STIR speaks with Xu Tiantian about her practice, ethos and aspirations

Chinese architect Xu Tiantian, the recipient of Swiss Architectural Award 2022, was recently felicitated with the accolade at the Auditorium Teatro dell’architettura Mendrisio, a performing arts theatre in Mendrisio, Switzerland. The award ceremony, promoted by the Fondazione Teatro dell’architettura, was held on May 4, 2023. The latest edition of the award marked a collaboration between three Swiss Schools of Architecture, namely USI – Accademia di architettura, Mendrisio; EPFL – ENAC, Section d’Architecture, Lausanne; and ETHZ – Departement Architektur, Zurich. The event also marked the opening of the Swiss Architectural Award 2022 exhibition. The exposition, promoted by the Academy of Architecture of Università della Svizzera italiana, will remain on view at the Auditorium of Teatro dell’architettura Mendrisio until October 22, 2023.

Xu Tiantian, the founder of Beijing-based DnA Design and Architecture, was accorded the eighth Swiss award for three architectural projects—adaptive reuse of the Jinyun quarries, the reuse of the Shimen Bridge over the Songyin River, and the tofu factory in Caizhai Village. Her architectural practice in China is engaged in projects of varying scales and functions, and at numerous locations, each of which are placed in locales characterised by different topographies, culture and climate.

At the award ceremony, Tiantian held a public lecture delineating the evolution of her work as an architect, while also describing the contexts of the locales she works in. The architect is also set to begin her collaboration with the Università della Svizzera italiana as a Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio.

The jury for this year’s Swiss Architectural Award (SAA) was chaired by Mario Botta, and comprised the likes of Walter Angonese, Director of the Accademia di architettura, USI; Stéphanie Bru, winner of the seventh SAA edition with the Paris-based studio Bruther; Dieter Dietz, Director of the Section d’Architecture, EPFL-ENAC; and Tom Emerson, Dean of the Departement Architektur, ETHZ.

The Swiss Architectural Award 2022 exhibition, curated by Marco Della Torre and Stefania Murer, presents the works of 26 shortlisted creatives from 14 countries, with a special focus on Tiantian’s works. The Chinese architect’s contribution to architecture is viewed as "acupuncture interventions that aim to revitalise historic settlements or pieces of landscape.” All three of her projects, located in the Songyang and Jinyun counties, are balanced designs that take into consideration the need for meaningful spaces in these locales. Tiantian’s designs are respectful of the unadulterated landscapes they are placed on. On the other hand, they are built to revive these scantly populated locales.

After the architect’s win, STIR established contact with Tiantian, in order to hear her point of view about her win, and know more about her practice and future plans.

Almas Sadique: Tell us about your first reaction upon hearing the announcement of your win.

Xu Tiantian: Overwhelmed!

Almas: What are some of your goals and expectations regarding your upcoming role as a Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio?

Xu: I am very honoured to be the first Chinese visiting professor at the Academy in Mendrisio, so I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the culture and heritage, at the same time how modern architecture can become an effective solution to integrate and revive heritage in rural context.

Almas: How was your experience of being a major part of the exhibition at Auditorium of Teatro dell’architettura Mendrisio?

Xu: Every candidate has a strong portfolio. Collectively the exhibition represents the architectural practice and thinking of a new generation. I am inspired and learning from everyone.

Almas: If there is one piece of advice that you would like to share (with younger architects) after all your years of experience, what would it be?

Xu: Always remain curious, and courageous.

Almas: Over the years, how has your practice evolved? What are some differences in the way you approached your first project versus your most recent one?

Xu: Our rural experience didn’t establish from the day one. It took years of communication and engagement with rural communities. It’s also a process building up our knowledge and experience.

Almas: What are some of your childhood experiences and exposure as an architecture student that inform your architectural practice?

Xu: I would say the childhood experience growing up in the family house, a traditional building in my hometown. The integration with its ecological surroundings, such as river and trees, creates layers of courtyards and seemly endless space.

Almas: Could you tell us about some of the common challenges you face while developing your projects. How do you tackle them?

Xu: Each one is a new process. Villages in mountain, flatland, island are different. Quarry or Tulou was an entire new subject for us. In the beginning every theme is unknown and challenging. But once you really understand, it will bring inspirations.

Almas: What is one project that you hold close to your heart, and one that you feel could have been done differently?

Xu: There are many projects I love. Maybe the Jinyun quarries? The anonymous quarry workers, through intense labour work for living and surviving, and the surgical incision and extraction with indigenous knowledge, manually created the quarry as spectacular architecture. Our role is rather to facilitate with necessity. I would not change a thing.

Almas: Can you tell us about some contemporary phenomena in the Chinese architectural landscape that you would like to improve.

Xu: Iconic architecture is still very popular. It tends to over design which becomes another way of decoration.

Almas: What’s NEXT for you?

Xu: Our current project is on a small island called Meizhou island. Instead of working on a large-scale iconic museum, we proposed to break it down to smaller cultural facilities scattering on the island with different village communities. The program of these smaller buildings is based on the very specific living and ecology on island: mangrove research and cultivation, wastewater filtration for vegetable farm irrigation, mud-land oyster/seaweed cultivation, ocean water fish/kelp cultivation, etc. We started from learning marine ecology and island living from the beginning. In each project, architecture is a small part, instead we are working on designing a specific ecosystem. 

The Swiss Architectural Award 2022 exhibition is on display at the Auditorium of Teatro dell’architettura Mendrisio from May 5 to October 22, 2023.