Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project

Ieoh Ming Pei completed his work on the Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing in the year of 1983. This has been a piece of significant work in modern Chinese architecture. Corresponding studies and discussions have been mainly attracted to its style and its exploration of modernity, while relatively less...

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Main Authors: Xuerui Wang, Xiangning Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-09-01
Series:Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2022.2160206
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author Xuerui Wang
Xiangning Li
author_facet Xuerui Wang
Xiangning Li
author_sort Xuerui Wang
collection DOAJ
description Ieoh Ming Pei completed his work on the Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing in the year of 1983. This has been a piece of significant work in modern Chinese architecture. Corresponding studies and discussions have been mainly attracted to its style and its exploration of modernity, while relatively less concentrated on a close reading of the design. Taking “site reconstruction” as a clue, this paper traces the historic transformations of the site condition of this hotel. Following a chronological review and a formal analysis of different time periods, the paper revisits the discourse of the Fragrant Hill Hotel both in Chinese and American contexts. It examines the gaps between Chinese and American critiques and speculates on the reasons for the discrepancies. By comparing the discursive focus of “hunting park” and “imperial garden,” this paper attempts to uncover the tension between history and identity concealed in I.M. Pei’s address on the site. While the inconsistency is partly due to the time and people’s standpoints originating from the time, it still shows how design functions as a form of power in the history.
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spelling doaj.art-388ba8f58fce4035894f7773c9f1f69c2023-10-24T10:30:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering1347-28522023-09-012252506252210.1080/13467581.2022.21602062160206Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction projectXuerui Wang0Xiangning Li1Tongji UniversityTongji UniversityIeoh Ming Pei completed his work on the Fragrant Hill Hotel in Beijing in the year of 1983. This has been a piece of significant work in modern Chinese architecture. Corresponding studies and discussions have been mainly attracted to its style and its exploration of modernity, while relatively less concentrated on a close reading of the design. Taking “site reconstruction” as a clue, this paper traces the historic transformations of the site condition of this hotel. Following a chronological review and a formal analysis of different time periods, the paper revisits the discourse of the Fragrant Hill Hotel both in Chinese and American contexts. It examines the gaps between Chinese and American critiques and speculates on the reasons for the discrepancies. By comparing the discursive focus of “hunting park” and “imperial garden,” this paper attempts to uncover the tension between history and identity concealed in I.M. Pei’s address on the site. While the inconsistency is partly due to the time and people’s standpoints originating from the time, it still shows how design functions as a form of power in the history.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2022.2160206fragrant hill hotelieoh ming peijing yi gardenfragrant hill protectorysite reconstruction
spellingShingle Xuerui Wang
Xiangning Li
Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
fragrant hill hotel
ieoh ming pei
jing yi garden
fragrant hill protectory
site reconstruction
title Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
title_full Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
title_fullStr Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
title_full_unstemmed Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
title_short Intersecting narratives of site: Fragrant Hill Hotel as a reconstruction project
title_sort intersecting narratives of site fragrant hill hotel as a reconstruction project
topic fragrant hill hotel
ieoh ming pei
jing yi garden
fragrant hill protectory
site reconstruction
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2022.2160206
work_keys_str_mv AT xueruiwang intersectingnarrativesofsitefragranthillhotelasareconstructionproject
AT xiangningli intersectingnarrativesofsitefragranthillhotelasareconstructionproject