Page 9 - JCAU-5-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Geographical and architectural imaginations

Hall was a result of “imagination with absence,” as the individuals and larger social and spatial structures. David
architects were not permitted to travel to Sudan and lacked Harvey’s discourse on geographical imagination was
local architectural references while creating the building inspired by C. Wright Mills’ concept of the sociological
in a politically marginalized status. Whereas the design imagination, but Harvey sought to complement Mills’
of the People’s Palace tended to follow established rules ideas by focusing on issues of space, place, and territory.
and norms, including the function and layout of domestic Harvey (1973) claimed that “spatial consciousness”
precedents, as well as forms and languages of international or “geographical imagination” enables the individual
works, the creation of the Friendship Hall presented new to “recognize the role of space and place in his own
possibilities of formal and spatial compositions. Both biography, to relate to the spaces he sees around him,
projects exemplify the two oppositional implications of and to recognize how transactions between individuals
“imagination,” with one pointing to the imitation and and between organizations are affected by the space that
reproduction of the existing, while the other referring to separates them.” The geographical imagination, for Harvey,
the creation of something out of nothing (Zhang, 2021). allows people to “fashion and use space creatively and to
appreciate the meaning of the spatial forms created by
In this article, the author begins by examining the
definition and theoretical framework of geographical others.” In addition to Harvey’s ideas, other scholars have
developed and refined the concept of the geographical
imagination, and then explores how the Chinese building imagination from various perspectives. For example,
professionals developed their geographic knowledge geographer Derek Gregory re-defined it as the spatialized
of the tropical area through methods such as personal cultural and historical knowledge that characterizes social
investigation during field trips, studying the works groups (Gieseking, 2017). Overall, the term geographical
of domestic and international peers, and engaging in imagination can be understood as “a way of thinking
individual reflection and creative exploration. To illustrate about the world and considering the relative importance of
the application of these methods, the paper presents places and the relationships between ‘our’ places and ‘other
two case studies: the People’s Palace in Guinea, and the places’ (Gilley, 2010, p.1221).”
Friendship Hall in Sudan. In these case studies, the author
analyzes how architects understood the tropical climate, The term geographical imagination encompasses a wide
articulated local culture and responded to the building range of meanings, including individual mental images
site. Finally, the article discusses the implications of the and socially produced discourses about cultures, spaces,
principle of adaptation to local conditions (yindi zhiyi) and and differences. How people see the world is influenced
the incorporation of formal-aesthetic, social, and political by various factors, including social class, education, and
values of imagination in China’s transnational architectural personal and political philosophies. It helps people to
practice. better understand the other part of the world, which
refers specifically to tropical Africa in this article. While
By engaging with political negotiation, personal recognizing the significance of geographical imagination
observation, onsite visits, media publication, and scholarly in social theory, the author introduces the concept of
exchange, Chinese architects and technocrats constructed architectural imagination, which refers to the ability to
their geographical and architectural imaginations in the search for an alternative form, space, and experience in
context of China-aided assembly projects in Africa. Through architectural practice. Key to this notion, by paraphrasing
the creation of modernist architecture that retained a what landscape architect Corner (2014) called “landscape
particular sense of place and time, these transnational imagination,” is the centrality of the imagination in both
architectural endeavors profoundly contributed to the understanding and projecting new forms of architecture,
formulation and expression of an alternative physical as well as the tools and techniques available for such a
and social space that sought both bodily and political task. Architectural imagination might consist of some or
emancipation. While politics played a significant role in all of the following envisions, formal, material (Mindrup,
determining the dissemination and approach of China’s 2015), environmental (Hawkes, 2020), topographical, and
architectural aid, the implementation of these projects was experiential (Pallasmaa, 2014), among other aspects. While
shaped by economic rationality and technical expertise. Harvey argues that the philosophy of social space could
This was evident in the planning, design, construction, and connect the geographical and sociological imaginations,
operation of the projects. the author proposes that space, whether physical or
2. Geographical imaginations of the tropics social, can link architectural imagination to geographical
imagination. Both concepts share a common goal of
The concept of the geographical imagination serves as promoting alternative spaces for social transformation and
a valuable tool for analyzing the relationship between spatial justice.

Volume 5 Issue 1 (2023) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.200