Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2007.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lee, Hon Chung
Other Authors: Yung Ho Chang.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38879
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author Lee, Hon Chung
author2 Yung Ho Chang.
author_facet Yung Ho Chang.
Lee, Hon Chung
author_sort Lee, Hon Chung
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description Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2007.
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spelling mit-1721.1/388792019-04-10T14:18:18Z Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing Lee, Hon Chung Yung Ho Chang. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Architecture. Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2007. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-107). Under the pressure of globalization and the approaching 2008 Olympics, Beijing has undergone a rapid transformation that is dramatically eroding the old fabric. It has been argued that whether the capital city should be modernized or has its most historical characteristics preserved as much as possible, and place development elsewhere. The development in the old city of Beijing in the last decade, however, has been mainly driven by speed and economy and has expended very little effort on slow transformation and preservation. The traditional form - the differentiated courtyard architecture and the "hutong" neighborhood structure - has gradually been replaced by monolithic separated forms and wide roads under modernization. Through designing a current urban renewal project in the old city of Beijing, this thesis explores alternative ways to deal with transformation in the city, in order to discover the potential of other new urban forms that are not commonly used in the current development in Beijing, but yet hold the value and characteristics of traditional Chinese urban space and could preserve Beijing's identity. This thesis also explores possible ways to construct a new fabric that harmonizes with the old one. The old fabric represents a pattern of living that has been slowly transformed since the Yuan Dynasty (13th - 14th century); thus, it holds a strong identity and memory of Beijing. This thesis will deal with the challenge of preserving identity and memory in a fast-changing environment. by Hon Chung Lee (Alex). M.Arch. 2007-09-27T19:30:10Z 2007-09-27T19:30:10Z 2007 2007 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38879 165139845 eng CDROM contains thesis in .PDF format. M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 109 p. application/pdf a-cc--- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Architecture.
Lee, Hon Chung
Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title_full Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title_fullStr Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title_full_unstemmed Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title_short Transforming space in the Old City of Beijing
title_sort transforming space in the old city of beijing
topic Architecture.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/38879
work_keys_str_mv AT leehonchung transformingspaceintheoldcityofbeijing