Dive Brief:
- China’s State Council and Communist Party Central Committee have issued a directive forbidding "over-sized, xenocentric or weird" architecture in favor of public buildings that are "suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye," The New York Times reported. The directive also calls for an end to gated communities.
- Experts said the resulting stricter design standards translate to more focus on functionality in public buildings, rather than the unique, iconic structures served up primarily by foreign architects.
- The move toward a more conservative approach to design began in 2014 when President Xi Jinping called for "less ostentatious buildings in China’s skylines," according to CNN.
Dive Insight:
The guidelines come two months after a high-level meeting to address some of the problems that have arisen because of China’s "rapid urbanization," which has resulted in the number of city dwellers increasing from 18% in 1978 to 56% today.
Until the swing toward more conservative guidelines, China was the playground for foreign architects who wanted to develop innovative designs, according to CNN. However, those architects said they have a sense that this move is most likely about more than just aesthetics.
"I feel that there is this attempt by the Chinese leadership to try to make itself more independent and rely on its own talent," Patrik Schumacher of Zaha Hadid Architects told Dezeen. Schumacher also said that it has been increasingly difficult to obtain work in China.
Wang Kai, vice president of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, under the Ministry of Construction, said that functionality should take precedence in public buildings but reminded critics that the new standards apply only to public buildings. Architects of private and commercial buildings, Wang said, are free to design however they wish.
The new guidelines also encourage construction techniques that use fewer resources, like prefabricated elements, according to The Times. James Shen, one of the founders of People's Architecture Office in Beijing, said prefabricated structures could help the country meet its goals of simplified design and, at the same time, ensure quality and reduce costs.