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ABSTRACT
On October 2014, Chinese president Xi Jinping criticized the construction of weird
buildings in China. Criticisms by the media and the general public are also made against
foreign architects who used China as an experimental playground, disregarding Chinese
culture and needs. Prominent buildings such as the CCTV Headquarter indubitably fall
under the category. Yet, are these buildings really aliens or are they misinterpreted?
The paper will first explore two structuralism linguistic theories: (1) Peter
Eisenmans adaptation of semiotics within architecture and (2) how architecture is
viewed as language by Derrida. This would provide a precedent for the two ways
buildings are perceived by people on a semantic level through its facade, or on rather
than a syntax level through its conceptual subsurface.
Next, the paper will query the relationship between contemporary architecture in
China and its reference towards the countrys tradition and culture. Two case studies
will be analysed: (1) CCTV Headquarters (2012), designed by Office of Metropolitan
Architecture (OMA) and (2) Ningbo Historic Museum (2008). The author draws
reference to their conceptualization process and how their contextual responsiveness,
faade and spatial organisation relate back to Chinese culture and traditions.
Incorporating the way people perceive buildings and their relationship towards Chinese
traditions, the author concludes that despite complexity and relevance towards Chinese
traditions behind the design of the CCTV Headquarters, the semantic relationship of the
building leads to its misinterpretation. On the contrary, Ningbo Historic Museum, due to
its responsiveness to cultural and context, is a well-received contemporary Chinese
building on a semantic level. The author would then explore the direction which
contemporary Chinese architecture should progress to reflect a Chinese zeitgeist,
instead of the westernization of the cities and inevitably losing their culture and
traditions.
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INTRODUCTION
In the past decade, the rapid economic development of the Peoples Republic of China
resulted in the countrys economic and cultural globalisation. The influx of transnational
community increases infrastructures demand. Chinese architects did not have the luxury
of time to develop a style that would define modern Chinese society. 1 Chinese architects
relied on western proven standards, tall glass and steel cladded skyscrapers to suffice
the demands. Western iterations homogenized the Chinese built environment, resulting
projects, the Olympic Stadium, National Aquatic Centre and the CCTV Headquarters
experience and reputation. Despite their ingenuity, those projects were increasingly
being accused of failing to comprehend Chinese culture and insolently neglecting Chinas
needs. 3
Despite numerous criticisms against weird buildings, are they genuinely experiments
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deemed as a threat towards social, cultural and traditions, 5 the Chinese identity.
This paper will discuss the appropriability of contemporary buildings in China and its
responses to the Chinese identity. Two case studies will be discussed: (1) CCTV
Headquarters (CCTVHQ) and (2) Ningbo History Museum (NHM). Both examples
investigate the conceptualization process and how it relates to the identity paradigm
through site context, faade and spatial composition. Two schools of theoretical
paramount to its acceptance by the general public. The two theoretical concepts are: (1)
Semiotics, Noam Chomsky and Peter Eisenman and (2) Architecture as a Language,
The linguistic approach adopted by Peter Eisenman, inspired by Noam Chomsky, was
subdivided into three semiotics categories: pragmatics, semantics and syntax. The
primary focus of this paper is about how the surface of the building and its visual
this discussion because it relates form to function, 6 affecting users of the building that
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Semantic is defined as the signification of signs in all modes of signifying that is, with
the ways in which they actually carry meanings. 8 Syntax was termed by Charles Morris
building that associates itself with the Chinese identity because of its symbolic
references to ancient china. These include the presence of the mythical creature dragon,
and the use of yellow roofs, a symbol for luck, power and wisdom. 12
A syntactic building on the other hand, meant as an autonomous form that allows for a
priori 13 interpretation. It should mediate between the intended meaning and the
Peter Eisenman was designed with a set of rules governing the generation of the form.
The disassociation of the form from meaning resulted in a building disregarding its
context. The design strategies can only be understood with association to its process,
8 Ibid, 476
9 Ibid, 476
10 Peter Eisenman, From Object to Relationship II: Casa Giuliani Frigerio: Giuseppe Terragni Casa Del
Fascio, Perspecta 13/14. (1971), 39
11 In a way based on reasoning from known facts or past events rather than making assumptions or
predictions Oxford Dictionaries, retrieved 19 October 2015.
12 Dubrau, Sinotecture : New Architecture in China, 20.
13 Relating or denoting reasoning or knowledge which proceeds from theoretical deduction rather than
from observation or experience, Oxford Dictionaries, retrieved 19 October 2015.
14 Eisenman, From Object to Relationship II, 39
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15Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government. Travel. Taipei, retrieved 20 October
2015.
16 Graham Mackay. Time & Architecture: Part I (NOW and WAS NOW), Misfits Architecture, retrieved 20
October 2015.
17 Al Hougton. Peter Eisenman, Diagrammi del processo compositivo di House III (Casa Miller),
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Noam Chomsky further distinguished syntax into surface syntax and deep level syntax
description which determines the phonetic form the physical signal, [whereas] deep
Putting it in the context of architecture, surface syntax, would refer to the (visual)
exterior of the building, the elevation that greets its context. Deep structure refers to the
conceptual significance of the building, and can be elevated to form surface syntax by
which the idea is expressed. 19 Deep structure is thus unconcerned about its expression
(how it is looked upon) but with its representation (how it is being understood),
Derrida likens the arrangement of faade elements and spatial planning to grammar. A
set of rules governs the decision making process, while being conscious of aesthetical
Saussure suggested that the language system, similar to syntax, could be interpreted as
two analogous terms: (1) Surface structure being the faade and finishing on the
structure and (2) deep structure as the structure and form of the building. 21 The surface
structure represents the exterior while deep structure signifies the intention and
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architecture, both demonstrated that a building, an object in context and not its space
within, can be understood in two ways. (1) A building, on surface level, relatable to its
DESIGN CONCEPT
The CCTVHQ started construction in 2004 and was completed in 2012 in Beijing (China).
not been refined, but corrupted. 23 The typical skyscraper, a tall tower standing in
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isolation of its context, restricts communications with its surrounding entities. In China,
where money does not have the last word (yet), 24 OMA designed for a building which
one which functions are placed based on its financial implications. The design was
results in a twisted loop with two vertical towersone dedicated for broadcasting, the
The two vertical towers, which are part of the entire process, join at the top and bottom
to complete the twisted loop. The top is a cantilevered space for the management and
constantly being visually reminded of the lower layers they are supported by and
dependent on. The bottom consists of a common production platform that is partly
underground. It consists of filming studios and visitor spaces, which are physically
separated from the dedicated vertical structures. Figure 5 illustrates the CCTVHQ
elevator systems and the public circulation loop. It is evident that each section of the
loop comprises of independent vertical circulation systems. The deliberate program and
circulation of a visitors loop indicates the buildings emphasis on not only corporation
hierarchy but also privacy. The interdependency of the organisation thus occurs within
the building, excluding its immediate surrounding. This self-isolated hierarchy system is
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SIHE YUAN
The Sihe Yuan is a traditional house in Beijing. It comprises of multiple housing units
public spaces and represents a well-organised family hierarchy. Figure 6 shows the
typical layout of a Sihe Yuan. The main room, usually for the house owner, is located at
the back, furthest from the entrance. The east and west rooms are for the sons, while the
backrooms are for the daughters as it is harder to enter and exit the house. The reversed
rooms, which face the public street, are the lowest in hierarchy and are usually occupied
by servants or guests. 26
The comparison between the CCTVHQ and Sihe Yuan draws similarities to the
25 Shibata, CCTV by OMA: Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren, A+U, Tokyo, 2005.
26 Peter G. Rowe and Seng Kuan, Architectural Encounters With Essence And Form In Modern China.
(London, England: The MIT Press, 2002), 25.
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rise while the Sihe Yuan extends horizontally, the spaces were allocated based on pre-
7. The looping of the CCTVHQ and Sihe Yuan both allows for privacy while promoting
solidarity and collaborations within the entity, which is representative of the imperial
Figure 7 Hierarchy and privacy within Sihe Yuan and CCTV Headquarter
Figure illustrated by author
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SITE CONTEXT
The city layout of Beijing, particularly around CCTVHQ, is characterized by regular grid
streets based of the Sihe Yuan. The grid system reflects the ideology of imperial Chinese
political system, which revolves around clusters of defined family units. 29 Figure 8
shows the first floor plan of the CCTVHQ, demonstrating the building respects the
existing gridded layout, with its rectangular ground floor plate. The conceptualization of
the CCTVHQ was however relating to a greater concept, an attempt to put forth the
Beijing Manifesto. The manifesto attempts to preserve underlying rules and compete
for a low rise CBD for Beijing. OMA believes that preservation should not only be about
social patterns and anthropological structures. 30 Figure 9 shows the CCTVHQ as part of
the manifesto, which was conceived as a modern interpretation of the traditional Sihe
Yuan and how it could work in a contemporary CBD. While the manifesto is pushing for
the development of the region, the intention of high-rise building with central
Beijing.
FAADE
The faade of the building, which is also the primary load bearing structure, reflects the
underlying relationship between the floor plates and its structural loads. Surfaces with
the greatest stress load consist of more structural reinforcements while redundant
29 Ibid, 456
30 Koolhaas, Content, 479
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demonstrated on the surface. That surface provides informed (design concepts of the
The author is not taking a critical stance towards the potential of the strategies. Instead,
the author would like to highlight the observation that the CCTVHQ was conceptualized
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completed in 2008, Ningbo, Zhejiang (China). Wang Shu, architect in charge, winner of
of its region contextual past, which has become a hyper-urbanized context, devoid of
and rural suburbs, making way for rapid urbanisation. This resulted in hyper-urbanized
places in China becoming no memory area, without culture or traditions. 35 The design
of the museum took inspiration from the mountains, resulting in its towering mass. The
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The faade of NHM was constructed using vernacular regional Chinese technique known
Cicheng town, Zhejiang Province. 36 It involves recycling broken roof tiles and bricks
relatively quickly in an area with limited resources. 37 This technique was modified and
adopted by Wang Shu for NHM because he wanted the museum to recapture memories
of the 30 villages that were demolished in the region to make way for Ningbos new
CBD.38 The combination of recycled tiles, brick and stone is fixed to exterior walls using
cement. They provide a rich tactile surface with colours that reflects the natural
environment where the materials were primarily gathered from. The adaptation of the
wa pian qiang technique also ensured that traditional craft skills will not be lost to
The interior of the building comprises of three valley, four caves four sunken
courtyards, a body of water and mountainous topography. 40 Unlike the faade, the
interior of the building adopts an abstract approach towards the interpretation of its
construction methods. Interior concrete walls adopt the zhu tiao mo ban hun ni tu
36 Chua Hing-wah, The Aesthetic of Reuse: The Materiality and Vernacular Traditions of Wang Shus
Architecture, Unmaking Waste 2015 Conference, Key note, session 12. (2015), 359
37 Ibid, 359
38 Edward Denison and Guang Yu Ren, 'The Reluctant Architect: An Interview With Wang Shu Of Amateur
Architects Studio'. Architectural Design 82 (6). (2012), 125.
39 Ibid, 124
40 Yan, The Infinite Spontaneity of Tradition.
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technique. Bamboo canes are pressed onto the surface of concrete modules to create
construction material, as a hard and cold material. Bamboo, which is native to Ningbo,
serves to remind and inform visitors of the regional vernacular materials that have been
Both buildings, conceptually, are relatable to Chinese traditions, yet the reaction that
both amass from the general public hugely contrasts. This, the author concurs, is based
The audience, in this case general public, relates to a building through its surface or
perceptual aspect, the sematic relation to pre-existing culture, memories and material.
NHM was conceptualized around these sematic a priori. The use of recycled materials
and the adaptation of new construction with regional influence (i.e. bamboo) were
techniques that are familiar to the audience, as villagers who were relocated into
urbanized living quarters for the development of the CBD. The ability to relate to the
materials and tactile quality on the surfaces of NHM provides them with opportunities to
reminiscence lost memories. The approach is so successful that after the completion of
the museum, local residents visited the museum repeatedly simply to find lost
memories. 42 Sematic relation to a building is not only about what the audience relates
the building to but also what the building presents itself as. Ironically, despite the form
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mountain. The understanding and acceptance of the NHM is not based on the perceived
whole exterior but on the small crucial signifiers such as colours or texture, which
series of elements found within mountainous Chinese landscape. It revolves around the
rules by which those elements organizes in nature and are reinterpreted through
contemporary construction methods. Valleys are low area between hills, and are
interpreted as spaces between high walls as shown in figure 11. Caves, the end of a path
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The exterior of the CCTVHQ, unlike NHM, portrays a syntax relationship. It corresponds
hierarchy and the twisted loop allows the structural faade to be interpreted as having a
co-relation to the underlying rules. The rules (hierarchy within a society) denote that
This relationship is evident from the building exterior. Firstly, the cantilever
demonstrates its dependency on the two vertical towers as an anchor point preventing
the weighty structure from tipping over. 44 Secondly, the interior of the towers surfaces,
which houses majority of the production loop, consists of the highest amount of
concept often overlook this relation of hierarchy and interdependency 45. To the greater
The publics interpretation of the building is based on the sematic relations that the
audience relates upon. CCTVHQ is therefore being dubbed big pants 46 due to its
resemblance to pants, as shown in figure 12. Another cause for rejection is the sematic
most western influenced buildings being erected all around China, there is still a
yearning towards traditional Chinese stylistic. Despite some being superficial, the
level.
44 William B. Millard in Rem Koolhaas, Content. (Ko ln, Germany: Taschen, 2004), 490.
45 Ruan and Hall, New China Architecture, 58.
46 Megan Willett, Chinas President Xi Jinping: No More Weird Architecture, Business Insider
Australia, (2014). http://www.businessinsider.com.au/xi-jinping-hates-weird-architecture-2014-
10. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
47 Dubrau, Sinotecture : New Architecture in China, 20.
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Buildings are understood by the general public on a semantic level. The CCTVHQ being
OMA attempted to establish a new identity for contemporary China. They rejected the
traditional model of skyscrapers and conceptualized one that draws influence from
hierarchy, which existed within the Chinese social fabric. The general public of China
however prefers a building that exhibits physical references to their cultural and
regional traditions, similar to the NHM. A building for the public should be readable,
This inclination for a visually engaging archetype meant that architecture in China needs
time 49, which could inevitably impede the rate of globalisation. Is China ready to
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Chinas vast terrain and varying topography complicates the formulation of a Chinese
style. Regions have varied climatic conditions, which affects the vernacular strategies
adopted. The construction method used for NHM is relevant to Ningbo. If it was adopted
in other region, it loses its significance. Should China have a singular Chinese style, it
would be similar to the homogenizing of the western styles. Chinese cities will lose its
regional characteristics. Yet, to device regional specific styles would require time and
The author believes that there is a need for contemporary high-rise to reflect the
Chinese zeitgeist 50, similar to how regional traditional buildings are doing so. The
attempt to cushion the effect of western influence is of upmost priority. Western proven
buildings. It will be intriguing then to see if China will opt for regional vernacular
identity or a unified Chinese style. Regardless, a semantic rather than a syntax design
50 The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the
time, Oxford Dictionaries, retrieved 19 October 2015.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chua, Hing-wah. The Aesthetic of Reuse: The Materiality and Vernacular Traditions of
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Denison, Edward, and Guang Yu Ren. 'The Reluctant Architect: An Interview With Wang
Shu Of Amateur Architects Studio'. Architectural Design 82, no. 6. (2012): 122-129.
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Eisenman, Peter D. 'From Object To Relationship II: Casa Giuliani Frigerio: Giuseppe
Terragni Casa Del Fascio'. Perspecta 13: 36. (1971) doi: 10.2307/1566970.
Hays, K. Michael. Architecture Theory Since 1968. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, 1998.
Ong Yan, Grace, The Infinite Spontaneity of Tradition, The Pritzker Architecture Prize,
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Rowe, Peter G, and Seng Kuan. Architectural Encounters With Essence And Form In
Modern China. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2002.
Ruan, Xing, and Patrick Bingham-Hall. New China Architecture. Singapore: Periplus,
2006.
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Hougton, Al. Peter Eisenman, Diagrammi del processo compositivo di House III (Casa
Miller), Connecticut, 1969-71, Pinterest.
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Shibata, N. CCTV by OMA: Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren, A+U, Tokyo, 2005.
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