From Alienation to Return: The Materiality, Criticality, and Possibility of Architecture from a Humanist Perspective
Abstract
This paper aims to explore the relationship between humanism and materiality in the field of architecture. Based on Marxist theory and "Four Healthy Housing Model" (including housing cost, housing conditions, housing stability and housing environment), this paper analyzes and examines the internal contradictions and ethical issues existing in social housing practice (such as the situation in the former Soviet Union and Hong Kong). Through the comparative study of "empowerment-oriented renewal" in Wong Tai Sin village in Hong Kong and "relocation-oriented renewal" in Khrushchyovka community in Moscow, this paper aims to reveal the conflicts among humanism, space and capital in the process of urban renewal. By citing Ralph Erskine's Byker Wall and bulke Risha Dorsey's Kamala House, this paper points out that "co-construction" is one of the most important ways to revive architectural humanism. Architecture must have certain memory, health and culture. The ultimate goal of urban renewal is not to replace the original city with a new city, but to return to the original essence of architecture-"the poem of life"-while maintaining human dignity, emotion and all aspects of human development.
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