Conceptual and Pragmatic

Xi Ye is an academic at the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at Macau University of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on architectural and cultural criticism. Her recent publications include ‘Reviving a sense of poetry: assessing Wang Shu’s contemporary design practice’ (Architectural Research Quarterly, 2022). Xi Ye holds a Master of Arts in Urban Design from Cardiff University, UK and a PhD in architecture from Newcastle University, UK. Conceptual and Pragmatic explores the tension between architects’ intellectual ideals and expressions and the everyday experience of architecture and its practice. The book alternates between the subjectivity and sensory experiences of the user, including its relationship to popular culture, tectonics, and vernacular architecture. Reflecting on the processes of concept-making and the cultural meaning of architecture, and their impact on architectural design, Xi Ye evaluates the influence of Western architecture on Chinese architectural practice and the tension of the former with Chinese cultural traditions and social conditions.