Which Is Better, Traditional or Modern?
Recently a foreign design company was invited to design modern and futuristic buildings in a little-known mountainous area in Guiyang where most of the architectures there remain traditional and regional features. While some people appreciate the bold innovation of the design, it is my belief that the act is unwise for a number of reasons.
To begin with, a city is by a large portion characterized by its unique cultural heritage, which is actually its cultural identity. In a mountainous area where its buildings are supposed to be built with local features, too many unconventional, super-futuristic buildings will therefore not be compatible with the surroundings and the landscapes of the city. Once these landscapes are replaced with modern architectures, the city will inevitably lose its cultural identity and ultimately end up being yet another face in the crowd among the already countless modern ones.
Second, building those modern architectures would not be a good idea to attract investments because it could be rather costly for the local government. This is especially important to small cities, like this one in a mountainous area near Guiyang which is still an under-developing one. Investments on unconventional, super-futuristic buildings mean a large financial budget that adds more burdens to this city, having counter effects on the original purpose of enhancing development. However, it can actually help a city save a large amount of money by suiting the design to local conditions and trying to take advantage of the local resources. With the money saved, the local government could focus more on the various urban sectors, including housing, infrastructure and governance to ensure that the maximum economic benefits are achieved.
Undoubtedly, the intentions of the local officials are good. What they hope to see is that by giving the city a new look, more opportunities could be created for
development. However as the proverb goes ‘more haste, less speed’, it should always be marked that the modernization should be a gradual process rather than a sudden change in the appearance. Nonetheless, that the shortcomings of futuristic-style constructing outweigh the advantages they bring should never be overlooked.
With the arguments above given, it is my strong conviction that the practice of replacing traditional buildings with modern ones is inappropriate. And in order to achieve the goal of better development, it is highly suggested that the local government take approaches that are more sensible and practical.
