Contemporary Chinese Architecture

Ullens Centre of Contemporary Art (UCCA)

Given the scope and ever-growing prevalence of contemporary architecture in Beijing, it’s no surprise to find what many consider to be one of the best-curated art spaces in the capital shining the spotlight on a celebrated star of modern Chinese design this autumn.

Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) is currently presenting its first ever architecture-focused exhibition until December 2, and the centrepiece of this enlightening retrospective is none other than Feichang Jianzhu (FCJZ) design ‘atelier’ co-founder and MIT lecturer Yung Ho Chang. Regarded by many as the father of modern Chinese architecture, Chang is the man behind some of the country’s most well-known modern structures, including Hebei Education Publishing House and Beijing’s Villa Shizilin.

Featuring drawings, films and other media by Chang, the show is named ‘Material-ism’, a moniker referencing both the construction side of Chang’s work, as well as the seemingly pervasive, yet still atypical materialistic culture developing in China.

In keeping with its cutting-edge content, the exhibition will be staged in six separate units, each devoted to a specific theme, including inhabitation and urbanism, drawings, and the curiously-titled ‘A Night in the Bicycle Apartment’ – a meditation on the use and occupation of structures. Finish off with a whirl through the fab UCCA design shop, or pop outside for a well-deserved coffee at Timezone 8 art bookstore and café.