This dissertation analyzes the remarkable transformation of jianzhu wenhua (建筑文化), or “architectural culture,” in post-Mao China from the late 1970s to the mid-2000s. It argues that the rise of “contemporary architecture” in China represents more than a mere chronological or stylistic label. Rather, it signifies a deliberate redefinition of architecture as an integral part of public culture, with architecture departing from its previous role as a highly specialized discipline with which only a small professional circle under Mao’s leadership was preoccupied. In contrast to previous scholarship, which has often focused on individual built projects from the techno-aesthetic perspective or the material transformation and historic urbanization resulting from China’s economic reforms, this study traces the dynamic interactions between built forms and other forms of knowledge production within the global architectural culture. The study investigates how a new generation of professionals and intellectuals, including architects, historians, critics, curators, and artists, many of whom operated from the periphery of the existing professional system, experimented with new ways of defining the cultural identities for Chinese architecture while forging connections between locally sensitive architecture and cosmopolitan ideas and influences. The dissertation’s four main chapters examine a variety of mediums and cultural platforms, including a published survey of modern architectural heritage, two professional journals, an avant-garde movement that highlighted architecture’s intersection with contemporary art and rapidly changing urban culture, and several architectural exhibitions. Through these case studies, the research provides concrete insights into how architecture in contemporary China responded to the swiftly changing physical and sociocultural landscape. Moreover, it illuminates the diverse strategies employed within both local and global contexts to shape the key issues and narratives that configure contemporary architecture in China. Collectively, these endeavors represent a profound quest for architectural autonomy, serving as a form of resistance against the oscillation between the lingering socialist collectivist influences and the homogenizing forces of globalizing neoliberalism amid significant political, economic, and social transformations.