Vacillating Modernism: A Socio-Political Review of the Development of Architectural Modernism in Post-reform China, 1978-89.

Abstract

This paper explores the evolving connotations of architectural modernism in post-reform China, examining how Chinese architectural intellectuals discussed and interpreted modernism between 1978 and 1989. Guided by the discursive understanding of modernism advocated by recent scholarship, this paper analyses a series of articles written by Chinese intellectuals on modernism published in Chinese professional journals during that period. The findings suggest that these intellectuals interpreted and utilized modernism as an ideology to articulate their visions for architectural and social reform. Furthermore, the paper argues that modernism’s connotation shifted from advocating industrialization and technological progression to pursuing professional autonomy, mirroring the vacillations in post-reform China’s unstable socio-political landscape. This paper contributes to the historiography of modern Chinese architecture by highlighting an often overlooked yet crucial modernist trajectory. Meanwhile, by examining the resonance between architectural discussions and political upheavals in post-reform China, this paper contributes to transdisciplinary studies on the socio-political interpretations of architectural history and the emergence of architectural discourse.