Chinese Buildings Resemble "Inverted Public Lavatories"?
Due to my love-hate relationship with China, I usually do not defend criticisms against the Middle Kingdom, some of which are perhaps justified.
But I draw the line at rudeness, bordering on obnoxiousness.
Such as the description of buildings constructed in the late 1990s in Kunming (昆明) for the International Flower Exhibition.
Deriding the local authorities for demolishing the old to make way for the new (which incidentally is nothing new in China or anywhere else for that matter) Tony Saich wrote:
"The new buildings represented the future and the modern. Unfortunately, to western eyes, the building material of choice ... is white tile, making most buildings look like inverted public lavatories covered with opaque deep sea-blue glass." (Tony Saich, Governance and Politics of China)
First, aesthetic is subjective, if you don't already know, Professor Saich, especially when it trancends cultures. And besides, I have been to Kunming and saw those very buildings for myself. While I won't throw accolades at the architects, neither do I think they look like "inverted public lavatories". The description was just in poor taste, if not downright insensitive and degrading.
posted by Maria Siow @ 2:22 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
was he referring to white enamel tiles commonly used to?
well, Italians have stacco, most others plaster their walls smooth, the Chinese have white (Sometimes cobalt blue) enamel tiles. Easier for cleaning, I must say. Or was he taking issue with the color?
Not exactly sure what was it that he took issue with. But just thought that comments like that should have no place in a supposedly scholarly/academic book such as the one he wrote.
He should have just wrote his opinion as a blog entry.
Duck egg is a neutral term, toilet bowl has pejorative undertones. The author's tone of writing suggests as much.
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