Cultural identity in the contemporary Chinese architecture (based on Wang Shu’s, Liu Jiakun’s and Yung Ho Chang’s works)

This thesis raises the theme of cultural identity in one of the spheres of art - architecture, because in the context of globalization, people are gradually starting to forget about regional identity and prefer modern design. The object is the modern architecture of China, the subject is the representation of cultural identity in the works of modern architects – Wang Shu, Liu Jiakun and Zhang Yonghe. The aim of the study is to analyze modern Chinese architecture and its trends, as well as the approaches that beforementioned architects use to express cultural identity in their projects. In the course of work, we came to the following conclusions. Firstly, identity includes both national characteristics (territory) and ethnic-cultural ones (myths and traditions). There are also ways to represent identity in modern architecture, such as local symbolism or the concept of “the spirit of the place,” as well as the use of traditional forms and materials. Secondly, we have identified the main trend in the modern architecture of China – borrowing of Western ideas, styles and concepts. However, since the 1980s, the question has been raised about the expression of cultural identity, and architects, using the “national form” and critical regionalism, present in their projects the features of Chinese identity. Thirdly, after analyzing the projects of Wang Shu, Liu Jiakun and Zhang Yonghe, we saw that their projects meet not only modern technologies and concepts, but also regional culture, as they partially use traditional materials, construction methods and Chinese philosophical and religious teachings.