Rehabilitating the Old City of Beijing
A Project in the Ju'er Hutong Neighbourhood
A thoughtful analysis of how seventy years of revolution and turmoil
have affected the miraculous ancient urban form of Beijing -- and an
impassioned plea to turn the tide of demolition.
Description
Seventy years of revolution and turmoil have had a severe impact on the
miraculous ancient urban form of Beijing, but economic growth since the
early 1990s has threatened to deal the coup de grace. In
Rehabilitating the Old City of Beijing, Wu Liangyong presents
an impassioned plea to turn the tide of demolition and offers a new
direction for the planning and development of China's capital. His
project for the renewal of the Ju'er Hutong (Chrysanthemum Lane)
neighbourhood in the heart of Beijing's Old City takes pride of
place in this book. A thoughtful analysis of those aspects of the
ancient capital's features, which the project aims to respect and
conserve, is followed by a detailed account of the design and
development process of the project itself.
Reviews
Utilising his thorough knowledge of the unique street pattern, urban water and lake system, characteristic solid enclosure and internal openness of its cityscape, Professor Wu Liangyong has been able to reconstruct skilfully the city’s texture and grain in undertaking the Ju’er Hutong renewal project ... This book provides a fascinating insight into the project’s development and distils key lessons for future conservation and renewal programmes.
- Zou Deci