Architecture Can Be Silenced

The demolition of buildings is a political act. As a matter of course, the purpose of demolition is nothing more than reconstructing and resituating the architecture of everyday life. Over the past three decades in China, cityscapes have undergone significant transformations. The new architecture has undoubtedly improved the quality of life yet has also resulted in increased demolition waste and social issues. The appearance of the surrounding ordinary buildings of the past has become banal, but they continue to be rooted in the idea of home and our individual and collective needs for space – a place to dwell. Reformation of the urbanscape and new architecture is inevitable. Reconciliation between destroying the old and creating the new requires contemplation over the past. Examination of precedents, use of recycled materials, and the retaining of the ordinary aesthetics can confront history and preserve culture. Breaking the entire convention is not imperative for building the new.