A study of Chinese symbolism and ideological concepts in the architecture of the Xiangshan hotel

This study analyzes the distinctive combination of traditional Chinese architectural elements with modern design concepts employed by the American architect of Chinese origin, Ieoh Ming Pei (1917-2019), as exemplified in the design of the Xiangshan Hotel (Beijing, 1980-1982), currently known as the Fragrant Hill Hotel Beijing. The research aims to identify the key features through which contemporary architectural design is integrated with Chinese cultural symbols and philosophical ideas (primarily through the concept of the unity of humanity and nature), as well as the formula for the interpenetration of Chinese traditions and modern technologies, using the Xiangshan Hotel as an example of I. M. Pei’s architectural artistry. The scientific novelty lies in elucidating the synthesis of Chinese cultural elements (symmetry and form of the interior space, harmony of the five colors of the world’s primordial elements, artistic integration of interior and exterior details into a unified ensemble) and Western architectural thought (large-span steel structures for natural lighting, atrium space). As a result, the cultural codes in the architecture of the Xiangshan hotel are traced, marking it as the first example of the successful integration of traditional symbols of Chinese culture with modern Western functionalism, thereby creating the preconditions for the spread of the “New Chinese Architecture” style.