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Suzhou expo unites developers, designers to mix best of culture
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DESIGNERS from Australia and China this week gathered in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, to share their working experiences in China and seek future collaboration.
Co-organized by Shanghai Daily and the organizing committee of Suzhou Creative and Design Cultural Industry Expo, the “New Life, New Design” forum held at the Suzhou Art and Design Technology Institute provided a platform for Suzhou developers who are in need of designers.
Designers are aware that a successful building or scenery design can change people’s lives. It not only has to be responsible for environment and saving energy, but should also be blended into local culture.
“I think a successful creative design should be visually interesting and impressive, should respond to human needs, including enjoyment, lifestyle, uplifting workplace, and should be environmentally sustainable,” said Ross Styles, director of Architectus TMG.
Styles’ company plays an active role in developing the strategic direction of the business in addition to leading multiple project teams in both Australia and China. They include significant projects such as Guangzhou Nansha Master Plan in Guangdong Province and Xiang He Lakeside Residential Development in Shanghai.
Green building
At the forum, Styles took 1 Bligh Street in Sydney as an example of a green building. Some 40 percent of the concrete used to build the six-star green office design was recycled, while 90 percent of the steel contained recycled material. Meanwhile, the building also has such functions as rainwater harvesting, sewer mining and black water treatment.
As for modern Chinese architecture, Styles said the country now has some “weird architecture” that is “different rather than sensational.” He said he once was invited as a judge of a design competition, and the buildings were in the shape of a flower or a bird, but the shapes could only be seen when looking from above.
“Architecture is about people who walk in it and use it but not about looking from inside a plane,” he said.
Andy Kershaw, associate in the Shanghai office of Group GSA, seconded his opinion.
“I believe that good design can influence people’s lifestyle,” he said. “It helps defining interactions of spaces and people and shaping our environment.”
Anthony Mark Dunstan, another keynote speaker at the forum, who is the chairman and design director of W&B Design International Pty Ltd, shared his opinions on integration between Chinese traditional culture and Australian landscape design philosophy.
Dunstan said when he first started his work in China 15 years ago, he tried to introduce Australian landscape design into the country, but it didn’t work out as it conflicted with the ideas of Chinese clients.
“Then I realized that both China and Australia have cultures of long history; in fact, the aboriginal culture in Australia can be traced back to 50,000 years ago,” he said. “It actually worked better when integrating the two.”
Dunstan took a neighborhood in Nanjing as an example. He blended the impressionist art style with Chinese garden layout in the neighborhood, creating a very harmonious view and atmosphere.
Meanwhile Professor Liu Wei, vice chairman of China Institute of Interior Design, shared his experiences of preserving ancient towns in the Chinese countryside. He said the best way to protect the countryside is to return to its original style and features.
He took Gaoyi Village, a 600-year-old village in central China’s Hunan Province, as an example.
“The villagers of the city had strong awareness of protection of the old cultures and buildings,” he said. “A senior even had a very detailed collection on the history of the village.”
The government, however, had other ideas on renovation in the village. Three years after Liu’s first visit to the village, his second visit found a hideous parking had been constructed, ruining the whole view of the village.
In addition, the government built a reservoir, and in order to prevent flooding, a dam is being considered, as well.
“It’s a common phenomenon in Chinese architecture that they build something and then build another thing to clear the mess the first one left,” said Liu.
He said he used his “designers’ power” to stop the construction immediately and a new master plan is now under design.
“I think we should learn from the locals, histories and lands with a humble mind,” he said.
The forum has aroused the interests of real estate developers. After the forum, about 10 developers, including hotels, neighborhood complexes, golf clubs and holiday resorts, expressed their intention to work with the designers.
As the co-organizer of the event, Shanghai Daily expressed its wishes to be a platform for the communication and exchange of Chinese and Western cultures.
“When Shanghai Daily was founded 15 years ago, our goal was to be a window of China to the world,” said Wu Zheng, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily. “Now our role has expanded to be a bridge of communication.”
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