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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