Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Thresholds and Stages: Beijing's Central Political Space895 views
Author
Allen, Bradley, Architectural History - School of Architecture, University of Virginia
Advisors
Li, Shiqiao, Department of Architecture, University of Virginia
Wilson, Richard, Department of Architectural History, University of Virginia
Nelson, Louis, Department of Architectural History, University of Virginia
Abstract
Beijing’s central political space has undergone a profound shift from its imperial origins to its twentieth-century form; Beijing’s central political space changed from a set of enclosed spaces orchestrating ritual processions and thresholds into one of a central square based on spatial models from elsewhere. This shift was one of the most fundamental transformations in the history of Chinese cities, one that both maintains some degree of the nature of political power in China, and repositions it radically. The process of this change gives us a fascinating case study of the intertwined materiality of architecture and politics.
Allen, Bradley. Thresholds and Stages: Beijing's Central Political Space. University of Virginia, Architectural History - School of Architecture, MARH (Master of Architectural History), 2014-05-07, https://doi.org/10.18130/V3T67G.