Dr Jianfei Zhu
BArch (Tianjin) PhD (Bartlett/London)
Senior Lecturer in Architecture
Email: jianfz@unimelb.edu.au
Profile: PDF format
Jianfei studied architecture in China and England. He had lectured at the AA and the Bartlett and a few other schools before joining the University of Melbourne in 1999. He is teaching theories of architecture, Asian metropolis, and architectural design. Jianfei's teaching explores aspects of Asian/Chinese modernities.
Jianfei's research focus has evolved from political space of imperial Beijing to modern architecture and urbanities in China and parts of Asia. In the earlier work, his 'a celestial battlefield' (AAfiles'28, 1994), the first in any language to analyse space-power operations of Beijing's palace, was translated into Chinese and has attracted sustained attention in China. Published now as a book (Chinese Spatial Strategies, London, 2004), it offers a most analytical study of the pre-1911 imperial capital.
Jianfei's recent articles on modern and new architecture from China appeared in French, German, Spanish, English and Chinese. They explore an historical structure, breakthroughs after 1976 and 1996, and a current dialogue between China and the West. Jianfei has guest lectured at various places including the AA and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and schools in China. He is currently exploring Beijing of the 1950s and issues of the metropolis.
Current Teaching Responsibilities
702-305 Theories of Architecture
705-642 Asian Metropolis
Research Interests
- Modern and New Architecture in China
- Imperial Beijing
- Traditional Chinese Urbanities
- Modern Chinese/Asian Cities
- Issues of the Metropolis
Funded Research
| Project | Cross-cultural Thinking: on Modernity in Chinese Archtiecture |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Source: | Publication and Research Support Scheme |
| Project | Case Studies in 20th Century Chinese Architecture: Towards a Critical History |
| Year: | 2001/2 |
| Source: | Melbourne Research Development Grant Scheme |
| Project | Preliminary Documentation of a Critical History of 20th Century Architecture in Mainland China |
| Year: | 2001/2 |
| Source: | Publication and Research Support Scheme |
| Project | Planning and Urban Form in Late Imperial China |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Source: | Publication and Research Support Scheme |
Awards Received
- Edward Clarence Dyason Universitas 21 Fellowship for critical studies of early modern Chinese architecture (2002)
Recent Publications
Books
Zhu J. 2004. Chinese Spatial Strategies: Imperial Beijing 1420-1911. London & New York: Routledge Curzon.
Book chapters
Zhu J. 2003. 'Politics into culture: historical formation of the national style in the Nanjing decade (1927-1937)'. In C Zhao & J Wu (eds), Research on China's Modern Architectural Academia. Beijing, China: China Architecture & Building Press, pp. 107-116.
Zhu J. 2003. 'Vers un Moderne Chinois: les Grands Courants Architecturaux dans la Chine Contemporaine Depuis 1976'. In A Lemonnier (ed), Alors, la Chine? Paris, France: Centre Pompidou, pp. 193-199.
Zhu J. 2002. 'Human space, China 1990'. In K Cui (ed), Projects Report. Beijing, China: Zhongguo Jianzhu Gongre Chubanshe, pp. 172-185.
Refereed journal articles
Zhu J. 2005. 'Criticality in between China and the West', Journal of Architecture, London, Vol. 10, No. 5, November, pp. 479-98.
Refereed conference papers
Zhu J. 2003. 'A thousand plateaus: mapping architectural positions in contemporary China'. In CL Newton, SL Kaji-O'Grady & SH Wollan (eds), Design + research: project based research in architecture. Second international conference of the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia Melbourne 28-30 September 2003. 1-12. Melbourne, Australia: Association of Architectural Schools of Australasia.
Zhu J. 2005. 'Criticality in between China and the West', Asian Mega-Projects: Proceedings for the 6th International Symposium on Asia Pacific Architecture, eds. David Rockwood and Li Xiangning. Shanghai: Tongji University, pp. 151-8. In Chinese.
Exhibitions
Zhu J. 2005. '20 Plateaus: an historical landscape of modern architecture in mainland China', Two plates, in Chinese and in English, and a looped PPT projection, exhibition at 2005 Shenzhen First Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, Shenzhen, 10 Dec 2005 – 10 March 2005.
Research Supervision
- Lay Leng Teu, The Development of Terrace Housing in Malaysia
- Qing Ding, Design in Contemporary Chinese Cities
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Jia (Jane) Xu, Urban Morphology of Hangzhou in Southern Song, China 960-1279