Surpassing Begins By Steps

There is little doubt that China is the most active stage of architectural creation in today's world. A variety of different styles of design and schools of thoughts emerge and play together on it. The focus of them is still on contradiction between the tradition and the modern in architectural creation. Every Chinese architect who considers seeking and exploring directions of contemporary Chinese architecture as his/her undeniable responsibility is making unremitting efforts. Architect LI Cheng-de is surely one of them and has made significant contribution to the issue under investigation, though very quietly. He is the one whose work is definitely worth being closely followed and analyzed.The thesis takes integration of the tradition and the modern as its main thread of discussion. It provides analysis of architecture on the Southern Hill campus of China Academy of Art from three perspectives:"Book","Beyond Appearance"and"the Empowered Architect". Based on the architect's design concepts, Chapter"Book"gives a thorough discussion on planning, space, environment and architectural styles of buildings on the campus. In Chapter"Beyond Appearance", based on his own direct observation and experience, the author describes artistic impression and aesthetics that are embodied in architectural work on the campus in areas of artistry, emotion, ethics, technology etc. Built upon discussions of previous two chapters, in Chapter"the Empowered Architect", the author analyzes Li's thoughts of architecture that clearly takes rationality of pragmatism as its core. The thesis also compares Li's design work with that of other contemporary Chinese as well as some Japanese architects.Using Li's design practice and creative work as examples, the author in conclusion elaborates prospect of Chinese contemporary architecture in future, and points out a direction for Chinese architecture that employs not literally, but essences of, western design concepts and principles, and apply them in Chinese architectural creation today.The thesis has about sixty five thousand words with more than 120 drawing and photographic illustrations.