Research On The Practice Of Foreign Architects In Modern Wuhan And Their Impact On The Modernization Of Urban Architecture In Wuhan (1861-1949)

Western architectural styles and construction techniques have appeared in Hankow since its port opening.Under the influence of European and American architectural system,the modernization of urban and architecture has been developed rapidly in Wuhan.As propagators of these foreign things,the role of foreign architects in the modernization of Wuhan's urban architecture is still unclear.It is significance for the study of modern architecture in Wuhan to explore the relationship between them.As an individual with independent consciousness,the architects' behavior is formed by necessity and contingency.The study take foreign architects in modern Wuhan as research object.Through the methods of sociology and architecture,the research finds the inevitability in foreign architects' practices which seems contingency,furthermore,constructing the relationship between the foreign architects' works and the modernization of urban architecture in Wuhan.Based on the investigation of archives from different historical sources,the career and practical experience of modern foreign architects in Wuhan are interpreted.The interpretation mainly consists of three parts: The composition of their nationality,the background of their education,the process of their development and the profile of their activity.In addition,the database of foreign architects in modern Wuhan is established based on this study.This research also analyzes the impact of foreign architects' professional practice from the material and non-material aspects which include the evolution of Wuhan's urban architectural style and the construction of modern architectural industry system.For the former one,this study focus on the roles of foreign architects in different fields,which include municipal construction,architectural trends and new materials & technology.They are clarified through the restoration of images and the study of literature.For the latter one,through the combing of relevant historical materials,the relationship between foreign architects and the modern architectural industry system in Wuhan is explored.Based on analysis of two aspects,it is clear that the practice of foreign architects in modern Wuhan has important impact on the style of architecture and the architectural industry system.Furthermore,the research explores the will to power,which behind the practice of foreign architects,from the aspects of political,economic,cultural and themselves by typical case studies.Thus,the paper find the impact of foreign architects' practice on the modern urban pattern through clarify the relationship between these kinds of wills and modern urban architecture.Based on these study,the effect of necessity and contingency in foreign architects' practice on the development of architecture and urban patterns in modern Wuhan is identified.The positive and negative effects of foreign architects on the modernization of urban architecture in Wuhan is also clarified.It is clear that they have promoted the diversification of modern Wuhan's building types,the internationalization of architectural styles,the modernization of building materials and construction technologies,and the modernization of the urban pattern at the material level.They also laid a solid foundation for the construction of modern architectural industry in Wuhan at the non-material level.At the same time,it is concluded that the practice of foreign architects squeezed the development space of Chinese traditional architecture system,and blurred the regional characteristics of modern Wuhan urban architecture.Furthermore,the commonalities and characteristics of urban development derived from the research can also provide reference for the field of architectural design and urban planning in Wuhan which is currently in a period of great development.