The Mind Landscapes of Studio Zhu-Pei

莫森·莫斯塔法維/Mohsen Mostafavi

杜芳芳 譯/Translated by DU Fangfang

論朱锫建筑的心靈景觀

The Mind Landscapes of Studio Zhu-Pei

莫森·莫斯塔法維/Mohsen Mostafavi

杜芳芳 譯/Translated by DU Fangfang

中國當(dāng)代建筑正處在一個(gè)關(guān)鍵而又意味深長的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)上。戰(zhàn)后現(xiàn)代化發(fā)展初期，在像北京這樣的中心城市里新興的大型建筑項(xiàng)目普遍具有一種蘇聯(lián)模式的精神特質(zhì)——不少大型建筑物都以建筑元素的簡單的重復(fù)使用來象征權(quán)力和威儀。

在此后的現(xiàn)代化階段，稍晚近的建筑風(fēng)格開始趨向于接受更為當(dāng)代的“西方”建筑實(shí)踐。自1970-1980年代中國開始對外開放，以美國建筑師約翰·波特曼為代表、以及一批美國大型企業(yè)積極呼應(yīng)這個(gè)國家全新的經(jīng)濟(jì)現(xiàn)實(shí)，在城市景觀的轉(zhuǎn)型上發(fā)揮了不容忽視的關(guān)鍵作用。結(jié)果就是，高層建筑群被視為“象征”，結(jié)集一處，劃一地成為新的城市天際線。

一味向前發(fā)展和對利潤的追逐常常以犧牲傳統(tǒng)城市肌理為代價(jià)。在整個(gè)中國范圍內(nèi)，為了現(xiàn)代化發(fā)展，歷史街區(qū)被紛紛夷平。這一方式迄今依舊主導(dǎo)著那些野心勃勃謀求“進(jìn)化式”經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的大部分地區(qū)。然而，隨著對傳統(tǒng)建筑以及具有地方特色的建筑物的珍惜度的提高，上述趨勢已經(jīng)有所扭轉(zhuǎn)。很多老建筑得到維護(hù)修復(fù)，有的得以復(fù)建?？v然品質(zhì)高低千差萬別，卻足已驗(yàn)證整個(gè)社會(huì)態(tài)度的轉(zhuǎn)變。當(dāng)然，這一過程也與那些頗具建筑史意義的建筑物近年來大幅增長的貨幣價(jià)值不無關(guān)聯(lián)。

普利茲克建筑獎(jiǎng)獲得者王澍的作品就是對這一變化保持敏感的例證之一。他和他的搭檔陸文宇一起以通過對那些極具地方特色的材料與建造方式進(jìn)行當(dāng)代性闡釋為基礎(chǔ)，發(fā)展出他們特有的一套極為細(xì)膩的建筑語言。然而，很多其他當(dāng)代建筑師在與建筑的地方性之間建立關(guān)系時(shí)則復(fù)雜而含蓄。他們試圖在傳統(tǒng)和現(xiàn)代之間摸索出一條自己的道路。可以預(yù)見，并且已經(jīng)有大量佐證，今天新一代中國建筑師的設(shè)計(jì)正在以各自不同的方法修正這一關(guān)系。

朱锫的作品大多是當(dāng)代藝術(shù)和文化場館。在柏林Aedes當(dāng)代建筑中心展出的朱锫建筑事務(wù)所的作品已然呈現(xiàn)出為中國當(dāng)代建筑演變帶入的重要貢獻(xiàn)。朱锫的早期作品執(zhí)著于更具當(dāng)代性的材料和美學(xué)理念。他與西方前衛(wèi)建筑師的建筑實(shí)踐之間有著遠(yuǎn)比本土文化遺產(chǎn)和傳統(tǒng)更多的相通之處。而展出的這組建筑項(xiàng)目表明了他已然與早期作品分野。從場所、材料到歷史，他的關(guān)注點(diǎn)更加多元而廣泛。這些因素在每個(gè)項(xiàng)目的建筑語言成型過程中都起了重要的輔助作用。盡管所有這些展出項(xiàng)目都致力于文化和藝術(shù)方面的探索，但因?yàn)槊總€(gè)項(xiàng)目都由特定方法入手，最終它們風(fēng)格迥異。

景德鎮(zhèn)御窯博物館——目前已經(jīng)在中國瓷都開工建造——其設(shè)計(jì)靈感源自當(dāng)?shù)卮u窯的構(gòu)造傳統(tǒng)。該博物館平行的、線性的拱券結(jié)構(gòu)，像古老的磚窯一樣一直延伸至街面以下。這一設(shè)計(jì)策略部分源于城市對于歷史街區(qū)內(nèi)建筑物的高度限制，倒反而讓建筑物在水平走向上卓有成效地形成了一種模糊性。建筑物一旦嵌入地面，自然就在街面上形成了一系列公共空間。尤為重要的是，這讓在博物館內(nèi)設(shè)計(jì)幾處更具私密性的庭院和平臺(tái)成為可能。其中一個(gè)開放空間將直接展示地基縱深處歷史肌理留下的痕跡。

從街道的視角上看，建筑物的拱形結(jié)構(gòu)似乎只是一個(gè)個(gè)獨(dú)立的單一元素，而實(shí)際上，它們在地面之上與地面以下都內(nèi)在地相互連接。這讓建筑的外觀剝離于它的功能和內(nèi)容、用途與實(shí)際狀態(tài)。拱形結(jié)構(gòu)或被分為上下兩層，或被設(shè)計(jì)成帶有一系列懸空水平面的單一空間，觀眾得以在建筑物里獲得多樣的空間體驗(yàn)。

博物館的內(nèi)部結(jié)構(gòu)、建造方式和材料、色彩與燈光的選擇紛繁復(fù)雜，與以減法獲得的單純外觀相互映襯。該設(shè)計(jì)在視覺上讓人聯(lián)想起磚窯早期建造技術(shù)，而它的實(shí)際施工則完全是當(dāng)代的建造方法。

展覽中的其他項(xiàng)目——如楊麗萍表演藝術(shù)中心和大理當(dāng)代美術(shù)館，它們同在大理，并且同樣設(shè)定在純自然的環(huán)境中，對建筑與場所的關(guān)系的探索得以繼續(xù)延展。表演藝術(shù)中心采取了建筑/華蓋或洞穴/鳥巢的策略，不僅精確地勾勒出建筑元素之間強(qiáng)烈的內(nèi)外關(guān)系，還將建筑基地加以最充分的利用。鳥巢華蓋架在封閉的表演區(qū)外，它不僅為藝術(shù)中心另外辟出一塊有屋檐遮護(hù)的具有實(shí)用性的區(qū)域，同時(shí)也融入周邊地形的風(fēng)景線。

大理美術(shù)館同樣也與自然背景直接融合。不過在這個(gè)案例中，由于緊鄰寶塔古跡，美術(shù)館的設(shè)計(jì)與背景山脈的斜坡地形完全融為一體。由此建造的一連串“綠色平臺(tái)”，隨自然地形綿延起伏。雖然美術(shù)館主體嵌在地下，但從平臺(tái)上伸出的一系列體塊成為天際線上的亮點(diǎn)。同景德鎮(zhèn)的項(xiàng)目相似，縱觀這整個(gè)建筑群，似乎是分為不同的部分逐一發(fā)展出來的。這種建筑構(gòu)思方法意味著使用者將不再單純從正前方感受建筑，建筑不再僅僅是一個(gè)立面，而是空間內(nèi)外之間的一系列流動(dòng)的空間體驗(yàn)。這讓建筑空間的感受猶如在風(fēng)景間流線穿行。

因此，朱锫對中國山水畫的濃厚興趣雖在意料之外卻在情理之中。這里所指的興趣不僅是觀察景觀與建筑之間的關(guān)系，還包括不同時(shí)代的藝術(shù)家在不同的風(fēng)格類型或表現(xiàn)手法上的山水畫成就。尤為值得一提的是在元代達(dá)到巔峰的“意境”概念——畫面呈現(xiàn)不應(yīng)囿于畫家對山林的忠實(shí)描繪，還應(yīng)當(dāng)體現(xiàn)或刻畫畫家的“意”——內(nèi)在風(fēng)景。

從這個(gè)角度看，該展覽所展出的朱锫作品也是一系列“意境”。它們不只呈現(xiàn)了建筑和風(fēng)景之間的關(guān)系，通過不同的設(shè)計(jì)，建筑師將自己的“意”全然融入創(chuàng)作實(shí)現(xiàn)中。

1 自御窯廠國家考古遺地公園遠(yuǎn)觀御窯博物館

2 御窯博物館室內(nèi)局部空間

Contemporary Chinese architecture is at an interesting and important point of transition. The major architectural projects of the postwar period of modernization and development in cities like Beijing can be characterized as proto-Soviet in spirit, with many large-scale buildings using simple and repetitive elements of construction to symbolize power and authority.

The more recent period of modernization, however, has embraced a more contemporary "Western" approach to architecture. With the opening up of China's in the 1970s and 1980s, architects such as John Portman and other large US corporate firms played a significant role in the transformation of the urban landscape by responding to the country's new economic realities.The outcome, invariably, was city skylines made up of amalgams of "iconic" high-rise structures.

The search for progress and profit often came at the expense of the traditional fabric of the city. Across China historic districts were razed in order to create modern developments. This is an approach that still prevails in many areas of the country in pursuit of financially ambitious and "progressive" developments.

But there has also been a reversal of this trend, with a growing appreciation of traditional and vernacular architecture. The conservation and at times reconstruction of many older buildings, albeit with varying degrees of success, attests to a change in societal attitudes. Of course this process is not disconnected from the enormous increase in the monetary value of many architecturally significant buildings.

The work of Pritzker-winning architect WANG Shu is one manifestation of this change in sensibility. He and his partner LU Wenyu have developed a subtle body of architecture that builds on contemporary interpretations of vernacular materials and construction. But many other contemporary architects have formed a complex and perhaps less overt relationship to vernacular architecture as they have attempted to negotiate their own path between tradition and modernity. As can be expected, there are various recalibrations of this relationship in evidence in the projects of a new generation of Chinese architects today.

The work of Studio Zhu-Pei, as seen through the selection of projects on show at the Aedes Gallery, represents an important contribution to the evolution of contemporary architecture in China. ZHU Pei's earlier work can be characterized by its dedication to a contemporary material and aesthetic ethos that had more in common with the practices of Western avant-garde architects than it did with local heritage and traditions. The majority of ZHU Pei's body of work is composed of contemporary art and cultural institutions.

The cluster of projects shown in the current exhibition indicates a departure from the earlier work, pointing to a more varied range of interests based on location, materials, and history. These factors play an important part in helping shape the architecture of each project. And even though all the projects on display are still concerned with cultural and artistic endeavors, they are quite diverse in appearance as each is defined by a specific approach.

The Jingdezhen Historical Museum of Imperial Kiln, currently under construction in China's capital of porcelain, is a building that draws its inspiration from the local traditions of kiln construction. The parallel, linear, and arched structures of the museum, like the old kilns, reach below the level of the street. This strategy - in part also a response to height restrictions in the historic district of the city - leads to a productive ambiguity in relation to the building's horizontal datum. The "insertion" of the building into the ground of the site produces a series of public spaces at street level; also, more importantly, it allows for the design of a number of more intimate courtyards and terraces within the museum. One of these open spaces will also reveal the traces of the historic fabric on the site.

From the street, the building's arched structures appear as independent singular elements, but they are in fact connected internally above and belowground. This enables the building to present an external view that differs from its functional and programmatic use and reality. In section, the arched structures are either divided into two floors or designed as a single space with a series of suspended levels - an approach that will provide the visitor with a variety of spatial experiences of the building.

The reductive simplicity of the museum's external appearance is complemented by the complexity evident in its internal organization, method of construction, and choice of materials, colors, and lighting. While the design visually recalls the earlier technique of kiln construction, its execution is rooted in contemporary methods of construction.

Other projects in the exhibition, such as the Yang Liping Performing Arts Centre or the Museum of Contemporary Art, both in Dali, extend the exploration of architecture in relation to site; both these examples are located within natural settings.

The Performing Arts Center adopts a building/ canopy or cave/nest strategy to create a project that makes the most of its location by articulating a strong inside/outside relationship between the building elements. The nest canopy hovers over the external area of the enclosed performance spaces and defines a covered domain for use by the performing center while establishing a new horizon with the surrounding topography.

The Museum of Contemporary Art likewise engages directly with the natural setting. However, in this instance, because of the close proximity of a historic site with a pagoda, the museum is literally immersed within the sloping topography of the mountain setting, giving rise to a series of undulating "green terraces" that follow the natural shape of the site. While the main area of the museum is accommodated below ground, there is a series of structures protruding from the terraces that also act as skylights. As with the Jingdezhen project, the overall sense of the complex is of a building that is very much developed in section. This mode of conceiving architecture means that the user experiences the building not in purely frontal terms, as a fa?ade, but as a series of fluid experiences between inside and outside. The feel of these buildings is more akin to meandering through a landscape.

It is therefore not surprising to discover that ZHU Pei is deeply interested in the history of Chinese landscape painting. And what seems of interest in this context is not just the connections between landscape and architecture, but also the way in which different generations of artists have construed the various genres or artifices of landscape painting. In particular, with the concept of "mind landscapes" developed during the Yuan dynasty, the idea was that the representation should not be limited to the depiction of the artist's garden, but should also embody or describe the artist's mind.

It is in this sense that the work by Studio Zhu-Pei presented in the exhibition is also a series of "mind landscapes", describing not only the relationship between architecture and landscape but also, through their designs, the minds of the architects involved in their realization.