Page 97 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Modern Chinese architecture adaptations

“rarely was I able to convince them.” In 1928, Van
1
Wylick designed his own residence in Brussels (Figure 3),
incorporating Chinese elements – a personal realization of
a style he was unable to fully implement for his Chinese
clients in Hankou. He went on to have a prolific career as
director of the Crédit Foncier d’Extrême-Orient office in
Hong Kong, a position he held from 1931 to 1946, having
managed the architectural office since 1927 (Lau, 2018). In
1929, he designed a similar residence as part of a major
urban development project in the Kowloon area of Hong
Kong, introducing “an entirely new style in architecture”
2
to the city in the form of semi-detached houses with locally
adapted Chinese elements (Figures 4 and 5).
Figure 1. Research methodology. Source: Flowchart by the authors
3.2. The rise of modern Chinese architecture
currently fragmented knowledge and scholarship on the In the 1920s and 1930s, journals and associations began
architectural development of Chinese cities. Thus, this documenting the evolving architectural landscape in China.
research contributes not only to the architectural history of The Journal of the Association of Chinese and American
Chinese cities but also to broader international discourses Engineers was launched in 1920. Two major Chinese-
of modern architecture.
language architectural magazines, Zhongguo Jianzhu
3. Results (中国建筑; The Chinese Architecture) and Jianzhu Yuekan
(建筑月刊; The Buildings Monthly), began publication
3.1. Crédit Foncier d’Extrême-Orient as an early in 1932, making them among the pioneering Chinese
propagator in modern Chinese architecture architectural journals established by Chinese architects in
Beginning in Tianjin’s French Concession, the Belgian- China (Rowe & Kuan 2002). Contributors to these journals
French company Crédit Foncier d’Extrême-Orient included Chinese architects, building contractors, and other
sought to make a statement by introducing “French professionals in the architectural construction industry.
modern” architecture, reflecting contemporary The idea of a “modified” Chinese architecture surfaced
architectural trends in France. The French authorities as early as 1924. John Van Wie Bergamini (1888 – 1975),
had high expectations for these commissions, especially a church architect in China, addressed this issue in The
considering that one prominent structure – the Belfran Chinese Recorder, criticizing the notion of a “Chinese style
Building (built in 1922) – was located at a key location of architecture” as increasingly impractical and costly in
facing the International Bridge (now Jiefang Bridge), contemporary projects. He wrote:
which linked the French Concession to the rest of the There is considerable controversy at the present
city. French architect Leo Mendelssohn (1894 – 1965) time […] regarding the so-called Chinese style of
appeared to have enjoyed a great degree of freedom in his architecture. The criticisms are that it is expensive and
architectural designs, as evident in the ornate, Art Deco impractical and that the Chinese themselves do not
style of the Belfran Building (Figure 2). Crédit Foncier want it. […] Considered from a historical standpoint,
d’Extrême-Orient later then opened a branch office in Western architecture is not likely to be accepted by
Hankou in 1911, directed by Belgian architect Gabriel the Oriental without considerable modifications. […]
Van Wylick (1897 – 1964), who introduced new urban In the treaty ports, I find the contractors are not keen
forms that reflected his “adaptive” design intentions for to build Chinese roofs […] That is, using Chinese
China, which he had elaborated on in an article discussed architecture will add from three to seven percent to
in the following. the total cost of a building (Bergamini, 1924, p. 654).

In 1927, Gabriel Van Wylick of Crédit Foncier d’Extrême-
Orient, authored an article entitled “L’Architecture 1 Van Wylick (1927, p. 99): “J’ai souvent essayé, lorsque
contemporaine en Chine” (Contemporary Architecture in j’avais à construire des résidences pour des riches Chinois,
de leur faire accepter des projets qui, tout en offrant le
China) in the Belgian architectural journal L’Emulation confort de l’occident, auraient pu s’allier avec le caractère
(Van Wylick, 1927). The article provides insights into du pays; rarement j’ai pu arriver à en convaincre.”
Van Wylick’s early experiences in China’s building sector, 2 Newspaper article dated December 27, 1932, retrieved
where he expressed frustration with his Chinese clients’ from Gabriel Van Wylick’s personal scrapbook of
preference for traditional Chinese styles, remarking, newspaper clippings. Courtesy of Edouard Van Wylick.

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3710