An upcoming online exhibition will showcase the Australia–China relationship through a series of architectural pairings.
Living in the City: Australia–China Conversations Through Architecture, curated by the University of Queensland’s School of Architecture and produced by the Swayn Centre for Australian Design at the National Museum of Australia, will include 30 projects from across the two countries, coupled together to highlight issues such as density and amenity, mixed-use urbanity for growing cities, and reprogramming architecture for community benefit.
The exhibition aligns Australian architectural expertise with the increasing investment in public and community project by provincial and municipal governments in China.
“The exhibition is a great example of how knowledge sharing and the innovative approach to architecture in Australia and China create desirable places for people to live and work, designing and building sustainable cities that benefit all in our diverse communities,” said Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher.
The exhibition has been commissioned by the Australian Embassy Beijing and Austrade, and builds on a survey of the work Australian architects have done in China, also commissioned by the embassy and Austrade.
Luxe Lakes Towers by John Wardle Architects.
Image: courtesy of the architect
“Australian architects play a critical role in the shaping of cities across the world,” said Cameron Bruhn, dean and head of the School of Architecture at UQ.
The exhibition shows how Australian architecture helps to support and grow businesses, shape communities, heal, educate, nurture, and deliver government policy.
The projects featured in the exhibition include Australia 108 (Melbourne) by Fender Katsalidis, Ace Hotel (Sydney) by Bates Smart, SAHMRI (Adelaide) by Woods Bagot, Luxe Lakes Towers (Chengdu) by John Wardle Architects, Landsea Green Centre (Shanghai) by Decibel Architecture, and National Speed Skating Oval (Beijing) by Populous.
“The ability of Australian architects to design treasured national projects throughout China, and elsewhere in Asia, provides an opportunity to enhance Australia’s international engagement,” said Paul Henry, founder and managing director of Populous, which was named 2019 Exporter of the Year at the Australian Export Awards.
The exhibition will open in October during China’s 2020 Extraordinary Australia Festival and closes in March 2021 during Brisbane’s Asia Pacific Architecture Festival.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
