For ESC-Gustavo, architecture needs neither form nor style
Print Edition
BORN in Shanghai, Gu Enhong moved to Italy at a young age and became Gustavo. Today, he’s most known as ESC-Gustavo, the name he uses as an architect.
Known for his post-80s design, Gu has returned to Shanghai to work on Valley on the Bund. For the almost 100-year-old building’s new design, Gu said that he tried to respect its history as well as the wishes and needs of the owners.
Critics have lauded the simple, puristic space that fully reflects the young architect’s philosophy and his concept of design, which always stays true to natural shapes.
Gu has worked across the world, including projects in Europe and in Arabic countries, but he keeps being drawn back to China, where he worked on the Vanvory Art Gallery, Herrscher Headquarter, Orville Headquarter and the Grand Zenith Hotel in Hangzhou.
Mountains, clouds, waterfalls, streams, valleys and other elements of nature are often found in his designs.
“I don’t create any style, I create the space,” Gu said.
Currently, he is tasked with turning a private mansion in Japan into a luxury hotel, and he’s also working on a private house in Dubai.
ESC-Gustavo, his preferred name as an architect, is a reference to the “escape” key.
“I prefer writing and painting to record my life rather than using a camera or a computer. That’s why I sometimes escape from the technology, and why I thought it would be interesting to use the three letters in my artist’s name,” Gu said.
Gu is a big fan of motorcycle riding and extreme sports like bungee jumping and parachuting.
“To me, design, travel, sports are all parts of my life — they bring me happiness and a sense of achievement. I don’t think of those extreme sports as dangerous, but as something that adds passions and inspirations to my design,” he said.
Q: What drove you to become an architect?
A: I remember when I was a little boy, I was so interested in machines and I disassembled many of my grandfather’s watches. Although I was not able to put them back together, I regard it as my start of a designer. I do believe in destiny. Getting into architecture is like a fantastic dream to me. It’s all about discovering life, respecting nature and humanity. As an architect, you need to enjoy the process of creating.
Q: You were born in Shanghai, then moved to Italy where you studied design. What do you think about the difference in architecture in the East and the West?
A: To be honest, from my point of view, architecture from different cultures will always overlap in some aspects.
Q: How do you describe your style? Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?
A: Three words — timeless, formless and style-less. In the world of architecture and design, I am a traveler. I hope my works can give up the limits of form, time, and style. My inspiration comes from all the details of my life, from a dream to a conversation.
Q: Can you talk about some projects that you’ve worked on in the past that have left an impression on you?
A: I started to take on projects on the Chinese Mainland from 2008 on. I have learned and changed a lot during these years.
In my design of a residence in Ningbo in Zhejiang, there is no closed space in the house — all spaces are open, including the bedroom.
In a private house in Pudong in Shanghai, I reconstructed an European-style home to a Rubik’s Cube-shaped space. As the owner of the house prefers Chinese traditional culture, I also included traditional Chinese elements in the home deco. Both I and the owner are very satisfied with the effect.
In my work on the Grand Zenith Hotel in Hangzhou, the shape of the Leaning Tower of Pisa can be found in my design. In a shopping mall in Hainan, I designed the pillars in the shape of sea waves.
Q: As the final work is the result of a cooperation with others, including the construction team, are you usually satisfied with the outcome?
A: I am satisfied with most of my works. All of them are like my babies — no matter how they look like in the end, the processes of their birth is what’s most impressive. So basically, I am satisfied with all my works, and the owners are satisfied, too. That gives me a sense of achievement.
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