5 "Golden Lion Prizes" awarded at the International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia
As she arrived at the exhibition site, Zhang Xin felt both surprised and happy
to see her project Commune by the Great Wall occupying the most prominent position.
This exhibition, with the theme NEXT, has attracted a great number of world
renown architects - many of whom were shocked to see China's Commune at the forefront.
However, when we talked with Ms. Zhang via phone yesterday she was a bit disappointed
saying that, "Because the whole exhibition requires a uniform style, our
signs 'Collect the Art of Architecture', which illustrate the architectural
implication of the Commune by the Great Wall, had to be removed." But very
soon, joy overrode her disappointment - the Commune project had won her the
Special Prize to an individual patron of architectural works.
Zhang Xin is the president of SOHO China Ltd., and her CEO husband, Pan Shiyi,
is a well-known in China's real estate industry. The architecture exhibition
of la Biennale di Venizia, traditionally a gathering of architects, invited property
developer Zhang Xin because it was her conceptual vision that initiated the
building of the Commune by the Great Wall. This project features unique designs
created by 12 Asian architects in a valley occupying 8 square kilometres near
the Great Wall of China. Zhang Xin hopes to make the Commune into a museum of
contemporary architecture.
This was the first time a Biennale prize was awarded to a non-architect. Mr
Terence Riley, chairman of the international jury of this exhibition, also chief
curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern
Art in New York, praised Zhang Xin at the award ceremony saying her "bold
personal initiative emphasizes the role of 12 Asian architects in building privately-owned
houses in a definitively contemporary manner."
The history of la Biennale di Venezia dates back to 1895. It is listed together
with the Bienal International de San Paulo and Kassel Documenta as one of the
three major visual arts conventions in the world. The International Architecture
Exhibition was added to the Biennale only about 20 years ago. It has, however,
become the world's most proactive and authoritative symbol of contemporary architecture.
Five Golden Lion Prizes were awarded in this exhibition. Besides Zhang Xin's
Special Prize, the Golden Lion for Best Project went to Portuguese architect
Mr Alvaro Siza Vieira. The Golden Lion for the Best Foreign Pavilion was presented
to the Dutch Pavilion. The City of Barcelona snatched the Special Prize for
governmental patronage and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement was awarded
to famous Japanese architect Toyo Ito.
Brief Background for Zhang Xin
In 1965, Born in Beijing
In 1980, Immigrated to Hong Kong, worked in a factory
In 1992, Earned Master Degree in Economics at Cambridge University
In 1992, Began to work for Goldman Sachs and later Traveler's Group.
In 1995, Returned to Beijing, and together with her husband Pan Shiyi, set up
Redstone Industrie Co., Ltd.
