This volume explores the phenomenon and trend of cultural buildings by
investigating 10 typical cities in China from the first, second, and
third tiers, and from the Chinese diaspora. Each grand theater design
was the result of a high-profile international competition and created
by global architects in collaboration with Chinese design institutes.
The national and international significance of these iconic projects
lies in the fact that they not only reflect the dynamics of global
design ideas, but also represent a particular historical moment in
China's modernization process. The development, histories, and purposes
of constructing cultural buildings are carefully outlined and colorfully
presented. Given China's tremendous population, the development
trajectory of its urban construction will provide insights for other
regions that hope to embark on the high-speed track in the 21st century.
"In 'Grand Theater Urbanism', Professor Charlie Xue and his team
document China's current shift towards a culture of consumption and
leisure, symbolized by the construction of multi-use Grand Theaters in
major cities. 'Grand Theater Urbanism' reveals the unexpected variety
and complexity of this contemporary cultural drive in a series of
exemplary chapters with highly detailed, local, case studies."
--Professor David Grahame Shane, Columbia University, New York
"Jane Jacobs likened city life to a performance. This book goes a stage
further and analyses the actual performance spaces within cities in
China. In doing so it makes a valuable connection between urban design
and the cultural life in cities. This is an important and often
forgotten dimension of urbanism and I heartily commend this book to
readers.'"
--Professor Matthew Carmona, The Bartlett, University College London
