Author(s): ZHU PEI

Exhibition Catalogues

Zhu Pei's Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum recalls a time of glory of the once "Millenium Porcelain Capital" city, Jingdezhen, and extends these memories to the present. Inspired by the perception of Jingdezhen's specific regional culture (porcelain) and the survival wisdom of the locals, the museum is a symbol of the past and future. The contemporary architecture magnificently resonates the ages: the building form is reminiscent of ancient traditional brick kilns, and its landscape - with mirror pools, bamboo groves, kiln ruins, and courtyards - recreates an impression of Jingdezhen's vibrant porcelain past. As an "Architecture of Nature," that evokes both contemporaneity and ancient vibes, the museums subverts typical perceptions of modern-day museums. Coloured photos, drawings, essays, and interviews provide detailed insights on the conception of the museum - from design concept to environmental strategies, to construction techniques and construction materials - as well as the architect's personal perspectives on the overall concept and intention of the museum. The pages also feature commentaries on the museum by well-known architects, including Steven Holl, Kenneth Frampton, Mohsen Mostafavi, Rem Koolhaas, and Arata Isozaki. AUTHOR: Zhu Pei, one of China's leading architects, is principal at Studio Zhu-Pei and dean at the Central Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture in Beijing, China. He is also a visiting professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, and adjunct professor at Columbia University's Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He received his Master of Architecture from both Tsinghua University and University of California Berkeley. In 2005, he founded Studio Zhu-Pei in Beijing. He has won the Architectural Review Awards, the AIA Honor Award, the Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record, the China Award from Architectural Record, the WA Award, and the Special Merit Award from UIA and UNESCO. SELLING POINTS: . Commentary articles from famous architects including Steven Holl, Kenneth Frampton, Mohsen Mostafavi, Rem Koolhaas, and Arata Isozaki . Features valuable drawings collected by the Museum of Modern Art of New York . Showcases traditional kiln building and the past porcelain culture of Jingdezhen . A reliable resource as a reflection of an "Architecture of Natur," that combines contemporaneity with the resonance of the ages 100 colour, 50 b/w illustrations