The value of shikumen buildings as origin of the commercial residential buildings in China: a case study of Meihetang Shikumeng buildings in Hangzhou

Abstract

Famous for the protection and reuse of “Xintiandi” historical buildings in Shanghai, “Shikumen Building” is China’s earliest commercial residential buildings appeared in the early 20th century. Nowadays, we still could find a similar architectural relics in many coastal cities in China. With a very important historical value, this product is produced and developed in the process western culture and traditional culture collision and fusion. By taking Meihetang Shikumen historic buildings in Hangzhou as example, this paper analyses the historical value of the architectural style, resolves the question how this architectural style from the foreign culture integrate into Chinese cities’ own culture and experience, and explores the initial links between Chinese contemporary urban residential and commercial development with this architectural style.