Short Course - Beijing: The City Through Its Architecture

This illustrated short course explores the history and culture of Beijing through its architecture. In four sessions, participants will gain an understanding of Beijing’s history as a capital of China, from its imperial architecture and layout to its commercial and residential architecture and changes undergone in the 20th and 21st centuries.

 

Each session will feature a well-known speaker on a select subject. Topics covered will include the construction of the Forbidden City and the main monuments of imperial architecture, the interior design of well-known houses, city planning, and the challenges and promise of contemporary architecture. Our final session will feature a discussion with Chien Chung Pei, talking about the experiences that Pei Partnerships has had constructing and designing buildings and interiors in Beijing.

 

SCHEDULE

• April 29 – Nancy S. Steinhardt, Ph.D, The Forbidden City: Then and Now

• May 6 – Ronald G. Knapp, Ph.D., Beijing’s Traditional Homes

• May 13 – Michael Meyer, The Last Days of Old Beijing

• May 20 – A Conversation with Chien Chung Pei, Pei Partnership Architects in Beijing

 

Recommended readings and curriculum materials will be provided to course participants.