Appropriation of Taihu stone and its formal evolution in Wang Shu’s architecture

Abstract

The traditional Chinese gardens are an essential source of inspiration for Wang Shu’s architectural creations. Taihu stone is a porous, irregularly shaped rock used to compose mountain landscapes in traditional gardens, which informs the architectural interpretation of Wang’s gardening philosophy. This paper illuminates Wang’s design approach, in particular the way he abstracts the shape and form of Taihu stone in his works creating architecture that embodies the qualities of tradition. We examine seven of his architectural works built between 2003 and 2018 where the architect used the Taihu stone in two principal manners. The first is a formal conceptualisation that is reflected in the overall form of the building named “Taihu-house”. A total of 19 “Taihu-houses” were founded in Wang’s works through three strategies: addition, insertion, and subtraction, of which the “addition” including 14 “Taihu-houses” is the most representative design. The second is using the Taihu stone as an inspiration for surface design such as the shape of windows or doors. Several walls with stone-shaped openings are further used to recreate a traditional promenade experience. Wang’s application of Taihu stone in his architectural works creates continuity with the traditional values of Chinese architecture while working within a modern aesthetic.

Keywords

• taihu stone
• traditional chinese garden
• wang shu’s design
• formal aesthetic
• surface intervention