Architect Yan Xunqi: Let Modern Architecture Inherit History

　　Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, July 10th.

　　Xinhua News Agency reporter Lin Ning

　　On the seaside at the western end of Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, a building with "a wide upper and a lower part, a virtual top and a solid bottom" is shining under the sunlight. This new landmark of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, was officially opened to the public on July 3. Open to the public.

　　"Every time I see the whole picture of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, I feel a little sincere and fearful," said designer Yan Xunqi.

The Hong Kong architect has maintained his usual humility in the face of his landmark work.

Find design inspiration from the Palace Museum

　　Five years ago, Yan Xunqi received the task of designing the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

He hopes to not blindly pursue retro, but to design it into a modern style building.

"Architecture is a product of the times. It is a challenge for designers to represent the values ​​of Hong Kong, a modern city, while at the same time reminiscent of Chinese historical and cultural heritage."

　　In order to meet the requirements set by himself, Yan Xunqi traveled to Beijing many times and went to the Palace Museum to find inspiration.

He found the answer in observation and thinking - the central axis.

The Palace Museum connects each space with the central axis of the plane, guiding the visitors to go deeper.

　　On May 10, 2022, at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Fung Cheng Shu-yi (middle), the Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Wu Zhihua (right), and the designer of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Yan Xunqi (left) Waving.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Shen

　　However, the buildings in the urban area of ​​Hong Kong cannot be stretched horizontally and can only be developed vertically.

In the process of constant thinking and deliberation, Yan Xunqi came up with the method of connecting different spaces with a three-dimensional central axis and reflecting the ancient Chinese architectural art with a vertical space.

　　He spread out the drawings and drew a five-story pavilion. Three atriums with different orientations are connected in series by the longitudinal axis: the lowest atrium is located above the main entrance and faces east, where visitors can see the east and west of the West Kowloon Cultural District. The Xiqu Center and the waterfront plaza on the axis; the central atrium is twisted to the south, and the skyline of the entire Hong Kong Island can be seen; the top atrium is twisted to the west again, facing Lantau Island.

　　As for the exterior walls of the building, Yan Xunqi used golden aluminum panels with vermilion gates.

"Using modern materials to reproduce the texture and color of ancient buildings can reproduce the graceful temperament of the Forbidden City."

　　In order to realize the designer's ingenious design authentically, the construction team laid thousands of irregular aluminum alloy panels on the outer wall.

From bottom to top, the outer wall changes from straight to slanted, the aluminum alloy plate changes from straight to curved, the openings gradually change from small to large, and the location of the connection details is ever-changing, in order to create subtle changes in light and shadow from different angles.

　　"The Hong Kong Palace Museum interacts with sunlight, shadows and clouds in different seasons, different times and under different weather, which will bring people different feelings." Yan Xunqi said.

Echoing the "Gate of Hong Kong"

　　This is the architect Yan Xunqi photographed at the Palace Museum in Hong Kong on April 28.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Shen

　　Opposite the Victoria Harbour, the SAR Government Headquarters, which looks like an open door, is far away from the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

The "Gate of Hong Kong" was also created by Yan Xunqi.

Many landmark buildings on Hong Kong Island were designed by Yan Xunqi: the old wing of the Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Center, the International Financial Center in Central...

　　The "Gate of Hong Kong" represents the design theme of the SAR government headquarters: the door is always open, the ground is evergreen, the sky is blue, and the people are forever.

It was in 2002 that the SAR Government proposed to move the Government Headquarters together with the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive's Office to the current site of Tamar.

After public bidding, extensive discussions, and soliciting public opinion, the design proposal of Yan Xunqi's team came to the fore.

　　Under his design, the winding building blocks organically combine the new Legislative Council complex, the new SAR Government Headquarters building and the public open space, marking the unimpeded communication between the citizens, the SAR administration and the legislature.

　　Going westward along the SAR Government Headquarters Building, in the basement of the International Financial Center, there is the Central Station of the Hong Kong MTR designed by Yan Xunqi.

The core consideration of the project is the relationship between people and the environment.

　　This is an example of how buildings are interconnected with stations, wharves, roads.

Pedestrians can go up to the roof garden on the upper floor; go down to the subway station; walk along the flyover to reach the Central Pier. Passengers can travel between subways, buses, ferries, streets and office buildings without barriers.

　　"Friendly environmental design is very important for a dense city." Yan Xunqi said that architects are people who improve people's lives, which is also his original intention in architectural design.

Architecture and Environment Dialogue

　　Over the past 25 years, Yan Xunqi has not only drawn "city cards" for Hong Kong, but also designed landmark buildings for many mainland cities.

　　When designing the Yunnan Provincial Museum, Yan Xunqi specially went to Dali, Shilin and other places in Yunnan to collect wind, and integrated the ethnic customs and the climate elements of Kunming's four seasons like spring into the design concept.

　　When designing the Guangdong Provincial Museum, Yan Xunqi deliberately made the museum and the adjacent Guangzhou Opera House form a round, square and different architectural form.

"It looks like a court battle, but it's actually a question and answer."

　　Yan Xunqi said that the architectural design level in the mainland has improved rapidly in recent years: "I think that in the future, we can design more high-level works by cooperating with our counterparts in the mainland."

　　Speaking of the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Yan Xunqi said frankly that different urban cultures can inspire designers' creative inspiration.

While the Greater Bay Area brings job opportunities to Hong Kong architects, designers also need to integrate into the life of the Greater Bay Area.

　　Whenever I stand in the south-facing atrium of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, overlooking the coastline of the Victoria Harbour, Yan Xunqi will always be glad that after Hong Kong returned to the motherland, while the landmarks of the Victoria Harbour have continued to increase, the ancient buildings and old streets have received a lot of attention. good care.

　　"I think the biggest charm of Hong Kong is not the row upon row of high-rise buildings, but the body, density and convenience of the city." Yan Xunqi said.