This new pride will change the way citizens look at other issues, says expert
By Tan Dawn Wei 7 December 2008
Beijing’s National Stadium - better known as the Bird’s Nest - may have given China worldwide glory during the recent Olympic Games.
But it has also come under much fire from international architects and Chinese intellectuals for being ‘clumsy’, ‘overwhelming’ and ‘lacking in substance’.
So it is somewhat surprising to hear Mr. Jiang Jun, the 34-year-old editor-in-chief of cutting-edge magazine Urban China - and a member of this intelligentsia - come to its defence.
‘I do feel it has substance. At least, it has had an influence over the cityscape and country’s image,’ said the designer and critic in Mandarin.
This image has been missing from the world’s radar over the past century.
‘Till now, lots of foreigners, if they haven’t been to China, still think the Chinese wear pigtails.
‘Whether this image cultivated by the Bird’s Nest truly represents China is another matter. At least it has presented China as a major power to the world.’
Mr. Jiang was in town recently to speak at the Asian Design Culture Conference organised by the Architects Association Asia and supported by the Design Singapore Council.
The magazine, which he co-founded, has been lauded locally and internationally as a pioneer in discussing China’s urban issues and counts renowned architect Rem Koolhaas and cultural and architectural historian Ole Bouman among its international advisers.
The intellectuals may turn up their noses at the mammoth stadium with the unmistakable lattice steel formation, but the large majority of Chinese citizens are very proud of it, said Mr. Jiang, who holds a master’s degree in industrial design from Beijing’s Tsinghua University.
It has a role to play in bolstering its citizens’ confidence, which will have an impact on the way they look at other issues, including whether there should be unification between Taiwan and mainland China.
‘Before, they may think, since the Taiwanese are doing better than us, then let them be. Now, they may think, Taiwan may be a democracy, but it may not be that much ahead of us.’
Far from being a white elephant - a fate which has befallen many Olympic stadiums - the Bird’s Nest is likely to survive post-Games.
Tens of thousands of Chinese from outside of Beijing, who were kept out of the capital city during the Games period, are going and will continue to flock to the stadium.
‘It’s like standing in front of Tiananmen. They’ve seen images of it on TV, but now they are seeing it for themselves up close.’
More importantly, it has created a new hub in the north of Beijing, blending with other nerve centres there, like Zhongguancun - China’s Silicon Valley - and top educational institutions like Peking University and Tsinghua University.
The Bird’s Nest, along with a number of other avant-garde buildings that have sprung up recently, has transformed Beijing’s urban landscape remarkably from one of little character to one filled with iconic structures.
Of equal stature is the soon-to-open CCTV building, a new landmark in Beijing’s central business district hilariously named Big Underpants by the locals for its shape.
Designed by Mr. Ole Scheeren - known to many as Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung’s boyfriend - the new headquarters of the state television network looms over the new business district at a towering 230m high.
Shaped like a window but also a loop, it will be open to the public, who can tour the facilities and get a behind-the-scenes look at the network’s production process.
This opening up of physical space by an important arm of the government machinery signifies a change in the very nature of the organ, said Mr. Jiang.
Although it is not a commercial entity, its construction has also spurred development of the neighbourhood and pushed up the value of the land around it.
Since a government has all rights and responsibilities to national buildings, it has to be careful in how they are used as that has a direct bearing on its official image.
The Chinese authorities learnt this from Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, said Mr. Jiang, who also teaches at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.
‘In the early days, when Mr. Lee was trying to bring in foreign investments, he made sure the roads and government buildings were well-constructed, and there were good hotels available. When foreign businessmen came, they would have an impression that the government was a competent one.’
Besides the CCTV headquarters, some 300 more buildings in Beijing’s business district are being built or are on the drawing board.
While some architects and academics are bemoaning Beijing’s quest for a world-class city skyline, favouritism of Western designers over local ones and taste for all things big, these mindsets have filtered down to the local level.
Almost every Chinese city bears witness to a penchant for mammoth buildings, often out of scale to its surroundings. Mr. Jiang attributes this to the local governments’ role in the need to attract foreign investments.
‘They need to transform how land is used in order to allow the value of their land to appreciate; only in this way can they bring in sufficient revenue for the local government,’ said the Hubei native.
One negative consequence of this is the rise of collusion between government officials and businessmen, he said.
‘The rights of individuals to land have been marginalised.’
This income or class inequality can already be seen in the physical space in cities, with wide avenues co-existing with small lanes hidden behind walls.
‘It’s a reflection of the relationship between the elites and the masses.’
But are there intangible values to a piece of land? Can a price tag be put on memories and heritage?
One of the biggest victims of China’s rapid urbanisation has been old buildings, which have been razed with no sympathy from the authorities and a lot of flak from conservationists and historians.
Mr. Jiang’s win-win solution is to re-carve districts so each one would end up with some heritage buildings and also some land for development.
He once suggested to the Beijing authorities that neighbouring Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts - two of the city’s most important precincts - swop land so Dongcheng’s famed hutongs, which are alleys with traditional courtyard residences, can be preserved.
‘If a plot of land fails to deliver the value that the district government believes it can bring, it will come under threat under the current system.
‘The law is of no use in such cases. This involves too many interests and options are limited,’ he said.
1 comment:
Bird’s Nest New Confidence
This new pride will change the way citizens look at other issues, says expert
By Tan Dawn Wei
7 December 2008
Beijing’s National Stadium - better known as the Bird’s Nest - may have given China worldwide glory during the recent Olympic Games.
But it has also come under much fire from international architects and Chinese intellectuals for being ‘clumsy’, ‘overwhelming’ and ‘lacking in substance’.
So it is somewhat surprising to hear Mr. Jiang Jun, the 34-year-old editor-in-chief of cutting-edge magazine Urban China - and a member of this intelligentsia - come to its defence.
‘I do feel it has substance. At least, it has had an influence over the cityscape and country’s image,’ said the designer and critic in Mandarin.
This image has been missing from the world’s radar over the past century.
‘Till now, lots of foreigners, if they haven’t been to China, still think the Chinese wear pigtails.
‘Whether this image cultivated by the Bird’s Nest truly represents China is another matter. At least it has presented China as a major power to the world.’
Mr. Jiang was in town recently to speak at the Asian Design Culture Conference organised by the Architects Association Asia and supported by the Design Singapore Council.
The magazine, which he co-founded, has been lauded locally and internationally as a pioneer in discussing China’s urban issues and counts renowned architect Rem Koolhaas and cultural and architectural historian Ole Bouman among its international advisers.
The intellectuals may turn up their noses at the mammoth stadium with the unmistakable lattice steel formation, but the large majority of Chinese citizens are very proud of it, said Mr. Jiang, who holds a master’s degree in industrial design from Beijing’s Tsinghua University.
It has a role to play in bolstering its citizens’ confidence, which will have an impact on the way they look at other issues, including whether there should be unification between Taiwan and mainland China.
‘Before, they may think, since the Taiwanese are doing better than us, then let them be. Now, they may think, Taiwan may be a democracy, but it may not be that much ahead of us.’
Far from being a white elephant - a fate which has befallen many Olympic stadiums - the Bird’s Nest is likely to survive post-Games.
Tens of thousands of Chinese from outside of Beijing, who were kept out of the capital city during the Games period, are going and will continue to flock to the stadium.
‘It’s like standing in front of Tiananmen. They’ve seen images of it on TV, but now they are seeing it for themselves up close.’
More importantly, it has created a new hub in the north of Beijing, blending with other nerve centres there, like Zhongguancun - China’s Silicon Valley - and top educational institutions like Peking University and Tsinghua University.
The Bird’s Nest, along with a number of other avant-garde buildings that have sprung up recently, has transformed Beijing’s urban landscape remarkably from one of little character to one filled with iconic structures.
Of equal stature is the soon-to-open CCTV building, a new landmark in Beijing’s central business district hilariously named Big Underpants by the locals for its shape.
Designed by Mr. Ole Scheeren - known to many as Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung’s boyfriend - the new headquarters of the state television network looms over the new business district at a towering 230m high.
Shaped like a window but also a loop, it will be open to the public, who can tour the facilities and get a behind-the-scenes look at the network’s production process.
This opening up of physical space by an important arm of the government machinery signifies a change in the very nature of the organ, said Mr. Jiang.
Although it is not a commercial entity, its construction has also spurred development of the neighbourhood and pushed up the value of the land around it.
Since a government has all rights and responsibilities to national buildings, it has to be careful in how they are used as that has a direct bearing on its official image.
The Chinese authorities learnt this from Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, said Mr. Jiang, who also teaches at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.
‘In the early days, when Mr. Lee was trying to bring in foreign investments, he made sure the roads and government buildings were well-constructed, and there were good hotels available. When foreign businessmen came, they would have an impression that the government was a competent one.’
Besides the CCTV headquarters, some 300 more buildings in Beijing’s business district are being built or are on the drawing board.
While some architects and academics are bemoaning Beijing’s quest for a world-class city skyline, favouritism of Western designers over local ones and taste for all things big, these mindsets have filtered down to the local level.
Almost every Chinese city bears witness to a penchant for mammoth buildings, often out of scale to its surroundings. Mr. Jiang attributes this to the local governments’ role in the need to attract foreign investments.
‘They need to transform how land is used in order to allow the value of their land to appreciate; only in this way can they bring in sufficient revenue for the local government,’ said the Hubei native.
One negative consequence of this is the rise of collusion between government officials and businessmen, he said.
‘The rights of individuals to land have been marginalised.’
This income or class inequality can already be seen in the physical space in cities, with wide avenues co-existing with small lanes hidden behind walls.
‘It’s a reflection of the relationship between the elites and the masses.’
But are there intangible values to a piece of land? Can a price tag be put on memories and heritage?
One of the biggest victims of China’s rapid urbanisation has been old buildings, which have been razed with no sympathy from the authorities and a lot of flak from conservationists and historians.
Mr. Jiang’s win-win solution is to re-carve districts so each one would end up with some heritage buildings and also some land for development.
He once suggested to the Beijing authorities that neighbouring Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts - two of the city’s most important precincts - swop land so Dongcheng’s famed hutongs, which are alleys with traditional courtyard residences, can be preserved.
‘If a plot of land fails to deliver the value that the district government believes it can bring, it will come under threat under the current system.
‘The law is of no use in such cases. This involves too many interests and options are limited,’ he said.
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