Xing Ruan Boeken

"For almost three thousand years, Chinese life - from the city and the imperial palace, to the temple, the market, and the family home - was configured around the courtyard, as were the accomplishments of China's artistic, philosophical, and institutional elites. Confucius' Courtyard tells the story of how this most singular and persistent architectural form holds the key to understanding, even today, much of Chinese society and culture. Part architectural history, and part introduction to the cultural and philosophical history of China, the book explores the Chinese view of the world, and reveals the extent to which this is inextricably intertwined with the ancient concept of the courtyard, an architectural element and a way of life which has been almost entirely overlooked in China since 1949, and in the West for centuries. Along the way, it provides an accessible introduction to the Confucian doctrine of zhongyong ('the Middle Way'), and the Chinese principles of the virtuous good life, and shows how these can only be fully understood through the humble courtyard - a space which is grounded in the earth, yet open to the heavens. Erudite and poetic, Confucius' Courtyard weaves together architecture, philosophy, and cultural history to explore what lies at the very heart of Chinese civilization"--

Featuring hundreds of photographs and extensive commentary, this modern architecture and design book showcases the dynamic structures of today's China. by China's booming cities are evolving at a dizzying speed, and her new wealth has created a dynamic environment for architecture and construction. New China Architecture documents the spectacular transformation modern China has undergone in recent decades as the heady push to prosperity has inspired architects from China and around the globe to produce striking new designs. Award-winning professor of architecture, Xing Ruan, covers the entire range of China's most captivating new building projects—from Shanghai skyscrapers to public buildings in Beijing and Guangzhou, and from cutting-edge private homes and gleaming new airports to theaters and universities throughout China. Over the past few decades, architects, urban planners, and design aficionados everywhere have watched China's spectacular urban transformation with awe, and New China Architecture offers them a closer look at the country's most innovative new buildings.