Ying-Zao

Zhang Ke uses the concept of metabolism to describe his work with hutongs, the historically significant courtyard houses typical of Beijing. He thus adheres to the idea of transferring the organic lifecycle of birth, growth and renewal to urban development and architecture. For these transformative adaptations to contemporary uses, the architect has received the Aga Khan Award and the Alvar Aalto Medal. In addition to the hutong projects, the exhibition also demonstrates Zhang Ke’s great creative independence with the Xiao Feng Art Museum in Hangzhou, the Outdoor Theatre at the Great Wall of China, and other projects. The office building for the Novartis Campus in Shanghai, completed in 2016, and the strong design for the Exilmuseum Berlin also show deep intercultural sensitivity, thus reflecting Zhang Ke’s studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing and his training and teaching work at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.