The Theory And Methods Of "Bigness" In Contemporary Urban Architecture

China is undergoing the "largest and fastest" urbanization process in human history,involving a large population and a staggering amount of construction.The large scale and large number are vividly demonstrated in almost every level of construction,and it reflects the meaning of"quantity" in Chinese culture from one side.Under the background of the major transformation of current world economy and Chinese society,the development of cities and buildings at this stage needs to shift from the expansion of scale and quantity to the improvement of quality and efficiency.This involves how to effectively deal with a series of urban phenomena and problems,such as the quick expansion and sprawl of cities,the rapid changes in urban forms,the emergence and derivation of new urban building types,and the continuous disintegration and fragmentation of public spaces.However,in the context of contemporary Chinese architecture,our systematic thinking and theoretical understanding of relevant phenomena and problems are still insufficient.At present,what Chinese architects urgently need to think about is how to re-evaluate and define the role of architecture in contemporary cities,so as to establish a paradigm for thinking and practice of urban architecture,reflecting on and responding to urban problems in China triggered by the "quantity and scale",and to realize a shift from pure quantity growth to quality improvement.In response to the large number problem emerged in the rapid urbanization process,Western countries have carried out extensive practice and developed unique theories and ideological systems.Based on the continuous exploration of architects and groups in different eras since CIAM including Gropius,Le Corbusier,Team10,Metabolism,etc.,on the topic of "quantity and scale",this paper,starting from the view of urban architecture,under the framework of the relevance examination by "condition-idea-forms of production(carrier)-device-method" in discursive formation analytical method,examines the theoretical thinking and design practice of Ungers and Koolhaas on "Bigness" by as a complementary whole,distinguishes and analyzes the "idea" and "method" of dealing with urban building complex and building unit,and proposes that the ideological composition and conceptual connotation of "Bigness" contain two aspects:first,Ungers takes residential housing as the carrier and realizes the integration of building complex based on the structural law of "form";secondly,Koolhaas takes Manhattan skyscrapers as the carrier and constructs complex association between internal fragments of a single building with the arrangement of programs.The paper points out that the practice of urban architecture from the theoretical perspective of"Bigness" emphasizes the ability of architecture as a subject to continuous renewal in terms of ideas,positions,tools,methods and practices,draw from urban construction and response to urban changes,which is an extension of the boundaries of architecture discipline and architecture knowledge.In this context,the "Bigness" theory is the result of the continuous knowledge and systematization of the issue of "quantity and scale".It has developed two different ways of thinking,and by constructing a "difficult whole" that tolerates differences and diversification,realizes the creation of urbanity to fulfill its promise of improvement from quantity to quality.This provides us with an important theoretical fulcrum and practical reference for the reconstruction of quantitative strategies in the context of Chinese urbanization and the planning and design of urban architecture in an era of stock properties.