Zhao Jixin, vice-president of the Architectural Design Branch of Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning and Design Institute in Beijing, says the iconic visuals of the period stemmed from early attempts to imitate Western modernism and postmodernism.

For example, the colored windows were originally a practical response to technical limitations — coated films were needed to improve insulation.

Every era creates its own visual markers. That doesn't mean today's buildings lack artistic merit, she says. "The lollipops we ate as children seem the sweetest because we remember how they felt."

Liu Mingtai in Changchun contributed to this story.