Commune by the Great Wall Will Attend La Biennale di Venezia.
Koolhaas' Prediction
In the past 8 years, I paid almost no attention to Asian architecture except that of Japan. One thing, however, changed my perception and shifted my attention to Asia. In 1996, Rem Koolhaas, a Dutch architect, presided over a seminar in Tokyo. He boldly predicted that by 2020, 57 percent of the building market and two thirds of the big cities would be in Asia. In recent times, blueprints for urban development have become the hottest issue in the architectural world.
Just as Koolhaas predicted, dramatic changes have been taking place in Asia in the past five years.
It was the Commune by the Great Wall that focused my attention on China, and I still remember clearly that this shift occurred after I interviewed Yung Ho Chang.
On April 7, 2000, Mr. Massimi lano Fuksas, the director of the last La Biennale di Venezia, came to Tokyo to promote the convention that would open on June 18 that year. An introductory meeting was held for the convention. Mr. Fuksas made a special recommendation to Mr. Yung Ho Chang, a Chinese architect, whose work would be on display at the convention. This led me to believe that perhaps the world had begun to turn its attention to contemporary Chinese architects. Then, I dialed Unusual Architects Firm and interviewed Yung Ho Chang, 'spokesman' of contemporary Chinese architecture.
Thanks to the Taiwan Artists magazine, my special interview with Yung Ho Chang, entitled Bamboo City Plan--Special on Yung Ho Chang, Representative Contemporary Chinese Architect, was published in Artists, occupying 14 color pages. It was clear to me that China had entered a golden era of architecture. To say golden era might be overstating. In fact, however, China was coming into a new construction age.
Shortly after that, I began to read online to search for more information about China, about her architecture. In February 2001, I accidentally read that the Commune by the Great Wall in Beijing was started. The most impressive thing about the project was that it was being promoted with the slogan Collecting The Art of Architecture. What a bold vision! The birth of the Commune by the Great Wall firmly fixed my eyes on China.
From then on I began to pay close attention to the Commune by the Great Wall. I believe this project is like a locomotive, pulling China onto the express track of the modern architecture movement. The news that it had been invited to attend La Biennale di Venezia in 2002 proves that world architecture is now focusing on China. And for China, it is a milestone in her endeavor to enter the world stage of architecture.
As is known to all, La Biennale di Venezia is a big event in Italy and therefore very authoritative. I always think that it may be very appropriate to dub it as 'UN of Architecture'. Unfortunately however, China has never been a member of the 'UN' for long, which is not because world architecture does not accept China, but because China has not become fully aware of the architectural culture. This is also part of the reason that the site of architecture exhibition in the Biennale does not have a Hall of China. In 2000, Yung Ho Chang was invited to show his works in the Biennale, which put an end to the absence of Chinese architecture from the world scene.
Three Steps into World Architecture
I want to divide modern Chinese architecture's entrance onto the world stage into three steps. Step I: Architect Yung Ho Chang's participation at the last La Biennale di Venezia, which brought Chinese architects into world focus; Step II: the Commune by the Great Wall's invitation to the La Biennale di Venezia this year, indicating that the world is shifting its attention to Chinese architecture; Step III will involve building a 'Hall of China' at La Biennale di Venezia to make Chinese architecture a true member of world architecture. That will be a big day for Chinese architecture as a whole, one worthy of applause and certainly one to look forward to.
Why at the Foot of the Great Wall
Beijing, a city that has long been dominated by an air of solemnity, imposes an overwhelming might on its residents, making them unconsciously abide by its long-established conventions and orders. Some men of culture (including developers, architects, artists, and so on) wanted to get from under this imposition, so they began to search for a place where fresh air was not a luxury. They went out to the countryside, bought some land, and each built a house of their own.
In the beginning, those non-government artists and celebrities bought houses and went to live in the suburbs. Nevertheless, their souls belonged to the city proper of Beijing. At most this was a change in the ways of life for those cultured men. The Commune by the Great Wall is, however, regarded as the museum for contemporary experimental architecture.
How could you find a cooler way to exploit the fame of the Great Wall? Seating yourself by the windows of the Commune by the Great Wall, you can take in the views of the Wall, its beacon towers, and the mountains all around. The scenery is not necessarily beautiful, and the surroundings even seem rather desolate. However the Great Wall, as an invaluable historical legacy, lends prominence to the Commune by the Great Wall. To find a home in this piece of deserted land is the grand vision of the husband-and-wife developers Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin.
This $24 million project is revolutionary in that it offers a space for 12 leading Asian architects and has sought no assistance from the government. If the Commune by the Great Wall could inspire a modern architecture movement in China, what do you imagine could happen to the entire country?
When the Bamboo House Was Completed
Beijing has a rather arid climate in winter. At dusk one day in mid January 2002, an evening banquet was held at the Bamboo House by the foot of the Great Wall. The Bamboo House was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and was the first villa at the Commune by the Great Wall to be completed. Among the guests were the former Swiss ambassador to China, the collector of Chinese contemporary art Ulisigg, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Director Alanna Heiss, world-famous exhibition planners Mr. and Mrs. Harold Szeemann, and other well known faces from art, architecture, and news media circles. Though it seemed to be merely a private party cum informal ceremony for the completion of Bamboo House, I believe it to be of great significance.
In any other part of the world, a villa like the Bamboo House could never be expected to attract such a group of distinguished guests and celebrities, for the Bamboo House itself was indeed nothing more than a common building. But the meaning of the gathering lied in that it made people aware of the rise of a new Chinese cultural elite. A careful inspection of contemporary Chinese history shows that well-educated and cultural men who cherish independent thinking were almost always the first target in any political movement. This has led, in recent times, to the downfall of a whole generation of cultural elites. The implementation of the reform and open-door policy has, however, opened up opportunities for the confluence of the cultured man's wisdom and businessman's money, and has brought forth a new generation of cultural elite. And now the Commune by the Great Wall, as a new residence movement initiated by its developers, offers these celebrities and cultural elite a place away from the urban chaos--a new home for their souls.
Experiencing the Commune by the Great Wall
Right after the Chinese lunar New Year, I went to Beijing for an important task: to experience the Commune by the Great Wall. One of the staff from SOHO NewTown drove me there. It had been 25 years since I last visited the Great Wall near Beijing. To my surprise, it only took us a short time to get there. Judging from the very little time it took us to get there, I could sense that great changes had been taking place in Beijing. Once on the site I walked from one architects' works to another. Though the villas had not been finished yet, their locations and scales made it easy to imagine the spectacular views they would afford once completed.
I first went to see the No. 3 Villa by Cui Kai. Located to the right-hand side of the site's access, it bears a structure formed by an interlacing of two white rectangular objects, looking like a slightly humpbacked white tiger crouching there in the backlight. I believe that the building together with the view from the stretched horizontal window will bring a sort of elegance to the owner.
Then I headed to the Bamboo House, which is located at the highest point of the slope. It had just been completed. It was a long, flat house, exhibiting the flavor of Japanese architecture. Though using bamboo, which was a symbol of Chinese culture, as the material for the inner walls, the way the bamboos were put together and the light & shadow design betrayed the truth that it was a transplant of Japanese Yamato space in China. Fortunately, such a Japanese style does not make Chinese uncomfortable. The most wonderful stroke of the building was its 'bamboo teahouse'. The oblique winter sunlight shines into the room to crisscross with the bamboo curtain and the bamboo wall. The result is a wonderful interlacing of light and shadow that makes you feel as if you were set amidst a sea of bamboos.
The pure white No. 8 villa by the Thai architect Kanika Rkul stands opposite the Bamboo House. This white structure stands out as an emblem for emptiness in the midst of surrounding mountains. The flat, open roof is a terrific place for personal activities and sightseeing. And you could hardly imagine a more glamorous visual effect than the shadow cast by the white wall. The serenity and elegance embodied in this white building is moving.
Deeper into the valley is located the villa designed by the Japanese architect Nobuaki Furuya. Facing west, it enjoys a very good location. Standing in the setting sun, one can see the Great Wall winding through the mountains, setting oneself in the illusion of past alternating with present.
Work on the No. 9 Villa designed by Singaporean architect Kay Ngee Tan has progressed comparatively slowly. A highlight of the design is apparently a large, elaborately designed window facing west the view from which is guaranteed to take any sightseer's breath away.
In an epoch dominated by science and technology, it is hard to believe that Yung Ho Chang, a Chinese architect with an overseas background in architecture studies, built a house at the foot of the Great Wall by means of the age-old tamping wall technique. No matter how he explains the aesthetic features of the tamping walls, you may still find it difficult to accept the fact this 'Split House' is his work. However, when you get near to this house that is made from 100% earth, you will find that out of all the designs, the 'Split House', with its emphasis on walls, is most in harmony with the surrounding Great Wall.
The house is 'split' right down the middle, which in effect creates various landscapes and spaces, while also offering a sense of existence 'between the mountains and the rivers'. There is a small stream that meanders up to the front door, at which point it flows beneath a glass walkway into the vestibule of the house. The two wings of the house encircle the mountain slope, creating a courtyard that is half natural, half architectural.
Yung Ho Chang believes the 'Split House' to be an ecologically sound structure. Its clay walls act as insulation to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The 'Split House' represents a respect for tradition, but is not an attempt to recreate it. Rather, it is an attempt to create a new architectural vision for a modern China. More than that, the 'Split House' is to me a house that strongly exhibits the characteristics of Yin-and-Yang.
Venezuela-born Antonio Ochoa has settled down in China. He is now working with Beijing Redstone Industrie as their chief architect. The No. 6 Villa designed by him looks like an awe-inspiring tank in the mountains. Walking up to building and looking up, you could see the building-shaped sky. Turning around and looking down, you could see the gateways at four sides tailoring the mountain landscapes. Each side bears a different appearance at different times. The building, sometimes elegant, sometimes violent, is permeated with an air of South-American custom.
Well-known for his paper buildings, Shigeru Ban prioritizes the same consideration as other architects, that is, how to work out a design in line with the local conditions. "In order to take full advantage of the spacious site, we make use of the traditional Chinese courtyard in the design. The main courtyard is to be placed in center of the house, and then we simply arrange all the rooms in a square footprint." It seemed at the time as if this square villa with a courtyard in the middle had just been airlifted to this new location by a helicopter.
Shigeru Ban carefully studied Chinese structure and materials, in an attempt to find the ideal structural plywood, and, as luck would have it, he discovered bamboo plywood. The plywood is fabricated by laminating strips of bamboo into building lumber with a certain type of glue. Tests showed the new material to be structurally stronger than other timber structural plywood.
"The success of laminated bamboo plywood makes me gradually attracted by this prospective structural element. I believe this bamboo furniture house will lead the trend of Chinese modernity and contemporary structural elements", said Shigeru Ban.
Seung H-Sang may be the most popular Korean architect in Chinese architecture. His work enjoys the best location in the whole project. It is not a villa. Instead, it is a place for the residents in the Commune to communicate and hold activities. Though I only saw the reinforced concrete framework, the bare space was rather imposing. The building was, in his mind, more an object extended out from the mountain than something that was built on top of it.
Koolhaas' Prediction
In the past 8 years, I paid almost no attention to Asian architecture except that of Japan. One thing, however, changed my perception and shifted my attention to Asia. In 1996, Rem Koolhaas, a Dutch architect, presided over a seminar in Tokyo. He boldly predicted that by 2020, 57 percent of the building market and two thirds of the big cities would be in Asia. In recent times, blueprints for urban development have become the hottest issue in the architectural world.
Just as Koolhaas predicted, dramatic changes have been taking place in Asia in the past five years.
It was the Commune by the Great Wall that focused my attention on China, and I still remember clearly that this shift occurred after I interviewed Yung Ho Chang.
On April 7, 2000, Mr. Massimi lano Fuksas, the director of the last La Biennale di Venezia, came to Tokyo to promote the convention that would open on June 18 that year. An introductory meeting was held for the convention. Mr. Fuksas made a special recommendation to Mr. Yung Ho Chang, a Chinese architect, whose work would be on display at the convention. This led me to believe that perhaps the world had begun to turn its attention to contemporary Chinese architects. Then, I dialed Unusual Architects Firm and interviewed Yung Ho Chang, 'spokesman' of contemporary Chinese architecture.
Thanks to the Taiwan Artists magazine, my special interview with Yung Ho Chang, entitled Bamboo City Plan--Special on Yung Ho Chang, Representative Contemporary Chinese Architect, was published in Artists, occupying 14 color pages. It was clear to me that China had entered a golden era of architecture. To say golden era might be overstating. In fact, however, China was coming into a new construction age.
Shortly after that, I began to read online to search for more information about China, about her architecture. In February 2001, I accidentally read that the Commune by the Great Wall in Beijing was started. The most impressive thing about the project was that it was being promoted with the slogan Collecting The Art of Architecture. What a bold vision! The birth of the Commune by the Great Wall firmly fixed my eyes on China.
From then on I began to pay close attention to the Commune by the Great Wall. I believe this project is like a locomotive, pulling China onto the express track of the modern architecture movement. The news that it had been invited to attend La Biennale di Venezia in 2002 proves that world architecture is now focusing on China. And for China, it is a milestone in her endeavor to enter the world stage of architecture.
As is known to all, La Biennale di Venezia is a big event in Italy and therefore very authoritative. I always think that it may be very appropriate to dub it as 'UN of Architecture'. Unfortunately however, China has never been a member of the 'UN' for long, which is not because world architecture does not accept China, but because China has not become fully aware of the architectural culture. This is also part of the reason that the site of architecture exhibition in the Biennale does not have a Hall of China. In 2000, Yung Ho Chang was invited to show his works in the Biennale, which put an end to the absence of Chinese architecture from the world scene.
Three Steps into World Architecture
I want to divide modern Chinese architecture's entrance onto the world stage into three steps. Step I: Architect Yung Ho Chang's participation at the last La Biennale di Venezia, which brought Chinese architects into world focus; Step II: the Commune by the Great Wall's invitation to the La Biennale di Venezia this year, indicating that the world is shifting its attention to Chinese architecture; Step III will involve building a 'Hall of China' at La Biennale di Venezia to make Chinese architecture a true member of world architecture. That will be a big day for Chinese architecture as a whole, one worthy of applause and certainly one to look forward to.
Why at the Foot of the Great Wall
Beijing, a city that has long been dominated by an air of solemnity, imposes an overwhelming might on its residents, making them unconsciously abide by its long-established conventions and orders. Some men of culture (including developers, architects, artists, and so on) wanted to get from under this imposition, so they began to search for a place where fresh air was not a luxury. They went out to the countryside, bought some land, and each built a house of their own.
In the beginning, those non-government artists and celebrities bought houses and went to live in the suburbs. Nevertheless, their souls belonged to the city proper of Beijing. At most this was a change in the ways of life for those cultured men. The Commune by the Great Wall is, however, regarded as the museum for contemporary experimental architecture.
How could you find a cooler way to exploit the fame of the Great Wall? Seating yourself by the windows of the Commune by the Great Wall, you can take in the views of the Wall, its beacon towers, and the mountains all around. The scenery is not necessarily beautiful, and the surroundings even seem rather desolate. However the Great Wall, as an invaluable historical legacy, lends prominence to the Commune by the Great Wall. To find a home in this piece of deserted land is the grand vision of the husband-and-wife developers Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin.
This $24 million project is revolutionary in that it offers a space for 12 leading Asian architects and has sought no assistance from the government. If the Commune by the Great Wall could inspire a modern architecture movement in China, what do you imagine could happen to the entire country?
When the Bamboo House Was Completed
Beijing has a rather arid climate in winter. At dusk one day in mid January 2002, an evening banquet was held at the Bamboo House by the foot of the Great Wall. The Bamboo House was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and was the first villa at the Commune by the Great Wall to be completed. Among the guests were the former Swiss ambassador to China, the collector of Chinese contemporary art Ulisigg, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Director Alanna Heiss, world-famous exhibition planners Mr. and Mrs. Harold Szeemann, and other well known faces from art, architecture, and news media circles. Though it seemed to be merely a private party cum informal ceremony for the completion of Bamboo House, I believe it to be of great significance.
In any other part of the world, a villa like the Bamboo House could never be expected to attract such a group of distinguished guests and celebrities, for the Bamboo House itself was indeed nothing more than a common building. But the meaning of the gathering lied in that it made people aware of the rise of a new Chinese cultural elite. A careful inspection of contemporary Chinese history shows that well-educated and cultural men who cherish independent thinking were almost always the first target in any political movement. This has led, in recent times, to the downfall of a whole generation of cultural elites. The implementation of the reform and open-door policy has, however, opened up opportunities for the confluence of the cultured man's wisdom and businessman's money, and has brought forth a new generation of cultural elite. And now the Commune by the Great Wall, as a new residence movement initiated by its developers, offers these celebrities and cultural elite a place away from the urban chaos--a new home for their souls.
Experiencing the Commune by the Great Wall
Right after the Chinese lunar New Year, I went to Beijing for an important task: to experience the Commune by the Great Wall. One of the staff from SOHO NewTown drove me there. It had been 25 years since I last visited the Great Wall near Beijing. To my surprise, it only took us a short time to get there. Judging from the very little time it took us to get there, I could sense that great changes had been taking place in Beijing. Once on the site I walked from one architects' works to another. Though the villas had not been finished yet, their locations and scales made it easy to imagine the spectacular views they would afford once completed.
I first went to see the No. 3 Villa by Cui Kai. Located to the right-hand side of the site's access, it bears a structure formed by an interlacing of two white rectangular objects, looking like a slightly humpbacked white tiger crouching there in the backlight. I believe that the building together with the view from the stretched horizontal window will bring a sort of elegance to the owner.
Then I headed to the Bamboo House, which is located at the highest point of the slope. It had just been completed. It was a long, flat house, exhibiting the flavor of Japanese architecture. Though using bamboo, which was a symbol of Chinese culture, as the material for the inner walls, the way the bamboos were put together and the light & shadow design betrayed the truth that it was a transplant of Japanese Yamato space in China. Fortunately, such a Japanese style does not make Chinese uncomfortable. The most wonderful stroke of the building was its 'bamboo teahouse'. The oblique winter sunlight shines into the room to crisscross with the bamboo curtain and the bamboo wall. The result is a wonderful interlacing of light and shadow that makes you feel as if you were set amidst a sea of bamboos.
The pure white No. 8 villa by the Thai architect Kanika Rkul stands opposite the Bamboo House. This white structure stands out as an emblem for emptiness in the midst of surrounding mountains. The flat, open roof is a terrific place for personal activities and sightseeing. And you could hardly imagine a more glamorous visual effect than the shadow cast by the white wall. The serenity and elegance embodied in this white building is moving.
Deeper into the valley is located the villa designed by the Japanese architect Nobuaki Furuya. Facing west, it enjoys a very good location. Standing in the setting sun, one can see the Great Wall winding through the mountains, setting oneself in the illusion of past alternating with present.
Work on the No. 9 Villa designed by Singaporean architect Kay Ngee Tan has progressed comparatively slowly. A highlight of the design is apparently a large, elaborately designed window facing west the view from which is guaranteed to take any sightseer's breath away.
In an epoch dominated by science and technology, it is hard to believe that Yung Ho Chang, a Chinese architect with an overseas background in architecture studies, built a house at the foot of the Great Wall by means of the age-old tamping wall technique. No matter how he explains the aesthetic features of the tamping walls, you may still find it difficult to accept the fact this 'Split House' is his work. However, when you get near to this house that is made from 100% earth, you will find that out of all the designs, the 'Split House', with its emphasis on walls, is most in harmony with the surrounding Great Wall.
The house is 'split' right down the middle, which in effect creates various landscapes and spaces, while also offering a sense of existence 'between the mountains and the rivers'. There is a small stream that meanders up to the front door, at which point it flows beneath a glass walkway into the vestibule of the house. The two wings of the house encircle the mountain slope, creating a courtyard that is half natural, half architectural.
Yung Ho Chang believes the 'Split House' to be an ecologically sound structure. Its clay walls act as insulation to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. The 'Split House' represents a respect for tradition, but is not an attempt to recreate it. Rather, it is an attempt to create a new architectural vision for a modern China. More than that, the 'Split House' is to me a house that strongly exhibits the characteristics of Yin-and-Yang.
Venezuela-born Antonio Ochoa has settled down in China. He is now working with Beijing Redstone Industrie as their chief architect. The No. 6 Villa designed by him looks like an awe-inspiring tank in the mountains. Walking up to building and looking up, you could see the building-shaped sky. Turning around and looking down, you could see the gateways at four sides tailoring the mountain landscapes. Each side bears a different appearance at different times. The building, sometimes elegant, sometimes violent, is permeated with an air of South-American custom.
Well-known for his paper buildings, Shigeru Ban prioritizes the same consideration as other architects, that is, how to work out a design in line with the local conditions. "In order to take full advantage of the spacious site, we make use of the traditional Chinese courtyard in the design. The main courtyard is to be placed in center of the house, and then we simply arrange all the rooms in a square footprint." It seemed at the time as if this square villa with a courtyard in the middle had just been airlifted to this new location by a helicopter.
Shigeru Ban carefully studied Chinese structure and materials, in an attempt to find the ideal structural plywood, and, as luck would have it, he discovered bamboo plywood. The plywood is fabricated by laminating strips of bamboo into building lumber with a certain type of glue. Tests showed the new material to be structurally stronger than other timber structural plywood.
"The success of laminated bamboo plywood makes me gradually attracted by this prospective structural element. I believe this bamboo furniture house will lead the trend of Chinese modernity and contemporary structural elements", said Shigeru Ban.
Seung H-Sang may be the most popular Korean architect in Chinese architecture. His work enjoys the best location in the whole project. It is not a villa. Instead, it is a place for the residents in the Commune to communicate and hold activities. Though I only saw the reinforced concrete framework, the bare space was rather imposing. The building was, in his mind, more an object extended out from the mountain than something that was built on top of it.
