On the outskirts of Beijing near the Shuiguan section of China's Great Wall stand 12 unconventional buildings settled in a tree-lined valley. The houses, which are scheduled for completion by September 2002, were all designed by avant-garde architects from Asia. This new development, officially called 'Commune By The Great Wall', is also known as the museum of contemporary architecture.
In July 2002, I spent two days with a photographer at the foot of the Great Wall to get a better look at these modern wonders. On the first day it was hazy and we could do nothing but linger in the valley, relaxing on the stone path in front of the Bamboo Wall designed by Kengo Kuma. By the second day the weather had cleared and the sun lit up the landscape. Immediately I felt the charm of the white house designed by Kanika. It was for me one of those unforgettable moments. What impressed me was not the weather, but the houses, for they are embodied with originality, modern design and even a hint of playfulness. According to Ai Weiwei, the landscape designer for the 'Commune', Asians are very rational, and these buildings, all designed by Asian architects, are seemingly introverted yet inclusive of dangerous elements and explosive force.
Many of the designs pose a challenge to traditional housing concepts. To a large extent the 12 structures reflect a return to nature that gained popularity after Chinese architecture went through a period of turmoil. This is not simply because the site is located at the foot of the Great Wall, but rather represents a dream of the developers to put modern housing designs to use in one of world's most magnificent settings. Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi, two of the developers and investors in the project, once said that the 'Commune' is not only an architectural museum, but also a place for people to regain parts of their selves that they may have lost in this busy and complicated modern world.
The 'Commune by the Great Wall' will be included in La Biennale di Venizia, a famous exhibition, this September, which is of great significance to Chinese architecture. For this article we visited all 12 buildings, including 11 villas and a clubhouse. The current edition takes a look at 6 completed houses.
The Shared House
Designed by Kanika R'kul (Thailand)
This house surrounds a courtyard that also serves as its entrance. A white ladder leads up to the terrace and interior rooms where guests can enjoy the view of the nearby Great Wall. On the ceiling of the hallway leading to the terrace, between the bedrooms and bathroom, there is a row of skylights, 10 meters long that bring in natural light.
The large terrace, half open-air and half enclosed in glass, provides a true sense of wild nature while complimenting the breathtaking surroundings. Many of today's architects focus on making the master bedroom the masterpiece of their design; instead the White House focuses most attention on the structure's public space. According to Kanika, "A weekend home in the mountains serves not necessarily to take us away from city life, but to expose us to the 'missing components' in our lives that can give all of us a more balanced existence."
The play between volume and shape, between mass and intangible space, gives the house an air of joyfulness. In addition, with the elegance of wood and harmony between light and shadow, the pure white geometric structure is filled with romantic sentiment.
Forest House
Designed by Nobuaki Furuya (Japan)
Upon arrival at the entrance to the house, the first thing one notices is that left of the doorway there is a small, serene pool. Inside the house, there is a long 'kang' (traditional bed used in northern China), under which, one finds a heating system. When the door is closed, this little corner becomes a private space, complimented by the windows in the back that function to connect indoor and outdoor space.
Upon entering the parlor, there is a sense of change caused by the space and natural views. Three two-story glass screens encircle the parlor and the elevated dining room, while three separate staircases connect to the rooms above. Above is a small terrace overlooking the parlor. The interior makes full use of local woods, causing the inhabitant to feel as though he or she is deep in the forest although still inside the house.
The architect believes that the main role of architecture is to provide a space for people to encounter something or someone. "Here in my house, it is easy to sense what the Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacommetti meant by his quote about man 'becoming a ball of light when wrapped in the bosom of the vast forest'."
Bamboo Wall
Designed by Kengo Kuma (Japan)
Inside the aptly named Bamboo Wall house, there is a wall of bamboo and several bamboo parlors that offer a variety of options for partitioning space. This is helped by the difference in the density and diameter of the bamboo. Sunlight penetrates through the wood to create a strong visual effect. From the entrance, the house seems to run down first and then up, leading to a spacious living room and open kitchen.
Over a pool there is a stone bridge that leads to the centerpiece of this home - the teahouse, which looks to be the perfect place to host ceremonies. The entire teahouse is surrounded by floor to ceiling bamboo. The architect has kept all the bamboo in its natural color. In this house, you can seat yourself on the bamboo floor and enjoy the breeze coming from the open side of the house, while taking in the view of the mountains.
Cantilever House
Designed by Antonio (China)
Seeming to float on air, this villa is the most eye-catching of the 12 designs. We approached the house from below. Facing the green hillside, the stone stairs at the entrance lead us through a dark space into a colorful world. Taking a turn, one arrives at the spacious living room on the second floor. Enter the terrace and you find a narrow case of stairs leading to another indoor terrace on the third floor. The bedrooms are located on either side of the terrace, with large windows that look out upon the green hillsides.
Walking along the corridor by the hillside takes you to the rooftop garden. The open garden enjoys splendid views of the mountains and is the perfect place for holding parties. In the middle of the garden, there is a small swimming pool with a lone tree standing nearby.
The architect has provided a variety of entrance options for this building. "You can get to the roof of the house from the slope, not using the stairs, which gives you a sense of freedom." In order to match the surrounding landscape, the exterior walls are painted in subtle earth tones.
The most striking feature of the design are the two walls at the back of the structure that are set in the rock, where the slope of land naturally meets with the inclination of the courtyard, thus offering a platform for the residents to approach nature.
The Venezuela-born architect Antonio is the chief architect with Beijing Redstone Industrie and has lived in China for a number of years.
Suitcase
Designed by Gary Chang (Hong Kong)
This villa has drawn abundant attention from the media for it is both playful and mysterious looking.
Initially, the rectangular house leads you to believe that it is simply an empty enclosure - like a suitcase. In fact it has two levels. With the help of a hydraulic lift system you can raise the floor and enter concealed rooms. The study, restrooms, kitchen and sauna are all located below the main floor. If desired, the floor can be raised at different points to partition the 40x5 meter space to suit various functions. For example, if a number of friends are visiting, you can raise the floor to form several bedrooms, say 7 or 8! The extreme simplicity of the design involves wonderful creativity and precision, at the same time giving off a feeling of the unknown.
According to the architect, this playful and mysterious building is "an attempt to rethink the nature of intimacy, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility." He says, "I want to reinvent the idea of urban adaptability and flexibility. In Hong Kong, we have grown accustomed to prescribed floor plans, but with this house you can modify the structure as you feel necessary."
Some people say Gary Chang is a creator of precision instruments - a comment that is quite true to form. Others say that his designs are simply a pragmatic solution to the extremely high price of land in Hong Kong.
In July 2002, I spent two days with a photographer at the foot of the Great Wall to get a better look at these modern wonders. On the first day it was hazy and we could do nothing but linger in the valley, relaxing on the stone path in front of the Bamboo Wall designed by Kengo Kuma. By the second day the weather had cleared and the sun lit up the landscape. Immediately I felt the charm of the white house designed by Kanika. It was for me one of those unforgettable moments. What impressed me was not the weather, but the houses, for they are embodied with originality, modern design and even a hint of playfulness. According to Ai Weiwei, the landscape designer for the 'Commune', Asians are very rational, and these buildings, all designed by Asian architects, are seemingly introverted yet inclusive of dangerous elements and explosive force.
Many of the designs pose a challenge to traditional housing concepts. To a large extent the 12 structures reflect a return to nature that gained popularity after Chinese architecture went through a period of turmoil. This is not simply because the site is located at the foot of the Great Wall, but rather represents a dream of the developers to put modern housing designs to use in one of world's most magnificent settings. Zhang Xin and Pan Shiyi, two of the developers and investors in the project, once said that the 'Commune' is not only an architectural museum, but also a place for people to regain parts of their selves that they may have lost in this busy and complicated modern world.
The 'Commune by the Great Wall' will be included in La Biennale di Venizia, a famous exhibition, this September, which is of great significance to Chinese architecture. For this article we visited all 12 buildings, including 11 villas and a clubhouse. The current edition takes a look at 6 completed houses.
The Shared House
Designed by Kanika R'kul (Thailand)
This house surrounds a courtyard that also serves as its entrance. A white ladder leads up to the terrace and interior rooms where guests can enjoy the view of the nearby Great Wall. On the ceiling of the hallway leading to the terrace, between the bedrooms and bathroom, there is a row of skylights, 10 meters long that bring in natural light.
The large terrace, half open-air and half enclosed in glass, provides a true sense of wild nature while complimenting the breathtaking surroundings. Many of today's architects focus on making the master bedroom the masterpiece of their design; instead the White House focuses most attention on the structure's public space. According to Kanika, "A weekend home in the mountains serves not necessarily to take us away from city life, but to expose us to the 'missing components' in our lives that can give all of us a more balanced existence."
The play between volume and shape, between mass and intangible space, gives the house an air of joyfulness. In addition, with the elegance of wood and harmony between light and shadow, the pure white geometric structure is filled with romantic sentiment.
Forest House
Designed by Nobuaki Furuya (Japan)
Upon arrival at the entrance to the house, the first thing one notices is that left of the doorway there is a small, serene pool. Inside the house, there is a long 'kang' (traditional bed used in northern China), under which, one finds a heating system. When the door is closed, this little corner becomes a private space, complimented by the windows in the back that function to connect indoor and outdoor space.
Upon entering the parlor, there is a sense of change caused by the space and natural views. Three two-story glass screens encircle the parlor and the elevated dining room, while three separate staircases connect to the rooms above. Above is a small terrace overlooking the parlor. The interior makes full use of local woods, causing the inhabitant to feel as though he or she is deep in the forest although still inside the house.
The architect believes that the main role of architecture is to provide a space for people to encounter something or someone. "Here in my house, it is easy to sense what the Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacommetti meant by his quote about man 'becoming a ball of light when wrapped in the bosom of the vast forest'."
Bamboo Wall
Designed by Kengo Kuma (Japan)
Inside the aptly named Bamboo Wall house, there is a wall of bamboo and several bamboo parlors that offer a variety of options for partitioning space. This is helped by the difference in the density and diameter of the bamboo. Sunlight penetrates through the wood to create a strong visual effect. From the entrance, the house seems to run down first and then up, leading to a spacious living room and open kitchen.
Over a pool there is a stone bridge that leads to the centerpiece of this home - the teahouse, which looks to be the perfect place to host ceremonies. The entire teahouse is surrounded by floor to ceiling bamboo. The architect has kept all the bamboo in its natural color. In this house, you can seat yourself on the bamboo floor and enjoy the breeze coming from the open side of the house, while taking in the view of the mountains.
Cantilever House
Designed by Antonio (China)
Seeming to float on air, this villa is the most eye-catching of the 12 designs. We approached the house from below. Facing the green hillside, the stone stairs at the entrance lead us through a dark space into a colorful world. Taking a turn, one arrives at the spacious living room on the second floor. Enter the terrace and you find a narrow case of stairs leading to another indoor terrace on the third floor. The bedrooms are located on either side of the terrace, with large windows that look out upon the green hillsides.
Walking along the corridor by the hillside takes you to the rooftop garden. The open garden enjoys splendid views of the mountains and is the perfect place for holding parties. In the middle of the garden, there is a small swimming pool with a lone tree standing nearby.
The architect has provided a variety of entrance options for this building. "You can get to the roof of the house from the slope, not using the stairs, which gives you a sense of freedom." In order to match the surrounding landscape, the exterior walls are painted in subtle earth tones.
The most striking feature of the design are the two walls at the back of the structure that are set in the rock, where the slope of land naturally meets with the inclination of the courtyard, thus offering a platform for the residents to approach nature.
The Venezuela-born architect Antonio is the chief architect with Beijing Redstone Industrie and has lived in China for a number of years.
Suitcase
Designed by Gary Chang (Hong Kong)
This villa has drawn abundant attention from the media for it is both playful and mysterious looking.
Initially, the rectangular house leads you to believe that it is simply an empty enclosure - like a suitcase. In fact it has two levels. With the help of a hydraulic lift system you can raise the floor and enter concealed rooms. The study, restrooms, kitchen and sauna are all located below the main floor. If desired, the floor can be raised at different points to partition the 40x5 meter space to suit various functions. For example, if a number of friends are visiting, you can raise the floor to form several bedrooms, say 7 or 8! The extreme simplicity of the design involves wonderful creativity and precision, at the same time giving off a feeling of the unknown.
According to the architect, this playful and mysterious building is "an attempt to rethink the nature of intimacy, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility." He says, "I want to reinvent the idea of urban adaptability and flexibility. In Hong Kong, we have grown accustomed to prescribed floor plans, but with this house you can modify the structure as you feel necessary."
Some people say Gary Chang is a creator of precision instruments - a comment that is quite true to form. Others say that his designs are simply a pragmatic solution to the extremely high price of land in Hong Kong.
