During a literary symposium in Beijing last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping read a two-hour speech addressing Chinese architects and artists who have contributed to Chinaâs sizable stock of avant-garde structures.
Architects, along with authors, actors, script writers, and dancers, were urged by the president to not pursue commercial success at the expense of producing work with artistic and moral value, national news agency Xinhua reports. For architects specifically, the president encouraged them not to âengage in weird building.â
In his speech, Jinping said that art should âbe like sunshine from the blue sky and the breeze in spring that will inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste, and clean up undesirable work styles.â
He also reminisced how art and literature during his childhoodâa period when China was going through the so-called Cultural Revolutionâwas more respectful to history.
Many news agencies, both Chinese and International, interpreted the presidentâs speech as a call to more patriotic, socialist, and nationalistic art closer to traditional Chinese aesthetics.
Hong Kong-based news agency Wen Wei Po says it means China wonât have any more da kuzi (âbig pantsâ) in the future, the nickname Chinese Web denizens used for Rem Koolhasâ CCTV building in Beijing.
Â
The Guangzhou Circle. Wikimedia Commons/Amprogetti
Â
The CCTV Building in Beijing has been nicknamed "Big Pants." Wikimedia Commons/Verdgris
Related Stories
| Jul 20, 2012
Gensler, Stantec, Turner lead âgreenâ firms
The Top 10 AEC Firms in Green Buildings and LEED Accredited Staff.
| Jul 19, 2012
Renovation resurgence cuts across sectors
Giants 300 reconstruction sector firms âpumping fresh blood in tired spaces.â
| Jul 19, 2012
Rental market pushing service, âcommunityâ
The Top 25 Giants 300 AEC firms in the Multifamily Sector keep four-legged tenants in mind.
| Jul 19, 2012
AEC firms ready to dive into public projects
But the size of the pool keeps shrinking for the Top 25 AEC firms in the Government Sector.
| Jul 19, 2012
BIM finally starting to pay off for AEC firms
In surveying Giants 300 firms about BIM, we went right for the jugular: Is BIM paying offâthrough cost savings, higher quality, or client satisfaction? Hereâs what they told us.
| Jul 19, 2012
Contractors finally âmoving off the bottomâ
C and CM Agent + PM Giants 300 Firms also taking steps to improve project efficiency.
| Jul 19, 2012
The best states for a construction job
The top anticipated engineering and skilled labor shortages according to a survey of 2,223 construction industry professionals.
| Jul 19, 2012
Suffolk Construction launches subcontractor development series
Professional certificate program to provide core construction management skills to disadvantaged, minority, and women business enterprises.
| Jul 19, 2012
Construction begins on military centers to treat TBI and PTS
First two of several centers to be built in Fort Belvoir, Va. and Camp Lejeune, N.C.
| Jul 18, 2012
U.S. engineering firms set sail for foreign ports
Other E/EA Giants 300 firms are just dipping their toes into foreign waters, still looking for international business but choosing not to establish additional offices.