北京宪章.docx

北京宪章.docx

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北京宪章

【珍藏资料】北京宪章-中英文

北京宪章（英文）

BEIJINGCHARTER

PresentedattheXXCongressoftheUIA,Beijing,23-26June1999

ProfessorWuLiangyong

      Ontheeveofthenewmillennium,wearchitectsfromallnationsoftheworldgatherinBeijing,anancientcapitaloftheOrient,forthe20thCongresswhichcelebratestheyearofJubileefortheInternationalUnionofArchitects.  

      Thepresentisbornofthepast,andyetthefuturerestswiththepresent.Weareheretoreflectonthepast,toaccountforthepresent,andultimatelytoformulateaconsciousplanofactionforabetterandliveablehumanhabitatofthe21stcentury.

      Theworld'sgeographicaldistanceshaveshrunk,althoughtheregionaldisparitiesaregrowing.Yetthisagehasendowedallofuswithacommonmission.Itrequiresustocometotermswiththepresent,facethechallenges,developaholisticthinkingandco-ordinateourefforts.

1    COMINGTOTERMSWITHOURCENTURIES

1.1  The20thcentury:

unparalleledconstructionanddestruction

      The20thcenturyhasseenunprecedentedmagnificenceandprogress,andalsoincomparablecalamityandconfusion.

      The20thcenturyhasenrichedthehistoryofarchitectureinitsuniquemanner:

architectshaveplayedanadmirableroleinthereconstructionthatfollowedthetwoworldwars;technicalandartisticinnovationsonamassivescalehaveintroducedfineexamplesofdesigntothepopulouslikeneverbefore.

      But,thisisnottodenythatmuchofthebuiltenvironmentisstillinadeeplyunsatisfactorystate.Theverysurvivalofhumankindisunderthreatamidstsquanderingoftheworld'snaturalandculturalheritage.Inaffluentregions,redevelopmentwasoftentobecomedestructionbyconstruction;inthepoorerareas,pauperisedmassesarestrugglingtobuildtheirowncitiesoftomorrow.

      Overthepastcentury,theworldhasturnedintoaverydifferentplace.Yetonethingremainsthesame:

wearchitectsareagainatacrossroadsasaworldprofession.

1.2  The21stcentury:

aturningpoint

      Thediversityandcomplexityoftheworldhascreatedmuchconfusion;yetitisbutpartoftheeternalprocessofchange.Thepresentcenturyhasseenremarkablereformanddevelopmentinpolitics,economics,technology,andsociety,andtheresurgenceofhumanideas.Inthecomingcentury,thepaceoftransformationisexpectedtoaccelerate,thoughitsdirectionmaybeevenhardertotell.

      Inthecomingcentury,thecoexistenceofglobalisationandpluralismwillbringtoaheadtheconflictsandthecontradictionsthatcharacteriseourage.Ontheonehand,modernmeansofcommunicationhavebroughtintoclosecontactdiverseculturesandtraditions;globalintegrationofproduction,financeandtechnologycontinuestodominatedecisionmaking.Ontheotherhand,thegapbetweentherichandthepooriswideningatanalarmingrate;regionalstrifeandfinancialuncertaintiescastasinistershadowuponthehumanhabitat.

      Whilstweshouldnottakeontasksoutsideourprofessionalremit,itwouldbebothirresponsibleandfoolishtoignorethetorrentofsocialandculturalchangethatisredefiningthescopeofthearchitecturalprofession.Aconsciousreconsiderationoftheroleof21stcenturyarchitecturecallsforourenthusiasm,strengthandcourage.

2    THECHALLENGESTHATWEFACE

2.1  Interwovenquestions

      Nature'srevenge

      Theindustrialrevolutionunleashedtremendoushumanpower,yetmanyatriumphovernaturewasachievedataharrowingcost.Thepastcenturyhasseenpopulationexplosion,encroachmentoffarmlandanddeteriorationofwater,airandlandresources.Environmentalcrisesimpingeontheveryexistenceofhumankind.

      Wedonotknowenoughabouttheecosystem,yetecologicaldisastershaverevealeditsfragileconfines.Fromahistoricalpointofview,wedonotowntheworldthatwelivein:

wesimplyhaveitonloanfromourchildren.Inwhatstateshallwehandovertownandcountrytoourchildren?

Inwhatwaycananarchitectcontributetothefutureofhumancivilisationthroughplanninganddesign?

      Overwhelmingurbanisation

      Tobettertheirlives,peoplecongregateinthecity,wherescience,technologyandculturehavebroughtaboutproductivitythathadneverbeenforeseen.The20thcenturyhasseenthebrightestlights,sofar,ofmetropolitanlife.Nevertheless,thecenturyaheadisthetrueurbaneraas,forthefirsttimeinhistory,urbandwellerswilloutnumberthosewholiveintraditionalruralways.

      Yet,hardlyhadtheslumsbeendemolished,didthecitiesseetheresurgenceofanunderclass.Segregationoftherichandthepoor,congestionoftrafficandlanduse,andpersistenceofnoiseandemissionshaveworsenedincitieslargeandsmall.Canourcitiessurvive?

Webuildthecities;yetwhydowefeelsopowerlesswhenweattempttomakeanychange?

Inwhatwaycanweshapetheurbanhabitat,asitshapesusatthesametime?

Willthetraditionalconceptssurviveinthecitiesofthenextcentury?

      Technologyasadouble-edgedsword

      Inthepastcenturymoderntechnologyincreasedproductivitytoadegreeneverbeforeexperienced.Newmaterials,newstructuresandnewequipmenthaveprovideduniqueopportunitiesforthedesignersofthe20thcentury.Modernmeansofcommunicationhavebroughtthediverseculturesintoclosecontact.

      Technologyhasledmankindtoanewcrossroads,yetwearestillintheprocessofharnessingitspowerandpotential.Technologymodifiesthetraditionalrelationshipsbetweenmanandnature,andthusconstantlychallengestheexistingnormsoflifestylesandvalues.Inwhatwaycanhumankindderivebenefitsfromtechnology,whilstavoidingtheharmofwhichitisshowntobecapable?

      Geniuslociindefault

      Thecultureofarchitecturecomesfromalocalaccumulationofhistory.Itmanifestsitselfamongthebuiltformsandinday-to-dayliving,exertingavoicelessinfluenceontheexperienceandbehaviouroftheinhabitants.Inasense,itisthesoulofourcities,townsandvillages.

      However,globalisationoftechnologyhasmadepeoplemoreandmoreseparatedfromtheirland.Standardisedcommercialproductioninterruptstheevolutionoflocalbuiltforms.Traditionaldesigntechniquesareconfronted.Localidentitiesfadeaway.Whatcontributioncananarchitectmaketobringbackthesoulofcitiesandtownswhichcharacterisedthemduringthepastcenturies?

2.2  Acommontheme,acommonfuture

      Thechallengeswefacearemultifacetedandoverwhelming.Theyareinfacttheembodimentofcomplexsocial,political,economicandculturalprocessesatlevelsbothlocalandglobal.Ourdiscussionmustnotstopatthemeremanifestationofsuchprocesses.Rather,aneffectivesolutiononlycomesfromathoroughunderstandingofthedialecticnatureoftheforceswhichareshapingourbuiltenvironmenttoday.

      Thesearchforeffectivesolutionsatagloballevelissupportedbyourcommonaspirationsforasustainablefutureonthisplanet.Ourworldisaninterdependentworld.Thefutureprospectsofonenationtoalargeextentrestonthefutureofothernations.Bythesametoken,thefutureofarchitecturedependsonanunderstandingandassimilationoftheachievementsofotherdisciplinesandprofessions.Itisthiscommonthemethatwillbringustogethertolayoutacommonfutureinthe21stcentury.

3    TOWARDSANINTEGRALARCHITECTURE

      Duringthepast50years,thearchitectsoftheworldhavemettodebateoveralargenumberofissues.Thesedebateshavemuchfurtheredourunderstandinginallbranchesofarchitecture.Itisthereforeappropriatetoreviewtheprogresssofarandredefinethelimits,thecontents,andtheorganisationofourdisciplineandprofession.

3.1  Thetheoreticalpremises

      Overthecenturiestheroleofanarchitectisconstantlymodifiedtosuittheneedsandrequirementsofitstime.Wheretraditionalmethodsareshowntobeinadequate,newapproachesaredevelopedtotaketheirplace.Yetwithoutexception,eachredefinitionpushestheboundaryofarchitectureoutwardsforawidercoverage,aswellasinwardsforhigherdegreesofspecialisationinthecomponentparts.The20thcenturyisperhapsthemostexemplaryinthisregard.

      Awidercoverageofitscontentsandfinerdegreesofspecialisationhaveempoweredthe20thcenturyarchitectwithunprecedentedprofessionalopportunitiesandpotential,yetatapersonallevel,anexpandingprofessionwithgrowingspecialisationcanseemelephantine.Inasense,thearchitects'TowerofBabelappearstohavefallen:

itisincreasinglydifficultforonearchitecttograsptheexpertiseofafellowcolleague;althoughthebodyofknowledgehasgrowncollectively,theoutlookofanysingledesignertendstobecomeparadoxicallynarrowandfragmented.Thespecialistexpertiseisbroughttogetherthroughfinancialtiesandmanagerialskills,ratherthanacoherentintellectualframework.Asaresult,theroleofanarchitectcontinuestobemarginalisedinthedecisionmakingoverthehumanhabitattoday.

      Fromthepointofviewofanarchitect,hisorherabilitytoproposecreativedesignsolutionsdependscriticallyontheintellectualandprofessionalspheresheorshecommands.Narrowandfragmentedindividualoutlookscannotbemadetowork,howeverwonderfullytheindividualdesignersaremanagedexternally.Nevertheless,anygivenpersoncannotandshouldnotattempttomasterthewholebodyofknowledgeofourprofess