ChiefarchitectattheBeijingInstituteofArchitecturalDesign,memberoftheCharteredInstituteofBuilding,anddesignerofBeijing’snewarchitecturaliconChinaZun.
philosophies
Inbothhisresearchandpractice,Wuadherestothephilosophiesofactiveprotection,integralinnovation,andall-roundrejuvenation.WUChenisanexpertinurbanplanningandhistoricalareapreservation,andauthorofsucharchitecturaliconsasChinaZun,Beijing’stallestbuildingcurrentlyunderconstructioninthecapital’sCBD.HeisalsoresponsibleforthedesignofChina’sfourthgenerationrailwaystations,andisamainforceintheprojecttoconservetheoldcityofBeijing.
WuChen,whowasbornandbredinBeijing,wenttotheU.K.tostudyin1995.HehassincebecomethefirstarchitectfromChina’smainlandtogainmembershipoftheCharteredInstituteofBuilding,andoftheRoyalTownPlanningInstitute.AsoneoftheprofessionalsinvolvedinChina’sRecruitmentProgramofGlobalYouthExperts,WuhasreturnedtohishomecountryandischiefarchitectattheBeijingInstituteofArchitecturalDesign.
ReturnwithaDream
“Humanactivityisthemostimportantfactorofurbanlife,”WuChensaid.“However,mostcitiesinChinahavenotyetrealizedthis,eventhoughtheyhaveachievedrapiddevelopment.”Inthefirstfewyearsofthe21stcentury,somebigcitiesinChinabuiltagoodnumberoflargescalesculpturesandlandmarkconstructions.UnlikeEuropeancities,whicharedevelopedandatthesametimeconservedthroughprudentplanning,however,Beijingseemedatonetimetobelaboratoryforoverseasarchitects.WupubliclycriticizedthistrendanddecidedtoreturntohishomecountrytodesignbuildingsinamoreappropriatelyChinesestyle.
WhileworkinginLondon,Wutookpartinseveralkeyprojects,notablythedesignofthenewHomeOfficeheadquarters.ItwasthisprojectthatmadehimawareofthechangesthathaveoccurredinLondon’stime-honoredcityagglomerationssincetheturnofthe21stcentury.Disusedinnercityfactoriesandoldbuildingshavebeenrebuiltwithnewfunctionsadded,ratherthanbeingallowedtodegenerateintoruins.WugainedgreatinspirationfromtheconceptofurbanrenaissanceinitiatedintheU.K.inthe1980s.HeperceivedfromLondon’srichhistorythesignificanceofpassingdownculturalheritage.Inhisopinion,urbanrenaissancehasmuchincommonwiththemedievalRenaissance,inthatbothseekaperfectfusionofthespiritualandmaterialworlds.Tosomeextent,thisperceptionhasinfluencedWu’sideasaboutarchitecturaldesignandurbanplanningsinceleavingtheU.K.
WuputhisideaofurbanrenaissanceintopracticeinBeijing,hisbirthplace.Since2001,hehaspromotedtechnicalinnovationofurbandesignasappliedtoarchitecturalengineeringdesignpractice.In2002,heputforwardhisurbanrenewaltheorytoexplainandsolvetheproblemofurbandevelopmentinthenewera.
TraditionalCompoundsGenerateModernDynamics
Overtheyears,WuChenandhisteamhavecarriedoutnumerousresearchanddesignprojectsinBeijing’shistoricaldistricts,suchasthecity’sCentralAxis,theDashilararea,theWhitePagodaTemple,ShichahaiLake,NanluoguxiangAlley,andQianmenStreet,tonamebutafew.
Inbothhisresearchandpractice,Wuadherestothephilosophiesofactiveprotection,integralinnovation,andall-roundrejuvenation.Hisultimateaimistopreservetime-honoredareasandrestorehistoricallegacieswhilefacilitatingsustainableurbandevelopment.
ManyoldbuildingsstandonNanluoguxiangAlley,oneoftheoldestblocksinBeijing.Itpresentsamicrocosmoftraditionallocallife.Butunauthorizedconstructionsbysomeshopsonthealleyhavecoincidedwiththegrowingnumbersoftouriststhatconvergethere.Inordertoprotectitsauthentichistoricalcharm,Wu’steamworkedoutapreservationplanforthedistrict.IttakestheformofBeijing’sfirst-everprescribedlocalstandardsforpreservationoftheoldcity.Everydetail–fromthesizeofwindowframestofeaturesoftheblockasawhole–hasbeensetdownwiththeaimofconservingthetraditionalculture.
DashilarusedtobeacommercialcenterinoldBeijing.Locatedjust200metersfromTian’anmenSquareinthecitycenter,ithasalwaysbeenoneofBeijing’spopulartouristspots.Butinrecentdecadestheareahasbeenovershadowedbythemodernshoppingmallsinsurroundingareas,particularlysincetheturnofthe21stcentury.HelpingDashilarrestoreitsformerglorywasachallengeforWuandhisteam.
Ittookthemmorethan10yearstodrawupandrefineitsprojectplan.WuChenandtheteamcarefullymeasuredandevaluatedeachroomandcolumninthearea.Afteradozenorsodrafts,theyeventuallypositionedtheblockasafusionoftraditionandmodernity.Thankstotheirefforts,today’sDashilarretainsitsoldstylewhileembodyingcontemporaryvigor.
In2010,WuChen’sdesignwonthebiddingforChinaZun.Atowerblock528meterstallinBeijing’sCentralBusinessDistrict,ChinaZunisthecity’stallestbuildingdesignedbyaChinesearchitect.Italsoclaimstobetheworld’stallestskyscrapercapableofwithstandingamagnitude-8earthquake.
Internationallyprestigiousarchitectsandarchitecturaldesignofficestookpartinthebidding,butdespiteintensecompetition,WuChen’sdesignwasthemostoutstandingamongthe80tenders.Thebuilding’sgentlyrisingandcurvingshaperesemblestheancientChineseceremonialvesselknownasthezun,forwhichitisnamed.InshowcasingurbanvitalityasembodiedintraditionalChineseculture,Wuhassetagoodexamplefor“Chinesedesign.”
PotentialWorld-classArchitects
“ItisagreathonortobeinvitedtotakepartintheRecruitmentProgramofGlobalYouthExperts,”Wusaid.“I’vebeenworkinginanunfetteredandpleasantatmospheresincereturningtoChina,somethinganarchitectalwaysappreciates.”Atthesametime,China’srapiddevelopmenthasprovidedWuwithaplatformonwhichtogivefullplaytohisexpertise.
WuisnowheadoftheengineeringandtechnologicalresearchcenterofBeijing’scityplanningandurbanrenewal.Establishedin2015,itisChina’sfirstprovinciallevelresearchcenterinthisfield.Wualwaysintroduceshimselfasanarchitect,acityplanner,andacityresearcher.Hehopesthathisdesignsbecomeintegraltothecountry’srapidprogress.
Chinaboaststheworld’slongesthigh-speedrailwaynetwork,andsohasagrowingneedforbullettrainstationsandultralargetransportationhubs.Wuhasdesignedsevenhigh-speedtrainstationsforseveralcities,includingGuangzhou,Nanjing,andQingdao.HehasalsoputforwardthedesignprincipleforChina’sfourthgenerationrailwaystations,whereinrailwaystationsplayacentralroleinacity’sdevelopment,whileurbanplanningservesasatechnicalplatform.
WuChenshowshisoverseascounterpartshisplannedprojecttorenovateBeijing’sDashilarStreet.Redevelopmentofbrownfieldlandandeconomictransformationarevitaltorevivingurbanindustrialruins.Since2009,WuChenhasledhisteam’scontinuousresearchintothetransformationoftheoldBeijingShougangGroupfactorysite.OneofChina’sleadingsteelmanufacturers,theplantbeganrelocatingsomeofitsfacilitiestoHebeiProvinceseveralyearspriortothe2008BeijingOlympics.Thiswasoneofthecountry’slargestindustrialdistrictrenovationprojects.Wu’steamhastransformedthedisusedcomplexintoanorganizationalhubforthe2022WinterOlympics.Morerenovationprojectsareinprogressontheoldfactorysite,sodemonstratingthesuccessfultransformationofanindustrialdistrict.
Sincelastyear,Wuhasusedmathematicalmodelstoanalyzeandsimulatecomplexurbanproblems.BeijingisnowbuildingitssuburbanTongzhouDistrictintoasubsidiaryadministrativecentertoeaseovercrowdinginthecity,thusreshapingthecity’sspatialpattern.
“Beijing’shistoricalareasareembracingtheopportunitytorevivetraditionalculture,”Wusaid.Constructionofthecapital’ssubsidiaryadministrativecenterandXionganNewArea,aneconomiczoneinHebeiProvinceabout100kilometerssouthwestofBeijing,providefavorableconditions.Wuexpectsarchitectsandcityplannerstograspthischance.“World-classarchitectsfromChinawillmostlikelycometotheforefromourgenerationonwards,”Wuconcluded.
vitalityInshowcasingurbanvitalityasembodiedintraditionalChineseculture,Wuhassetagoodexamplefor“Chinesedesign.”