Opening Celebration for "Building in China: A Century of Dialogues on Modern Architecture"

Marking a century since pioneers of modern Chinese architecture including Liang Sicheng (1901-1972), Yang Tingbao (1901-1982), Tong Jun (1900-1983), and Lin Huiying (1904-1955) studied at Penn, Building in China: A Century of Dialogues on Modern Architecture is an exhibition investigating key moments in the architectural dialogues between China and the West, and among Chinese architects, be they of different generations or contemporaries. The opening ceremony offers the opportunity to meet some of the architects featured in the exhibition and the curators.

Just added: There will be a preview of the exhibition from 4:00 - 5:00pm. The preview is open to Penn students, faculty, and visitors who have registered for the opening and/or lecture by Yung Ho Chang, which begins at 5:30pm.

The exhibition has two parts, both of which are presented in the historic Fisher Fine Arts Library building designed by Frank Furness, which is also the building where Lou Kahn taught generations of students. The historic exhibition, presented at the Kroiz Gallery of the Architectural Archives, features buildings by the first generation of Chinese architects trained at Penn, many of which are displayed for the first time. The projects highlight the architects’ responses to the international Modern Movement in the mid-twentieth century, as well as the ways they intervened in Chinese cities. The companion exhibition focuses on works by two contemporary independent architectural offices, Atelier FCJZ (founded by Yung Ho Chang and Lu Lijia) and Amateur Architecture Studio (founded by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu), and showcases six projects organized according to different scales ranging from an artist’s studio to a university campus and a whole village, and reflects the designers’ ideals for the 21st century Chinese urban and rural societies. This exhibition is the result of collaborations of University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with Southeast University and Tongji University in China, and is co-curated by Professors Zhongjie Lin, MingTong, and Li Xiangning.

If you require any accessibility accommodation, such as live captioning, audio description, or a sign language interpreter, please email news@design.upenn.edu to let us know what you need. Please note, we require at least 48 hours’ notice. If you register within 48 hours of this event, we won’t be able to secure the appropriate accommodations.