| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270656 | Frontiers of Architectural Research | 2015 | 13 Pages |
The three contemporary Chinese architects, namely Yung Ho Chang, Liu Jiakun, and Wang Shu, have often been labeled as the ‘avant-garde’ or xianfeng architects in China. In response to the xianfeng architect label, Wang claims that he is a houfeng (rear-guard) architect because of his obsession with traditions. This paper aims to discuss the appropriateness of labeling these architects as ‘avant-garde,’ xianfeng, or houfeng. Through the theoretical analysis of western discourse, notable attributes of the western architectural avant-garde are identified, and a tentative framework is developed to test its validity and usefulness in a non-western context. The term youfeng is arguably a better phrase to describe these three Chinese architects considering the heterogeneous trajectory of modernity in China.
