They’ve put China back on the architectural map with a know-how that makes their Western counterparts pale with envy, and have become powerful critics of the breakneck development that has been radically transforming the People’s Republic. Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu, founders of Amateur Architecture Studio in 1997, mix traditional craftsmanship, contemporary vocabulary and landscape scholarship philosophy to produce a “new type of Chinese architecture”, passing on their methods to a younger generation at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou.

Read the full article, written by Andrew Ayers, by clicking on the picture:

Find the full AA 426th issue, dedicated to the commitment in architecture, on our online store.

In addition, AA devoted an important report to Wang Shu in its 375th issue, published in December 2009. The full article is available here : part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.