Dissemination and Localization of Early Modern Architecture in Nanjing, China—A Case Study of the National Goods Bank Building

This paper examines the construction of the National Goods Bank in Nanjing as a case study to investigate the localization of modern architecture in China during the 1930s. Set against the backdrop of Nanjing’s capital construction period (1927–1937), it explores how professional architects utilized New-national architecture to effectively disseminate modern architectural principles while navigating the tensions between modernity and national identity. The study first reviews the historical context of the building’s design and construction, focusing on architect Xi Fuquan, a Chinese architect educated in the West, whose modernist orientation influenced the project. It then analyzes the building’s spatial organization, decorative elements, and construction methods. The findings indicate that the National Goods Bank represents a “professional-led” pragmatic modernism, offering a distinct counter-narrative to the state-led formalist Chinese Revival architecture. This case study contributes to a broader understanding of Chinese architectural modernity by illustrating how modern architecture was disseminated and localized through adaptive, professional-led practices in the early twentieth century.