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Architalk Series by Award-Winning Sustainable Architect Xu Tiantian
“Wanwu — All Things”
Architalk lecture on March 7 will feature Xu Tiantian, one of the leading architects in China and 2023 laureate of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture.
“Architecture is the living systems embedded in the local context that integrate the landscape, cultural traditions, local economies, and all things. Like the Taoist idea of Wanwu (lit. “all things”), or the universe, which emphasizes the unity and interdependence of all things, our built environment is an interconnected system, encompassing social, economic, and ecological frameworks, reassuring the human relation to nature and our own cultural and ancestral genealogy.” (Xu Tiantian)
This will be a rare opportunity to hear Xu speak in Japan about her attempts to revitalize rural China by connecting architecture with culture and industry. Her initiatives can offer great insights into how Japan, too, can revive the countryside, which is experiencing a sharp decline in population. Xu will be joined onstage by special guest commentator Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow.
- Date：Friday, March 7, 6:30-8:00 pm (JST) *doors open at 6:00 pm
- Speaker：Tiantian XU (Architect, Founder of DnA_Design & Architecture)
- Guest commentator：Yoshiharu TSUKAMOTO (Architect, Founder of Atelier Bow-Wow)
- Moderator：Yuko HASEGAWA（Director of Arts and Design at I-House; Director of Kanazawa 21st Century Museum）
- Admission：3,000yen (IHJ members 2,000yen, Students 1,500yen) *reservations are required
- Language：Japanese / English (with simultaneous interpretation)
- Venue：International House of Japan
- Organized by TheInternational House of Japan
- Sponsored by The Jyukankyo Foundation, MRA Foundation
Tiantian XU (Architect, Founder of DnA_Design & Architecture)
is founding principal of DnA_Design and Architecture Beijing Office. She has been extensively involved in China’s rural revitalization process. Her groundbreaking “architectural acupuncture” is a holistic approach to the social and economic revitalization of rural China, and has been selected by UN-Habitat as a case study for its “Inspiring Practices on Urban-Rural Linkages.” Her works include the modern renovation of a factory in Songyang County and the design of a memorial hall to promote rural tourism, the design of an art center for the Songzhuang Art Colony, an artist community outside of Beijing, the renovation of a Hakka Tulou in Fujian Province, and the reconstruction of a bridge across the Yangtze River in Zhejiang Province among many others. She received her Mmaster of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard Graduate School of Design, and her BA from Tsinghua University. She has received numerous awards such as 2006 WA China Architecture Award, 2008 Young Architects Award from The Architectural League New York, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2023, she was appointed an Honorary Fellow of American Institute of Architects.
Yoshiharu TSUKAMOTO
Co-founder with Momoyo Kaijima of Tokyo-based architecture firm Atelier Bow-Wow in 1992. Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Science, director of General Incorporated Association Small Earth, and director of Window Research Institute. He works in diverse fields ranging from architecture, public spaces, furniture, field surveys, education, art exhibitions, curation, and writing. All his works are based on a theory called behaviorology that aims to reconstruct the commons by enhancing accessibility to local resources. He was awarded the Wolf Prize in architecture in 2022.