Urban rejuvenator
- By An Xinzhu
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E-mail China Today, July 17, 2017
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Wu Chen shows his overseas counterparts his planned project to renovate Beijing’s Dashilar Street. [Photo/China Today] |
Wu Chen is an expert in urban planning and historical area preservation, and author of such architectural icons as China Zun, Beijing's tallest building currently under construction in the capital's CBD. He is also responsible for the design of China's fourth generation railway stations, and is a main force in the project to conserve the old city of Beijing.
Wu Chen, who was born and bred in Beijing, went to the U.K. to study in 1995. He has since become the first architect from China's mainland to gain membership of the Chartered Institute of Building, and of the Royal Town Planning Institute. As one of the professionals involved in China's Recruitment Program of Global Youth Experts, Wu has returned to his home country and is chief architect at the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design.
Return with a dream
"Human activity is the most important factor of urban life," Wu Chen said. "However, most cities in China have not yet realized this, even though they have achieved rapid development." In the first few years of the 21st century, some big cities in China built a good number of large scale sculptures and landmark constructions. Unlike European cities, which are developed and at the same time conserved through prudent planning, however, Beijing seemed at one time to be laboratory for overseas architects. Wu publicly criticized this trend and decided to return to his home country to design buildings in a more appropriately Chinese style.
While working in London, Wu took part in several key projects, notably the design of the new Home Office headquarters. It was this project that made him aware of the changes that have occurred in London's time-honored city agglomerations since the turn of the 21st century. Disused inner city factories and old buildings have been rebuilt with new functions added, rather than being allowed to degenerate into ruins. Wu gained great inspiration from the concept of urban renaissance initiated in the U.K. in the 1980s. He perceived from London's rich history the significance of passing down cultural heritage. In his opinion, urban renaissance has much in common with the medieval Renaissance, in that both seek a perfect fusion of the spiritual and material worlds. To some extent, this perception has influenced Wu's ideas about architectural design and urban planning since leaving the U.K.
Wu put his idea of urban renaissance into practice in Beijing, his birthplace. Since 2001, he has promoted technical innovation of urban design as applied to architectural engineering design practice. In 2002, he put forward his urban renewal theory to explain and solve the problem of urban development in the new era.
Traditional compounds generate modern dynamics
Over the years, Wu Chen and his team have carried out numerous research and design projects in Beijing's historical districts, such as the city's Central Axis, the Dashilar area, the White Pagoda Temple, Shichahai Lake, Nanluoguxiang Alley, and Qianmen Street, to name but a few.
In both his research and practice, Wu adheres to the philosophies of active protection, integral innovation, and all-round rejuvenation. His ultimate aim is to preserve time-honored areas and restore historical legacies while facilitating sustainable urban development.
Many old buildings stand on Nanluoguxiang Alley, one of the oldest blocks in Beijing. It presents a microcosm of traditional local life. But unauthorized constructions by some shops on the alley have coincided with the growing numbers of tourists that converge there. In order to protect its authentic historical charm, Wu's team worked out a preservation plan for the district. It takes the form of Beijing's first-ever prescribed local standards for preservation of the old city. Every detail – from the size of window frames to features of the block as a whole – has been set down with the aim of conserving the traditional culture.
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