2017 China Prize
Atmosphere / Material / Behavior / Thoughts

In his study about the architecture of other countries, Zhaoyang Luo became interested in the contemporary residential architecture of the Netherlands, where he found an abstract interpretation of the relationship of daily life and space that was similar to the complex geometries found in the architecture of “settlements” in southwest China. He was particularly interested to learn how local architects in the Netherlands deal with their surroundings with innovative methods, wishing to find a new approach to the settlements in the southwest of China.

Zhaoyang Luo
Harbin Institute of Technology
School of Architecture

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Jury
Peter J. Kindel (Chair)
Yichun Liu
Wenlei Xi
Ting Yu

The topic of my thesis at Harbin Institute of Technology was about the residential communities, mainly concentrated in the southwest of China, which are known in China as “settlements.” These settlements are unique in that the minority residents carry out their own renovations to their housing to adapt to their daily life. This practice and process has led to a complex and intricate relationship of spaces, which are the origin of a regional concept of architecture in rural China.

In my study of architecture of other countries, I have found an abstract interpretation of the relationship of daily life and space in the innovative contemporary architecture of the Netherlands that I find to be similar to the complex geometries found in the architecture of the “settlements” in Southwest China.

The purpose of my travel and research was to conduct an extensive survey of the innovative architecture of the Netherlands and to observe and map the characteristics of the architecture for comparison with the regional architecture of southwest China.

My final report explores the characteristics of Dutch architecture from four aspects: the built environment, the building itself, the use of architecture, and the history of architecture. Dutch structuralism of the 1960s has always been of interest to me because of my initial obsession with its form. Renowned Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck’s architectural model has always been a model I have tried to crack, which combines original meanings with modern architectural forms. As a result, his buildings have a charming fuzzy character.

A glimpse of nature outside Sonneveld, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, designed by Brinkman & Van der Vlugt. © Zhaoyang Luo.

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Interior decoration of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Employment in the Hague, designed by Herman Hertzberger. © Zhaoyang Luo.

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Fellow Experience

The feeling of walking in a foreign country is addictive. In an age when the Internet is prevalent, the value of walking has become more and more important for digging, examining, positing, and remining. This cycle gives us access to a more diversified architecture. We must have a sense of crisis that resists the standard "knowledge bubble." I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the SOM Foundation for providing the opportunity to experience such a wonderful academic trip.

Central torsion structure in Terminal at Arnhem Central Station, designed by UNStudio. © Zhaoyang Luo.

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Look from the inside of the cubic clusters in Kubuswoningen, Rotterdam, designed by Piet Blom. © Zhaoyang Luo.

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Amsterdam
Leiden
Delft
Rotterdam
Utrecht
Apeldoorn
Almere
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Zhaoyang Luo
Harbin Institute of Technology
School of Architecture

Zhaoyang Luo

was born and raised in Xaoyang, Hubei Province, a city in central China with a long and famous history. Luo received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in June 2015 from Guizhou University. Since September 2015, he has been studying for a Master of Architecture degree at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) under the direction of Professor Sun Cheng, a well-known Chinese regional architect in northwestern China. Concurrent with his studies at Harbin, Luo interned at MAD Architects in Beijing, a global architecture firm committed to developing futuristic, organic, and technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. Following the completion of his Master of Architecture degree in January 2018, Luo plans to continue his studies at HIT for the next four years to earn his PhD, undertaking in-depth research about regional architecture design in China.