Chen Chan-siang (Chinese: 陳占祥; pinyin: Chén Zhānxiáng; 13 June 1916 - 12 March 2001) was an urban planner and architect. Chen was a member of Five United, a firm which pioneered modernist architecture in China in the 1940s.[1] Other members of Five United included Huang Zuo-shen, Wang Da-hong and Luke Him Sau. He is also known as Charles Chen, Chi Ziang Chen, Chen Zhangxiang.

Chen Chan-siang
Born(1916-06-13)13 June 1916
Died12 March 2001(2001-03-12) (aged 84)
Other namesCharles Chen, Chi Ziang Chen, Chen Zhanxiang
Alma materUniversity of Liverpool
OccupationArchitect
Known forLiang-Chen Proposal
Chinese name
Chinese陳占祥
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChén Zhānxiáng

Biography

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Chen studied in England in the early 1940s, where he was the first foreign student to chair the Students' Union at the Architecture School of University of Liverpool. As a student, he also published several papers on Chinese architectural traditions and practices, under the guidance of Sir Nicholas Pevsner.[2]

In October 1949, he went to Beijing to work. There, he was co-publisher, with Liang Sicheng, of the Liang-Chen Proposal, which applied Western concepts and techniques to the planning and modernisation of Beijing.[3] The proposal included suggestions for protecting some of the ancient parts of the city.[4] Chen was one of several architects persecuted by the government in the early days of Communist China.[5]

In January 1988, he was invited to give lectures in the United States. He taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Cornell University and others. Chen returned to China in 1989, and died in Beijing on 12 March 2001.

Chen has been described as 'one of the foremost architects and city planners in modern Chinese history' by Professor Marwyn Samuels of Syracuse University.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Charlie Qiuli Xue (13 June 2016). Hong Kong Architecture 1945-2015: From Colonial to Global. Springer. pp. 85–. ISBN 978-981-10-1004-0.
  2. ^ Jun Wang (2011). Beijing Record: A Physical and Political History of Planning Modern Beijing. World Scientific. pp. 95–. ISBN 978-981-4295-72-7.
  3. ^ Wong, Sidney. "Special Paper: Background and Influences on Liang Sicheng's Planning Thoughts" (PDF). Journal of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners. 27 (1): 61–75. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
  4. ^ "1950年梁思成陈占祥提出北京古城保护方案_工程师 - 全球名人网" (in Chinese). Qqtxb.com, Global Celebrity Network. 2015-02-16. Archived from the original on 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2017-05-29.
  5. ^ Gin-Djih Su (1964). Chinese Architecture: Past and Contemporary. Sin Poh Amalgamated (H.K.).
  6. ^ Edward Denison (17 February 2017). Architecture and the Landscape of Modernity in China before 1949. Taylor & Francis. pp. 440–. ISBN 978-1-317-17928-3.
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  • Liang-Chen Proposal for protection of the ancient city of Beijing (in Chinese) [1]
  • Chen Zhanxiang's life (in Chinese) [2]