Irresistible Media City Life: Media Architecture Participates in the Urban Public Spaces and the Construction of Environmental Visual Imagination in China

Ruan, Haoyi (2025) Irresistible Media City Life: Media Architecture Participates in the Urban Public Spaces and the Construction of Environmental Visual Imagination in China. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

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Abstract

This research examines the growing incorporation of digital screens into urban public spaces. Digital screens transforms building facades into dynamic media elements that influence public perception and redefine the function of these spaces. This phenomenon, known as media architecture, is explored for its capacity to enhance interaction, urban identity, and visual performance within Chinese urban public spaces. This research employs a mixed-methods approach grounded in the post-positivist paradigm and informed by grounded theory. The study covers 15 Chinese cities, with five key southern Chinese cities selected for detailed analysis. The methodology integrates spatial triad analysis, space syntax, and semi-structured interviews with users, designers, and experts, to explore the expectations and impacts of media architecture. The findings indicate that media architecture is widely considered to enhance urban public spaces in the future by improving aesthetic appeal, fostering cultural inclusivity, promoting interactivity, and integrating advanced technologies for sustainability and innovation. The research highlights its dual function as both a medium for expressing urban identity, and as a platform for addressing challenges posed by modernisation and social transformation. By synthesising perspectives from urban studies, media studies, and sociology, this study develops and validates a theoretical framework for media architecture. It offers adaptable evaluation criteria tailored to the cultural and economic specificities of diverse urban environments. Media architecture is a dynamic communication system that unites design, technology, and socio-cultural expression. Practical contributions resulting from the research include specific design strategies aimed at enhancing public engagement, facilitating socio-cultural exchange, and reimagining urban spaces through innovative approaches. After comparing the definition concepts of media architecture and engaging in critical dialogue with relevant theories. The study underscores the role of media architecture in shaping urban modernisation, providing a forward-looking perspective for architects, urban planners, and policymakers. Although the study centres on large Chinese cites, it lays the groundwork for further research in China and abroad by establishing a foundation for the digital transformation of cities and the integration of architectural innovation. Future research recommendations include broadening the cultural and geographical scope, incorporating quantitative validation, and fostering further interdisciplinary integration to investigate the evolving role of media architecture in urban public spaces worldwide.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Divisions:	Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses
Depositing User:	Victoria Hankinson
Date Deposited:	03 Oct 2025 08:47
Last Modified:	03 Oct 2025 08:47
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3940

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