Contested Modernities: Postcolonial Architecture and the Construction of Identities in Southeast Asia (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9783035624533)

In many countries of Southeast Asia, the middle years of the 20th
century marked the dawn of a new era. Independence had been won from
colonial powers, and young states such as Burma (Myanmar), Indonesia,
Cambodia and Singapore were faced with the task of reconstituting
themselves as nations and developing an independent identity.
Architecture and urban planning played an important role in this
process. Local manifestations of modernism emerged that sought to
reconcile universal aspirations with specific social conditions.

This
volume critically examines this architectural and ideological heritage
and argues for the preservation and redevelopment of these particular
architectures, which are at risk of disappearing amid the rapid
urbanization of today.