Constructing a Chinese Modernity: Theoretical Agenda for a New Architectural Practice

This paper explores the possibilities and problematics of a theoretical perspective for China's architectural practice at the turn of the century. Employing studies on the affinity between postmodern theses and the Chinese intellectual tradition, it argues for a Chinese approach to notions of ‘reason’ and modernity. Observing China's development in the late twentieth century as a major breakthrough in dealing with modernisation and Westernisation, this paper suggests a reading of the current transformation as an historical development of new forms of the modem project. In this context, it proposes a theoretical outlook and strategic agendas for spatial and architectural practice in four thematic areas of cross-cultural conversation.