The Rural as a Frontier of Expression in Contemporary Chinese Architecture

This paper discusses how some Chinese architects engaged in rural projects explored new possibilities of design expression. Representative of a multitude, they tested local materials and traditional techniques in innovative ways, renovating design processes and architectural languages. Their engagement has generated a variety of approaches showcasing surprising solutions characterized by challenging attitudes toward standards, dogmas, and canons. In this way, they stimulated a vivid debate embracing the status of designing at a global level, which is the relationship between vernacular and authored architecture. The paper puts forward an interpretative key to observe how Chinese architects are envisioning the future of ruralities.