Pavilion of the P.R. China of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition (La Blennale di Venezia) was officially opened recently. La Blennale di Venezia was founded in 1895, and is one of the largest and most influential international events of architecture and arts. A total of 63 countries participated in this year's event. Since 2005, Pavilion of the P.R. China has been organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China. For many years, Pavilion of the P.R. China has been gaining international influence. It has now become an important showcase for the world to understand the cultural development, artistic creation, and social opening-up of China.
Ruan Xin, President of the School of Design of Shanghai Jiaotong University, acts as the Planner of this year's Pavilion of the P.R. China. With "RENEWAL: A SYMBIOTIC NARRATIVE" as its theme, this year's exhibition responds to the overall theme "Future Laboratory" of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, focusing on urban and rural sustainable development that's under the global spotlight. Drawing on the representative cases and research in frontier areas of urban and rural renewal in China, Pavilion of the P.R. China showcases the solutions to the urban and rural development of China and the future vision, and tells the world a story of China about renewal & coexistence among life, architecture, city and nature. Pavilion of the P.R. China will remain open till November 26, 2023.
Indoor exhibition of Pavilion of the P.R. China
The research team of Professor Du Chunlan, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, showed up at Pavilion of the P.R. China upon invitation. With "Renewal and Rebirth of BAYU Traditional Mountainous Garden " as the theme, Chongqing Eling Park, which is regarded as a microcosm of traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region, was selected based on the research of landscape in mountainous areas and Bayu-style gardens carried out by the design team over the years, to discuss the renewal and rebirth of traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region in the context of urbanization. Traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region have been an important element of the landscape in mountain cities. Through tactful site selection, landscape planning in the light of local conditions, and free, three-dimensional spatial form and layout, they have integrated nature, the city, and the people into an organic whole and a co-existence structure in a reasonable and poetic manner. This way, balance is achieved between the ecological, cultural, and entertaining functions of the landscape in mountain cities in the context of high-density urban development. The works focuses on 5 important nodes in the long history. The historic space was restructured through hand drawing collage in a smart way to demonstrate the history of integration and co-existence between traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region and the urban spaces in a Chinese reading way. This allows the visitors to gain an understanding of the history of the traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region while they "watch" and "gaze at" the works, find answers to issues facing mountain city development, and imagine what landscape in mountainous cities will be like in the future. Featuring unique regional characteristics and landscape perspectives, the works are drawing the attention of architects, artists, and designers from all over the world, who stopped to watch and discuss the works.
Exhibition works "Renewal and Rebirth of BAYU Traditional Mountainous Garden"
In addition, world-renowned honored guests and representatives in thefields of architecture, arts and education from Harvard University, the University of Michigan, New York University, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Università Iuav di Venezia, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Southeast University, Tongji University, Central Academy of Fine Arts and Chongqing University appeared at the " Planners’ Forum of Pavilion of the P.R. China in RENEWAL: A SYMBIOTIC NARRATIVE "at Università Iuav di Venezia, Italy on May 20. Professor Du Chunlan, delivered a speech titled "Renewal and Rebirth of BAYU Traditional Mountainous Garden". In her speech, Professor Du Chunlan explained the generating environment and the unique value of traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region, and put forward the proposition of the historical and cultural continuation of the traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu region in the context of urbanization. Taking Eling Park as an example, Professor Du expounded on the renewal method of traditional mountainous gardens in Bayu and the localized innovation path of traditional garden wisdom and shared a story of Bayu about the renewal and co-existence between life, landscape, city and mountain environment.
