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However, architects should also take into consideration the public’s aesthetic standards. After all, art is from life and true feelings. From the CCTV Headquarters dubbed “big boxer shorts” to the Gate of the Orient dubbed “long johns” to the Ring of Life, the architects designed these buildings which the public find bizarre and even ugly. Can they still indulge in self-admiration amid public doubts?
What aesthetic standards do Chinese cities need for their buildings? The reconstruction of grand historic towns for the sake of being grand and continued emergence of bizarre buildings for the sake of being bizarre can only make people hear the sound of political and social machines and feel the arrogance of power and impulse of capital. Great architect Leoh Ming Pei once said that buildings can improve the quality of life, and are not just things to be appreciated. Can government officials control their impulse toward vanity projects and pay more attention to the public’s feelings while selecting architects?
How do residents in Fushun feel when the local government spends taxpayers' money on such a “useless” building? What standards are employed for selecting the final design? The local government should seek public advice on major projects such as the landmark Ring of Life concerning the interests of local residents.
Taking the public’s feelings into consideration does not equate with populism in terms of construction and aesthetics, and can help strike a balance between elites’ aesthetic standards and the publics’ feelings. In this way, new landmark buildings may avoid being spoofed by the public.
Landmark building should respect the public's feeling
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