative architect with the BIAD, supported
Zhang's opinion by taking Beijing as an example.
"People in other countries love Beijing for its traditional
architecture, such as the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
Any building is part of the city ... and must be consistent with
its context," he said.
China Daily reported today that more than 20 cultural
heritage sites in Beijing, including the 700-year-old Confucian
Temple and adjacent Imperial College, are currently being
renovated.
The capital's soon-to-be-completed China National Opera House,
designed by French architect Paul Andreu, has sparkled fierce
controversy in China.
Opponents have criticized its daring and contemporary design,
saying it is out of tune with its surroundings and overshadows the
Great Hall of the People.
Bertrand Lemoine, member of the Association of French Export
Architects, said taking account of a building's surroundings is a
priority for French architecture, and French architects working in
China are also trying to learn more about traditions here.
He said China's urban development has followed an 'American
pattern' characterized by very tall buildings at large intervals.
He recommended a 'French pattern' of continuous and relatively low
buildings.
"The latter model, which can provide good light during the day
and abundant public space, is more suitable for China's cities," he
said.
Wu Liangyong, veteran of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and Academy of Engineering of China, said Chinese architects should
learn from their French counterparts in terms of cultural and
scientific tastes, spirit of the times and creativity.
In addition, Zhang, proposed an aim of "economic architectural
design" for Chinese cities.
According to Zhang, out of 14 billion square meters of buildings
in cities across the country, only 320 million square meters are
economically designed and built in terms of use of resources. The
rest, accounting for about 95 percent, are energy-guzzling.
"We must build houses that consume energy with high efficiency.
At the same time, the quality of construction should be ensured,"
he said.
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(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2005)