Drawn from keen observation of the rapidly changing social economic landscape of China, and using OPEN Architecture’s projects as case studies, Towards Openness is a symphony of seven new and upcoming projects and six idea chapters that are interwoven to offer an in-depth examination of this unique practice and the critical thinking underlying its work.
Authored by OPEN’s Founding Partners Li Hu and Huang Wenjing, the book also brings together new contributions by Kenneth Frampton, Steven Holl, Lars Lerup, Yehuda Safran, Huang Juzheng, and Qing Feng.
OPEN’s understandings of architecture were summed up in six relatively clear points which, together with their corresponding manifestos, constitute the fundamental attitude and starting point of OPEN’s practice. The seven built projects, threaded together by the six ideas, can be seen as OPEN’s reaction to the broad issues that they encounter through practice, as well as the actions they take to actively engage in the rapid transformation of the society, with unwavering hope for a better future. The book offers a unique angle in understanding the transformational power of architecture. It presents a humanistic approach to architecture in relation to nature that touches upon our fundamental sensitivity as human beings and goes far beyond the boundary of nations. This book challenges the preconceived and often prejudiced notion of what Chinese architecture ought to be. It provides a fresh perspective on contemporary architectural practice in China through the innovative work of OPEN.
About the Author
Li Hu and Huang Wenjing are founding partners of the Beijing based firm OPEN Architecture which has quickly risen to international recognition in recent years. Prior to OPEN, Li Hu was a partner of Steven Holl Architects. He received his B. Arch. from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 1996 and his M. Arch. from Rice University in 1998. Aside from his practice, he is a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, and a frequent speaker and critic at universities worldwide. Huang Wenjing received her B. Arch. from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 1996 and her M. Arch. from Princeton University in 1999. She is a licensed architect in New York State and a member of the AIA. Prior to OPEN, Huang was a senior designer and associate in the New York-based firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.
Table of Contents
- 006 People and Life by Steven Holl
- 008 Towards Openness by Li Hu
- 014 Dialogue: Huang Juzheng, Li Hu, Huang Wenjing
- 019 OPEN Architecture by Yehuda Safran
- 024 The School as Social Condenser by Kenneth Frampton
Ideas and Projects
- 032 Youth and Cultural Center
- 057 OPEN city
- 064 Garden School
- 097 OPEN community
- 104 Stepped Courtyards
- 121 OPEN system
- 128 HEX-SYS
- 145 OPEN nature
- 152 Vertical Campus
- 185 OPEN institution
- 192 Drama Box
- 209 OPEN future
- 216 Dialogue by the Sea
- 257 Considering Distance in the Work of OPEN by Lars Lerup
- 260 An Enlightenment Builder by Qing Feng
- 271 About the Future by Li Hu
- 276 OPEN works
- 286 Acknowledgments
ISBN
1940743222Title
Towards Openness by OPEN ArchitectureAuthor
LI Hu; HUANG WenjingPublisher
Applied Research & DesignPublication year
2018Language
English
