Research Fields

• Architectural design and histories, Urbanism, Shanghai urban studies

Research Profile

• ZHANG Xiaochun is an architectural historian whose research focuses on contemporary architecture and urbanism, the transformation of Shanghai’s urban spaces. She published some papers in such field in a number of journals including Time + Architecture, Architectural Creation, Architecture Journal, World Architecture, etc. In 2008 Shanghai Biennale, she co-curated a marvelous exhibition about the historic transformation of People’s Square of Shanghai. Her book, Acculturation and Shift of Urban Centers, taking an approach of urban anthropology, traces the trajectory of Shanghai’s urban transformation, and tries to relate this part of urban history with complicated shifts in dominant social and political powers behind. This forms a post-colonial referential framework for interpreting contemporary cultural identity of Shanghai. She also teaches theory seminar in a postgraduate program. Her teaching focuses on urban anthropology and urban study theories. Zhang is currently pursuing an extended study of entanglements between architecture, urban space and culture, especially on the origin, development, typology of the entertainment architecture in Shanghai. She is also an editor of Time + Architecture. She got PhD. Degree at Tongji University and has been a visiting scholar at Columbia University for a year.

Current Courses

• Architectural Anthropology

Grands and Awards

• Second Price of Teaching Awards of Shanghai, Sponsored by Shanghai Education Commission, 2013

Publications

Books:

1. Acculturation and Shift of Urban Centers: A Study on Urban Vicissitudes in Modern Shanghai from an Urban Anthropology Perspective. Nanjing: Southeast University Press, 2006, ISBN 7-5641-0484-8

2. Translation: Understanding Architecture(Chinese Edition). Translated By ZHANG Xiaochun & LI Xiangning, Hong Kong: Joit Publishing(H.K.), 2007. ISBN 978-962-04-2453-3

3. Chapters in books:

4. “Historical Deposition and “Given Once Only” of Urban Culture and Characteristics: Interview with Ai Weiwei”. Reading of Anting New Town, Shanghai: Tongjji University Press, 2004: 161-169

5. Chapter 1, Chapture 2, Chapter 3 in Charlie Q.L.Xue. Building a Revolution: Chinese Architecture Since 1980 Charlie Q.L.Xue. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2006. (Co-author: Charlie Q.L.Xue)

Articles:

1. “A Short Review on The Global Impact—Overseas ArchitecturalDesign in China”. Time + Architecture, 2007/2: 143

2. “A New Focus of Culture and Art in San Francisco: on New de Young Museum”. Time + Architecture, 2006/6: 82-89

3. “Theme Park of History: The Cultural Predicament of The City Temple and Yu Yuan Garden in Shanghai”. Time + Architecture, 2007/1: 136-141

4. “Dreaming of Collective Dwelling in Shanghai: From Lilong to International Community”in Iker Gil (ed.),Shanghai Transforming. ACTAR（Spain）2008, (Co-author: LI Xiangning)

5. The hutong, The Landscape we can’t Lose. ArquitecturaCOAM(357), Spain, Sep. 2009

6. House on a Ranch, Topanga, Calofornia, USA, Time + Architecture, 2008/1: 104-109

7. Ideas, Methods and Dialogue: A Review on 2008 Suzhou Seminar on Phenomenology and Architecture, Architectural Journal, 2009/1:19-22 (co-auther: Peng Nu)

8. Rethingking and Studying through the Earthquake and Post-quake Reconstruction(Rethinking Post-quake Reconstruction in China): An Interview with Prof. Wu Zhiqiang. Time + Architecture, 2009/1: 30-36

9. Building Shanghai: 2008-2009, Architecture Creation, 2010/4: 134-139, (Co-author: Chang Qing, Li Xiangning)

10. An Adaptable Modernism: Reading Contemporary Queensland Architecture through Five Cases, Time + Architecture, 2010/4: 144-151

11. Preservation and Rehabilication: on the Tenth Anniversary of the Establishment of “Historic Architecture Conservation” Program at CAUP, Tongji University. Time + Architecture, 2013/3: 92-95

12. An Interview with WANG Shu. Time + Architecture, 2012/4: 94-97 (co-auther: LI Xiangning)

13. “Common Ground”? The 13th International Architecture Exhibition Venice Biennale 2012. Time + Architecture, 2012/6: 138-143

14. The Pavilion of Six Views: 2013 Westbund Architecture and Contemporary Art Biennial, Shanghai. Time + Architecture, 2014/3: 116-121