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Famous architect voices strong thoughts on trends in the field
By Wu Huixin |
September 6, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HANGZHOU locals may not know Cheng Taining, but they see the buildings he designed almost every day. Zhejiang Art Museum, The Dragon Hangzhou Hotel and Hangzhou Railway Station are landmarks designed by the architect.
A solo exhibition of his work is under way at Zhejiang Art Museum. It features drafts, pictures of mansions and museums, and architecture models, giving visitors a good look at Cheng's career.
The 77-year-old was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and graduated from Southeast University in 1956.
With his career spanning more than 50 years, Cheng's works can be seen around China and in other countries.
Ghana National Theater and Mali Conference Hall were named in the collection of "Anthology of World Architecture Works of the 20th Century." The collection was selected by international architects.
The Dragon Hangzhou Hotel, which helped him gain fame, was selected in the documentary "Chinese Centennial Classic Architecture."
When Cheng was designing the hotel, he took nearby Baoshi Hill into consideration. Instead of designing one dominant building, he divided the hotel into parts, making it possible for the majority of guests to see the beautiful hill from the hotel.
Cheng's design style corresponds with traditional Chinese philosophy that man is an integral part of nature.
Both Zhejiang Art Museum and Hangzhou Railway Station were designed to blend in with nature harmoniously and reflect the city's beautiful scenery.
Cheng has won the National Outstanding Design Award four times, two of his designs were named Chinese Centennial Classic Architecture winners and another two were short-listed in the World Excellent Architecture of the 20th Century.
Cheng has also won the highest award in Chinese architecture, picking up the Liang Sicheng Architectural Award in 2004. He was elected as an academician of China Academy of Engineering in 2005.
Another of his standout creations is Li Shutong Museum in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province.
"Li was a Buddhist monk who was very well known," Cheng said. "So I had to design the museum with Buddhist characteristics that ordinary people would understand at first glance. Then, I chose a lotus, which symbolizes Buddhism."
The lotus-shaped museum is considered by many as the calling card of Pinghu.
During Tuesday's opening ceremony for his exhibition, Cheng spoke about the "Gate of Orientation," a new building in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, that many people say look like a pair of pants.
"That building was too casual of a design," Cheng said. "People may think this building and the new CCTV headquarters in Beijing are distinctive, but I disagree."
Cheng also said the craze for building taller and taller skyscrapers is wrong.
"The obsession with building skyscrapers is the wrong mindset," he said. "Skyscrapers are not the image of a metropolis. Today's fad of building skyscrapers is not totally aimed at saving land, but satisfying some government officials' political achievements to some degree."
Date: Through September 11
Venue: Zhejiang Art Museum, 138 Nanshan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8707-8700
A solo exhibition of his work is under way at Zhejiang Art Museum. It features drafts, pictures of mansions and museums, and architecture models, giving visitors a good look at Cheng's career.
The 77-year-old was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and graduated from Southeast University in 1956.
With his career spanning more than 50 years, Cheng's works can be seen around China and in other countries.
Ghana National Theater and Mali Conference Hall were named in the collection of "Anthology of World Architecture Works of the 20th Century." The collection was selected by international architects.
The Dragon Hangzhou Hotel, which helped him gain fame, was selected in the documentary "Chinese Centennial Classic Architecture."
When Cheng was designing the hotel, he took nearby Baoshi Hill into consideration. Instead of designing one dominant building, he divided the hotel into parts, making it possible for the majority of guests to see the beautiful hill from the hotel.
Cheng's design style corresponds with traditional Chinese philosophy that man is an integral part of nature.
Both Zhejiang Art Museum and Hangzhou Railway Station were designed to blend in with nature harmoniously and reflect the city's beautiful scenery.
Cheng has won the National Outstanding Design Award four times, two of his designs were named Chinese Centennial Classic Architecture winners and another two were short-listed in the World Excellent Architecture of the 20th Century.
Cheng has also won the highest award in Chinese architecture, picking up the Liang Sicheng Architectural Award in 2004. He was elected as an academician of China Academy of Engineering in 2005.
Another of his standout creations is Li Shutong Museum in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province.
"Li was a Buddhist monk who was very well known," Cheng said. "So I had to design the museum with Buddhist characteristics that ordinary people would understand at first glance. Then, I chose a lotus, which symbolizes Buddhism."
The lotus-shaped museum is considered by many as the calling card of Pinghu.
During Tuesday's opening ceremony for his exhibition, Cheng spoke about the "Gate of Orientation," a new building in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, that many people say look like a pair of pants.
"That building was too casual of a design," Cheng said. "People may think this building and the new CCTV headquarters in Beijing are distinctive, but I disagree."
Cheng also said the craze for building taller and taller skyscrapers is wrong.
"The obsession with building skyscrapers is the wrong mindset," he said. "Skyscrapers are not the image of a metropolis. Today's fad of building skyscrapers is not totally aimed at saving land, but satisfying some government officials' political achievements to some degree."
Date: Through September 11
Venue: Zhejiang Art Museum, 138 Nanshan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8707-8700
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