China News Service, Beijing, February 1st. "Architecture is moving music." As the Chinese architect Liang Sicheng said, architecture can transcend the barriers of language and culture like music, and can also transcend the boundaries of time and space. China and France are important representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations. Whether their buildings are restrained and elegant or grand and gorgeous, they are treasures for all mankind. Architecture is also an important part of modern bilateral cultural exchanges between the two countries. 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the Year of Culture and Tourism between China and France. On this occasion, France's "European Times" interviewed Professor Zhang Li, Dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University and Vice Chairman of the International Association of Architects, to learn about the exchanges between the two countries' architectural circles. status and future directions for cooperation.
Zhang Li, who once presided over the design of the National Ski Jumping Center "Snow Ruyi" for the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Shougang Ski Jump "Xue Feitian", believes that the ability to maintain elegance while moving is the deepest impression on him of French architecture. The Chinese and French architectural circles have developed through exchanges and mutual learning, and will continue to deepen cooperation and exchanges in the fields of climate change and digital technology in the future.
Generations of Chinese architects have passed on traditional interpretations of man and nature to France
Zhang Li introduced that exchanges between the Chinese and French architectural circles have begun since the early days of the founding of New China, and have become closer after the reform and opening up. When former French President Chirac visited China in 1997, he proposed the "50 Chinese Architects in France" cultural exchange plan. Later, the scale of the project was expanded to 150 people, and a large number of outstanding Chinese architects had the opportunity to further their studies in France. After returning to China, they also made great contributions to China's urban construction.
Zhang Li, Dean of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University and Vice Chairman of the International Association of Architects, was interviewed in the studio. Photo by Qiu Li, special correspondent of European Times
At the same time, exhibition forums and other interactions on the themes of architecture and cities between the two countries are also continuing. Zhang Li introduced that one of them is the "Four Countries and Five Schools" international joint design teaching project started in 2002. Tsinghua University and the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-La Villette both have It is one of the founding schools. This project provides graduate students from various universities with the opportunity to jointly solve architectural problems. It has now developed into a global joint project spanning several continents and more than ten countries in Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, and Africa, providing future architects from many countries with the opportunity to work together. An excellent international communication platform.
On the other hand, Chinese architects are also indispensable in the French architectural world. For example, the architect Ma Yansong was born in 1975. The office he led will complete the residential project "Paris UNIC" in the 17th arrondissement of Paris in 2022 - this is the first work built by a Chinese architecture office in Europe. Another example is the Chinese-American architect Zhang Yonghe, whose team built the "Harmony Garden", a "Chinese home" for international students, in the International University City in the 14th arrondissement of Paris in 2023.
"The greater contribution (Chinese architects to the French architectural community) comes from Sino-French architectural exchanges." Zhang Li said that generations of architects from China have continuously passed on traditional Chinese and unique interpretations of the relationship between man and nature. To France, a process of mutual learning between the architectural circles of the two countries was achieved.
France has profoundly influenced the world in the fields of architectural theory and architectural thought
When it comes to the influence of French architecture, Zhang Li believes that the main contribution of the French architectural community to world architecture comes from their combing of architectural theoretical knowledge. "From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, France was the center of world architecture, or at least the world's architectural education discussion, for a long time."
He introduced that before the Renaissance, architectural knowledge mainly came from words and deeds, but French architectural schools changed this situation, and the representative among them was the famous École des Beaux-Arts (École des Beaux-Arts) in Paris. Liang Sicheng, a pioneer in Chinese architecture, studied at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States and returned to Tsinghua University to establish the Department of Architecture. The "Beaux-Arts" architectural education system at the University of Pennsylvania at that time actually originated from the Paris Academy of Fine Arts.
Drafts of the Shougang ski jumping platform "Snow Flying Sky" and the National Ski Jumping Center's "Snow Ruyi" located in Zhang Li's studio. Photo by Qiu Li, special correspondent of European Times
France has also been very active in the field of architectural thought. "In the architectural world, we often talk about 'French philosophers' (French philosophers)." Zhang Li said that after the war, many postmodern philosophers and thinkers emerged in France, and their trends of thought had a great influence decades later. And it changed the architectural world. The representative figure among them is Gilles Louis Réné Deleuze. The thought of this French philosophical master directly influenced many avant-garde and even bizarre architectural forms. In addition, Michel Foucault and contemporary French philosophers such as Bruno Latour have profoundly influenced the world's architectural trends.
From a personal perspective, Zhang Li feels that the most profound impression of French architecture is its ability to "maintain elegance while moving." He said that French architecture will also undergo different "French presentations" as the styles of the times change, but in this process, the French can always maintain the elegance they deserve. Whether it is the architecture of the classical period, the urban planning of Paris, or the National Library of France, which was only built in 1996, "France can use the vocabulary of different eras to 'tell stories,' and the tone and rhythm of the telling are rebuttal. It’s a French style.”
Sustainable development is at the core of both the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Paris Summer Olympics
In 2022, as the chief planner of the Zhangjiakou competition area of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Zhang Li presided over the design of China's National Ski Jumping Center "Snow Ruyi" and Shougang Ski Jumping Platform "Snow Flying Sky" and other stunning works. In the field of architectural design, what is the relationship between nationality and globality?
"We often say that only the most national is the most worldly." Zhang Li said that as a spatial art form, the "language" of architecture can reach the depths of people's hearts. He vividly said that when everyone is telling a common story of mankind, apart from the story itself, the most attractive thing is actually the unique rhetoric, tone and accent of the narrator, and these ways of telling are the reflection of different cultures.
Models of the Shougang Ski Jump "Xue Feitian" and the National Ski Jump Center "Xue Ruyi" located in Zhang Li Studio. Photo by Qiu Li, special correspondent of European Times
He recalled that after the completion of the "Snow Flying Sky" in the Shougang Old Industrial Park in Shijingshan, Beijing, a German friend joked that the transformation and reuse of industrial heritage first started in the Ruhr mining area in Germany, "This matter should be the work of the Germans." Specialty, how can the Chinese do it better?" Another thing that remains fresh in his memory was when an American sports reporter called and said that although he had never understood the design concept of "Snow Ruyi", he could use it to In my memory of visiting the Forbidden City, I feel that the shape of this diving platform is derived from traditional Chinese culture and "cannot be seen anywhere else."
Behind the design concept of "Snow Flying Sky" is also the embodiment of Zhang Li's academic specialty - urban human factors engineering. This discipline can be understood as focusing on people, allowing cities and buildings to adapt to people, rather than people adapting to spaces, thus naturally improving people's quality of life. Therefore, when Zhang Li designed "Xue Feitian", he paid special attention to making the angle of the platform coexist harmoniously with the four original cooling towers of Shougang in his memory. And he did it. While skating on the "Feitian" track, which is full of traditional Chinese colors, the cool background of the original cooling tower became a unique scenery.
During the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics, the concept of sustainable development ran throughout. Similarly, the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics also takes "social, economic and environmental sustainability" as its core concept, and is committed to integrating the Olympic legacy into the future development of the city, vowing to make the 2024 Olympics the lowest carbon and most environmentally friendly Olympics in history. . Therefore, in the plan of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, more existing venues will be used, and the proportion of new venues will only account for 5%.
As an experiencer of large-scale sports events, Zhang Li said that the ideas of the Paris Olympics are a good reference. Nowadays, more buildings are developing towards more general-purpose public buildings. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee's vision can greatly improve the utilization efficiency of space resources, comply with environmental protection requirements, and is also one of the future development directions of the architectural industry.
Climate change and digital technology: the direction of cooperation in the international architectural community
In July 2023, at the International Association of Architects Member Congress held in Copenhagen, Zhang Li was elected vice president of the International Association of Architects. The Paris-based association also announced that Beijing will officially become the host city of the 2029 (30th) World Congress of Architects.
What will the international architecture community focus on in the future? Zhang Li said that currently, the world has two common problems: one is climate change, which means reducing the carbon footprint related to buildings and cities. In this regard, as a country with a large population base and public ownership of urban resources, China can bring great inspiration to the world.
Zhang Li has received a dazzling array of awards. Photo by Qiu Li, special correspondent of European Times
The second issue is digital technology. Zhang Li said that with the advancement of science and technology, human beings' urban lifestyle has been profoundly changed. Once upon a time, we thought that many actions required a building dedicated to them, but this is becoming less and less true. In addition, new technologies can also allow people to use digital model analysis to understand some of the laws of human behavior in cities. The changes brought about by these technologies will also change the future of buildings, cities, and people.
Zhang Li said that responding to climate change, reducing carbon footprint, and using digital technology to help urban renewal are also the two directions for future cooperation between the Chinese and French architectural circles. "The issues that the people and leaders of the two countries are concerned about must also be the issues that the two countries will pay close attention to during the architectural exchanges." (Text/Qiuli)
Interviewee profile:
Zhang Li is in the studio. Photo by Xia Ying, special correspondent of European Times
Zhang Li, Dean and Permanent Professor of the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Vice Chairman of the International Association of Architecture (UIA) (Fourth and Asia-Pacific Region), National Engineering Survey and Design Master, winner of the 11th Liang Sicheng Architecture Award, China Architecture Executive director of the Society, chief architect of Tsinghua University Architectural Design Institute, and editor-in-chief of "World Architecture".
He once served as deputy director of the engineering planning department, venue and sustainable development technical director, and presenter of the Beijing Winter Olympics Bid Committee; chief planner of the Zhangjiakou competition area of the Beijing Winter Olympics; National Ski Jumping Center "Snow Ruyi" and Shougang Ski Jumping Platform "Xue" Chief Designer of Feitian; he also served as Chief Curator of the China Pavilion at the 17th Venice International Architecture Biennale.
Zhang Li's academic direction focuses on the field of "Urban Ergonomics". He is the first to apply human factors analysis and design intervention methods to the sustainable design of Winter Olympics venues. He has presided over "Xue Feitian", "Snow Ruyi" and other projects that embody Chinese elements. , serving Winter Olympics projects that will be used for a long time after the games. Zhang Li also presided over projects such as the Yushu Earthquake Relief Construction Jiana Mani Visitor Center, the China Pavilion Regional Pavilion and Roof Garden at the Shanghai World Expo. (over)