Archinect - News

Honoring the achievements of China’s first female architect one hundred years later

2024-06-24T17:38:00-04:00

On May 18, 2024, the University of Pennsylvania awarded Lin Huiyin (林徽因) with an architecture degree, exactly 100 years after they refused to admit her into their undergraduate program because she was a woman. [...] With the news of Lin’s belated degree quickly going viral on Chinese social media, her name is again in the public eye. It is therefore a good opportunity to revisit her legacy and correct the prejudice and stereotypes that have overshadowed Lin’s story.

Lin Huiyin’s story was included in the Weitzman School’s 2022 exhibition ‘Building in China: A Century of Dialogues on Modern Architecture,’ which examined her and her classmates' influence in China after 1920. Often detracting from it are accounts of her personal life and relationship with Liang Sicheng. Lin’s stellar academic coursework went unrewarded even after UPenn’s decision to grant credit to female Bachelor of Architecture students after 1934. Her granddaughter, Yu Kui, accepted the diploma on her behalf at the school's commencement ceremonies last month.

On the evening of May 18th, local time in the United States, at the graduation ceremony of the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Lin Huiyin's granddaughter, Yu Kui, accepted the long-delayed degree certificate on behalf of Lin Huiyin from the dean of… pic.twitter.com/TZBPIsARUF
— Hola Fujian (@HolaFujian) May 19, 2024

The ancient ventilation method that’s still keeping Chinese homes cool

2023-07-17T11:46:00-04:00

When asked about why skywells have caught more attention of modern Chinese people, Wang [Zhengfeng] says that the courtyard is also designed to serve as a gathering space for families or communities, and comes with ritual meanings. "Perhaps changes in the way of life could also trigger vernacular nostalgia among people living in concrete and glass forests.” "It won't be easy to be sustainable by learning from the past without reflecting on our current behaviours."

Lightwells are of course, a common passive cooling method in modern Western designs, but in China, their popularity is partly driven by a budding “vernacular nostalgia” for traditional features and concepts. The government’s push towards greener building standards and a 2060 net zero carbon emissions target is also inspiring the renaissance in the face of skyrocketing energy consumption at a critical time. A 2018 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted 85% of all homes in the country will have at least one air conditioning unit by 2030.

The Weitzman School of Design's latest exhibition offers a look at the impact its alumni had in making China modern

2022-01-18T13:03:00-05:00

What can a western architectural education do in a developing country? The legacy of one of the leading design colleges in America is being examined as such in a new exhibition called Building in China: A Century of Dialogues on Modern Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design in Philadelphia.

The exhibition is presented in unison with Southeast University School of Architecture and the Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning and features a two-part format that looks first at the historical impacts the university has had on the development of architecture in the country after 1920.

Peace Hotel of Beijing, designed by Tingbao Yang. Image courtesy University of Pennsylvania.

Penn educated a number of prominent Chinese architects during those years, and many went on to successful architectural careers that were heavily influenced by the proximity to the international movement of modernism which began at the university. The fi...

Powerhouse Company's "Paper Roof" reception center has been completed in Tianjin, China

2021-01-15T12:26:00-05:00

Powerhouse Company's "Paper Roof," the new design for a reception center in Tianjin, China has been completed. The form is a transparent glass block topped by a light sweeping roof inspired by traditional Chinese architecture.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

The roof raises 18.5 meters at its highest point with a surface measurement of 30 meters x 50 meters. The canopy is made from powder-coated steel, colored a tone intended to mimic the sky.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

Inside the pavilion, a large atrium offers panoramic views of the surrounding lake and gardens. The second floor includes offices and a viewing balcony in addition to seating areas for small and large gatherings.

Photo by Weiqi Jin

Circular concrete office marks entrance to "health tech" research park in Chengdu

2020-06-25T12:15:00-04:00

As a certified National Economic and Technological Development Zone in China, the Chengdu Science and Technology Industry Incubation Park had a planning area of 330,000 square meters. The park is positioned as a platform to help foster the growth of "health-tech" companies. One of its strategies is the development and construction of a landmark building at the park entrance with goal of using architecture to inspire the continued growth and future of the industry.

Shanghai and Taipei-based architects CROX were commissioned back in 2014 to take on the landscape design and masterplanning for the park in addition to the design of the entry landmark building. The aim of the project is to transform the existing barren concrete site into a more sustainable and ecologically friendly environment.

The project's focal point rests on the circular general purpose building at the north entrance of the site. At ground level, visitors will find a series of conference rooms, a large lobby, some res...

Abandoned Chinese village receives art and architecture-fueled restoration and expansion

2020-05-22T14:22:00-04:00

Beijing-based NEXT architects, the Dutch Institute for heritage and marketing (IVEM), Smartland Architects, Total Design and a group of local artists have crafted a revitalization plan for the historic village of Dafang in China's Jiangxi Province.

As part of an effort to reinvigorate the 102 abandoned villages currently located within the province, the project looks to bring renewed commercial and residential activity to the district via arts-focused adaptive reuse.

"Rural revitalization is one of China's key future developments. We believe this asks for the design of balance between old and new, living and visiting, history and future," explains John van de Water, partner at NEXT architects Beijing.

Following a vision that brings multiple interventions to the site, including new additions to existing buildings, new pedestrian and lookout structures, and modern replacements and restorations for certain existing infrastructural elements, the design team is able to devise new ways of...

No more Duplitecture: China cracks down on copycat architecture and supertall skyscrapers

2020-05-15T18:13:00-04:00

A government statement says "plagiarising, imitating, and copycatting" designs is prohibited in new public facilities. The statement says buildings "reveal a city's culture" - and that "large, foreign, and weird" designs should be limited. The guidelines also clamp down on new skyscrapers - limiting them, in general, to a maximum of 500 metres.

A new government directive released jointly by China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and National Development and Reform Commission seeks to halt the further spread of Western-inspired copycat architecture, a common appearance in many Chinese cities.

Duplitecture definition from Archinect's Lexicon

Construction of new tall buildings, especially skyscrapers over 500 meters, will also be significantly limited.

The announcement follows a prominent 2016 directive that hoped to ban "oversized, xenocentric, weird" architecture and President Xi Jinping’s criticism of "weird architecture" in 2014.

Previously:

Amateur Architecture Studio brings traditional Chinese materials and craftsmanship into modern architecture

2018-08-30T16:15:00-04:00

Wang Shu and his wife, Lu Wenyu, of China’s Amateur Architecture Studio want to protect Chinese culture and history by returning to artisanal building techniques and the use of materials such as natural stone, wood and bamboo. Wang Shu’s rejection of what he calls “professional, soulless architecture” has almost become a war cry. That kind of architecture, he believes, is ruining China.

Amateur Architecture Studio focuses on creating work that transcends the black and white divide of traditional and modern architecture. The duo have made it their mission to bring back handmade work and natural materials into modernization.

China Academy of Art Xiangshan Campus by Amateur Architecture Studio. Image: Tõnis Kimmel/Flickr.

Wang Shu was the first Chinese Pritzker winner, awarded back in 2012, for his commitment to reviving traditional craftsmanship in the profession.

China Academy of Art, Wa Shan Guesthouse, Xiangshan Campus by Amateur Architecture Studio. Image: Iwan Baan.

The studio works with material such as bamboo, stone, and wood rather than only focusing on concrete and steel. The Chinese tradition of handmade construction is essential to Shu, who prefers the title of "artisan" rather than "architect".

Wang Shu and André Corrêa do Lago announced as new jurors of the coveted Pritzker Prize

2017-09-06T13:28:00-04:00

As the Pritzker Prize marks its 40th anniversary with the upcoming 2018 edition, the award which has come to be known internationally as architecture’s highest honor welcomes two new members to its jury: architect and 2012 Laureate Wang Shu and André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

They will be replacing architect and educator Yung Ho Chang, and architecture curator, writer and editor Kristin Feireiss. The two served on the Pritzker Prize Jury for 7 and 6 years, respectively, and have recently stepped down. Jurors serve a minimum three-year term, which allows for both change and stability in the decision-making process

As a former winner of the prize, the Chinese architect's recent appointment comes as no surprise. Wang, whose work incorporates cultural tradition, craft skills, and spontaneous elements, said of the honor that “it is a great responsibility to serve on the jury. I also hope to share my knowledge of China and the Asian context with them.”

Mr. Corrêa do Lago, on the other hand,...

Ai Weiwei calls modern Chinese architecture 'fatalistic'

2016-08-09T13:12:00-04:00

“Everybody in China has been moved to a new location or a new city, new town, new apartment... But with such a big movement, or revolutionary change, there is very little discussion or very little meaningful challenge — intellectual challenge — about what architecture is in this fast developing society.” Despite the country's building boom, Ai says that the state of China's architectural philosphy has largely remained stagnant because conversation is stifled.

Ai Weiwei, along with former ambassador to China Uli Sigg, journalist Martin Meyer, and Jacques Herzog, discussed architecture's role in contemporary Chinese society as part of a panel hosted by Asia Society Switzerland.

Weiwei referred to architecture alongside any aesthetic discussions, as threatening to the sitting Chinese government: “The discussion does not benefit who is going to be profited. So authorities doesn’t like this kind of discussion — any discussion related to aesthetics. That means [conversation] about philosophy, legitimacy of power — then that’s very dangerous [to officials].”

Watch the panel discussion below.

More news on the world-famous dissident artist:

Despite ban on "weird architecture", a building that looks an awful lot like a toilet was built in Henan Province

2016-07-12T17:23:00-04:00

Back in February, the Chinese central government demanded an end to all mainland construction of buildings that are “oversized”, “xenocentric” or “weird” and a move toward architecture that is “pleasing to the eye”. Fast forward five months, and a 12-story toilet has been built in Henan province.

Ironically enough, the building is home to the North China Water Conservancy and Electric Power company.

For more on the state of architecture in China, check out these links:

Chinese Urbanism takes root in Africa

2015-08-17T11:14:00-04:00

Across the continent, Chinese companies are building highways, railways, sports stadiums, mass housing complexes, and sometimes entire cities. But China isn’t just providing the manpower to fuel quickly urbanizing African cities. It is exporting its own version of urbanization, creating cities and economic zones that look remarkably similar to Chinese ones.

Related in the Archinect News:

Chinese art institute resembles Hogwarts Castle

2014-12-15T14:06:00-05:00

The Hebei Academy of Fine Arts in China’s Hebei Province has constructed a new campus in Xinle City that, rather than resembling local architecture, adheres more to Gothic and European styles. Specifically, it bears a striking resemblance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. [...] But the new building is actually called “Cinderella’s Castle,” and was modeled on structures from medieval Europe. Unfortunately, the building has little to do with Cinderella or Hogwarts.

Previously: Chinese Colleges Are Trying to Look Like the Ivy League

Chinese Museum-building Boom Slightly Slows

2014-07-16T15:33:00-04:00

As money has piled up in recent decades, Chinese are turning to culture and the country is in a museum-building boom. Last year one museum was built every day on average, though the rush has since “slowed” to about one every three days, says Cathy Giangrande, co-author with Miriam Clifford and Antony White of the “Chinese Museums Association Guide,” an updated version of their 2009 book “China: Museums.”

Adaptation - architecture and change in China

2014-05-29T12:59:00-04:00

EMG set up EMGdotART Foundation [in 2012] – the first art and culture foundation established by a Chinese enterprise, to have a permanent gallery and headquarters in the heart of Venice, Italy.

"More than roofs, doors, courtyards or staircases, adaptation is fundamental for the understanding of Chinese architecture. If the fleeting fascination for fundamentals during the upcoming 14th International Architecture Exhibition [June 7 – 23 November 2014, Venice] will deal and try to understand the basic principles that create architecture; than, ADAPTATION - architecture and change in China《应变——中国的建筑和变化》 focuses on the flexible framework that makes architecture (in China) possible." MovingCities co-curatorial statement

Taking place on the ground floor the historic Palazzo Zen – newly renovated by Chinese architectural studio O-OFFICE – ADAPTATION, architecture and change in China – selected as one of 21 Collateral Events – is curated by Prof. Marino Folin (Rector of the IUAV University (19...