Adaptations in early 20th-century modern Chinese architecture: The pursuit of a “new architectural style” in Art Deco

Since the late 19th century, foreign influences have shaped modern Chinese architecture, prompting early 20th-century Chinese architects to blend Western modernism with local traditions. This article focuses on the adaptations and transformations in modern Chinese architecture during this period, exploring how the concept of the “modern” was embraced by both Western and Chinese architects. At the time, modern architecture in China faced a wide array of critiques, including concerns about excessive cost and impractical designs. In the early 1920s, Western architects began experimenting in Chinese cities such as Tianjin, Hankou, and Hong Kong, introducing various new design forms and attempting – often in vain – to convince their Chinese clients to integrate local characteristics into the architecture. Meanwhile, other architects entered a stage of exploration, debating distinctions between restoring traditional Chinese architecture and adapting Chinese features for modern purposes. According to Dong Dayou (1899 – 1973), a prominent first-generation modern architect, they were seeking a new style of architecture. Finally, this article addresses how Chinese architects responded to modern international expositions, particularly the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) in Paris, highlighting Liu Jipiao (1900 – 1992), another first-generation Chinese architect, and his experiments with Art Deco.