Architectural exchanges within the construction of the new Silk Roads: Transcultural dynamics in Gwadar, Pakistan, and Djibouti
Amid the shifting dynamics of global urbanization, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has emerged as a major force reshaping transnational architectural exchanges and development paradigms. This study explores the transcultural architectural exchanges facilitated by BRI through an analysis of projects in Gwadar, Pakistan, and Djibouti. By examining the Pakistan–China Friendship Hospital, the Pakistan–China Friendship Vocational Training Institute, and the National Library and Archive of Djibouti, this article reveals how architectural practices under the BRI negotiate between Chinese modern technological capabilities and local cultural contexts. Using the theoretical frameworks of transcultural dynamics, enriched by the concepts of “contact zones” and “third space,” this study reveals the dynamic interactions and cultural exchanges among several factors in shaping these architectural endeavors. The research highlights the complexities of integrating global design strategies with local traditions and the impact of these hybrid architectural forms on local communities and urban environments. The findings emphasize the need for a more in-depth investigation into the dynamics of designing and constructing architectural artifacts and the underlying rationale behind adopting different transcultural schemes. Ultimately, this study contributes to the discourse on global architectural mobilities, offering insights into how architecture serves as a diplomatic tool and a platform for cultural exchange in different regions shaped by processes of urban development.
Akcan, E. (2012). Architecture in Translation: Germany, Turkey, and the Modern House. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Akcan, E. (2014). Postcolonial Theories in Architecture. In: EG Haddad, D Rifkind (eds.). A Critical History of Contemporary Architecture 1960-2010. London, UK: Routledge.
Alexander, C. (2020). The soft power of development: Aid and assistance as public diplomacy activities. In: J Servaes (ed.). Handbook of Communication for Development and Social Change. Singapore: Springer, p. 407-420.
Appadurai, A. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Avermaete, T. (2012). Coda: The reflexivity of cold war architectural modernism. The Journal of Architecture 17(3):475-477. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602365.2012.692613
Avermaete, T. (2015). Crossing Boundaries: Transcultural Practices in Architecture and Urbanism. Rotterdam, NL: Nai010.
Avermaete, T., & Nuijsink, C. (2021). Architectural contact zones: Another way to write global histories of the post-war period? Architectural Theory Review, 25(3):350-336. https://doi.org/10.1080/13264826.2021.1939745
Bhabha, H. (1994). Introduction: Locations of culture. In: The Location of Culture. Vol. 2. London: Psychology Press, p. 1-27.
Botz-Bornstein, T. (2016). Transcultural Architecture: The Limits and Opportunities of Critical Regionalism. New York: Routledge.
Brautigam, D. (2009). The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Butt, K.M., & Butt, A.A. (2015). Impact of CPEC on Regional and Extra-Regional Actors, The Journal of Political Science, 33:23.
Clifford, J. (1997). Routes: Travel and Translation in the Late Twentieth Century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Coronil, F., Ortiz, F., & De Onís, H. (1995). Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Curtis, W. (1996). Modern Architecture Since 1900. United States: Phaidon Press.
Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (2013). Kafka. Pour Une Littérature Mineure. Paris: Minuit.
Ding, G., & Xue, C. (2015). China’s architectural aid: Exporting a transformational modernism. Habitat International, 47:136-147.
Faye, M., & Niehaus, P. (2012). Political aid cycles. American Economic Review, 102(7):3516-3530. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.102.7.3516
Frampton, K. (1983). Towards a critical regionalism: Six points for an architecture of resistance. Perspecta, 20:147-162.
Gonzalez-Vicente, R. (2011). The internationalization of the Chinese state. Political Geography, 30(7):402-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2011.09.001
Harvey, D. (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. United States: Wiley- Blackwell.
King, A. (1976). Colonial Urban Development: Culture, Social Power and Environment. London: Routledge.
King, A. (2013). Buildings and Society: Essays on the Social Development of the Built Environment. London: Routledge.
King, K. (2013). China’s Aid and Soft Power in Africa: The Case of Education and Training. Canada: Woodbridge.
McNeill, D. (2000). McGuggenisation? National Identity and globalization in the basque country. Political Geography, 19(4):473-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0962-6298(99)00093-1
Official Journal of the Republic of Djibouti. (2001). Available from: https://www.presidence.dj/presidenceold/les%20textes/decr0209pr01.htm [Last accessed on 2020 Sep 09].
Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute at Gwadar. (2019). Available from: https://cpec.gov.pk/project-details/39 [Last accessed: 2019 Jul 08].
Pieterse, J.N. (2018). Multipolar globalization: Emerging economies and development. London: Routledge.
Ponzini, D. (2010). Bilbao effects and the city of culture: Mega-projects as tools of urban renewal or vehicles for capital accumulation? Journal of Urban Design, 15(4):489-505.
Ponzini, D. (2023). Transnational Architecture and Urbanism: Rethinking how Cities Plan, Transform, and Learn. New York: Routledge.
Pratt, M.L. (1991). Arts of the contact zone. Profession, 33-40.
Pratt, M.L. (2007). Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. New York: Routledge.
Rapoport, A. (1969). House Form and Culture. New Jersey, U.S: Prentice-Hall.
Roskam, C. (2016). Non-aligned architecture: China’s designs on and in Ghana and Guinea, 1955-92. Architectural History, 58:261-291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0066622X00002653
Said, E.W. (1978). Orientalism. United States: Pantheon Books.
Sklair, L. (2017). The Icon Project: Architecture, Cities, and Capitalist Globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stanek, L. (2012). Introduction: The “second world’s” architecture and planning in the “third world”’. The Journal of Architecture, 17(3):299-307.
Vale, L.J (2008). Architecture, Power, and National Identity. New York: Routledge.
Vieira, V.C. (2019). From third world theory to belt and road initiative: International aid as a chinese foreign policy tool. Contexto Internacional, 4(3):529-550. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-8529.2019410300003
Volait, M., & Nasr, J. (2003). Urbanism: Imported or Exported? Native Aspirations and Foreign Plans. London: Wiley-Academy.
Wiig, A., & Silver, J. (2019). Turbulent presents, precarious futures: Urbanization and the deployment of global infrastructure. Regional Studies, 53(6):912-923.
World Bank Group. (2018). Economic Transformation in Djibouti, Research Report. Available from: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/437351549918326165/pdf/djibouti-scd-en-glish-version-final-approved-vlogo-02062019-636852600790519539.pdf [Last accessed on 2024 Dec 22].
Zhao, J., & Jing, Y. (2019). The governance of China’s foreign aid system: Evolution and path dependence. Public Administration and Development, 39(4-5):182-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1870
Zukin, S. (1995). The Cultures of Cities. New York: Blackwell.