Architecture necessitates the intersection of circumstances, knowledge, culture, and technology. In the Chinese architectural tradition , concepts such as “opportune” and “harmonious” are often used to articulate the delicate intricacies of architecture’s crossroads, as exemplified by phrases like “the skill of Gongshuzi” (as described by Mencius) and “a match made in heaven.” It is in architecture’s  creative process  where an originality and poetry of spontaneous confluence and coincidence emerges, encompassing the art of borrowing from existing situations and the opportune combinations that arise from them, as well as the intentional search for opportunity despite difficulty  and the deliberate synthesis of anomalies.

In contrast to the European model of the “architect” as a builder, traditionally Chinese builders have been revered as “craftsmen” and “literati.” However, over the past century, Chinese builders have embraced the European model; they have made  remarkable achievements,  but also experienced losses. Perhaps most profound  was the loss of  the comprehensiveness of construction, particularly as it was exemplified by “artistic conception” in literati gardens, which encapsulated philosophy, ethics, literature, ecology, and aesthetics, among its other design elements. 

Against this backdrop, the 21st century Chinese architects, among whichAtelier Deshaus is representative, have pushed the boundaries of traditional literati practices to new heights. They not only wield the architectural knowledge of European builders but also purposefully pursue the artistic conception of the literati. Through their architectural practices, they have propelled the “Chinese Renaissance” described by Hu Shi in the early 20th century. In this lecture, we will delve into significant prototypes and explore select case studies from Atelier Deshaus’s practice to analyze these themes in depth.

This seminar is held in collaboration with the University Salon, a 501(c)(3) public welfare organization founded in 2015 by visiting scholars from Harvard University hailing from China. The Salon, rooted in Harvard’s intellectual tradition, embodies a reflective approach towards China and the world, pursuing true knowledge while upholding the values of inclusiveness, independence, and openness.

Guest Speakers:

LIU Yichun

Liu Yichun is the principal architect and founding partner of Atelier Deshaus. He is also a visiting professor of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University, an RIBA Chartered Member, an editorial board member of The Architects and Journal of Architecture, and an expert consultant of the Development Research Center of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. He has received the annual Global Top 10 Design Vanguard award by Architectural Record magazine in the U.S., AR Emerging Architecture Awards in the U.K., the Architectural Creation Award Gold Awards by Architectural Society of China, the Gold Winner award for the ARCASIA Awards for Architecture, AIA Best Award in Architecture Category in the U.S, and the RIBA International Prize in the UK, among others.

LI Shiqiao

Li Shiqiao is Weedon Professor in Asian Architecture in the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, where he teaches history, theory, and design of architecture, and directs PhD candidates in the Constructed Environment Program. He is the author of Understanding the Chinese City (2014), Architecture and Modernization (2009), and Power and Virtue (2006). With Esther Lorenz, he is the co-author of Typological Drift: Emerging Cities in China (2022) and co-editor of Kowloon Cultural District (2014).

Moderator

ZHANG Qin

ZHANG Qin is an Associate at Harvard FAS CAMLab, an academic consultant of the China Builders Project, and the Associate in Research at Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University. She is the author of A Forgotten Master Tung Chuin 1963-1983, and Allied Architects at War.