The Transformation of Beijing's Historic Building Protection System in the Modern Times as Manifested in the Southeast Corner Tower Project

Taking three pivotal renovation projects of the Southeast corner tower of Beijing’s Inner City as the clue, this paper focuses on the 1935 renovation and preservation endeavor spearheaded by the Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Relics of the Old Capital, Kwan, Chu & Yang Architects, and the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture. It discusses the transformation from the traditional Institution of Building Officials to the modern professional protection system, which is manifested in multiple aspects including technology, value perception, processes, and organizational framework. The aim of this paper is to take a micro-case study as the starting point, unveil the nascent construction pathway of “cultural relics” value within the cognitive framework of historic architecture during Beijing’s modernization process, and explicate the early conservation practices, in the hope of providing both theoretical and practical references for contemporary architectural heritage protection in China.