Wang Shu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wang Shu
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| Born | 4 November 1963 |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Other names | 王澍 |
| Alma mater | Nanjing Institute of Technology, now known as Southeast University, and Tongji University |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Pritzker Prize |
| Buildings | Ningbo Museum |
Wang Shu (born 4 November 1963) is a famous Chinese architect. He lives in Hangzhou, a city in Zhejiang Province. Wang Shu is in charge of the School of Architecture at the China Academy of Art. He started a design company called Amateur Architecture Studio with his wife, Lu Wenyu. She is also an architect. In 2012, Wang Shu won the Pritzker Prize. This is the most important award an architect can receive worldwide. He was the first Chinese citizen to win this special award. Some people thought his wife, Lu Wenyu, should have also won the prize with him. This was because they had worked together for many years.
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Early Life and Learning
Wang Shu was born on 4 November 1963. His hometown was Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. When he was a child, he loved to draw and paint. He learned these skills on his own, without formal art classes.
Even during a time called the "cultural revolution" (1966–1976), his mother helped him read many books. He read different kinds of stories and books, from famous writers like Pushkin to Lu Xun.
His parents wanted him to study engineering. Wang Shu decided to study architecture. This was a good mix between his love for art and his parents' advice. He went to the School of Architecture at Southeast University in Nanjing. He earned his first degree in 1985 and a master's degree in 1988.
After college, Wang Shu moved to Hangzhou. He liked the city's beautiful nature and its old art traditions. In 1990, he finished his first building project. It was a youth center in Haining, a city near Hangzhou.
Wang Shu did not have many building projects between 1990 and 1998. During this time, his wife, Lu Wenyu, supported their family. He used this time to study more at Tongji University in Shanghai. He earned his PhD degree in 2000.
Designing Buildings
In 1997, Wang Shu and his wife, Lu Wenyu, started their company. They named it Amateur Architecture Studio. They chose this name to show they did not like the "soulless architecture" they saw in China. They believed this kind of building style was destroying many old neighborhoods.
Wang Shu became a professor at the China Academy of Art in 2000. He became the head of the Architecture Department in 2003. In 2007, he was named the Dean of the School of Architecture.
In 2000, Wang Shu designed the Library of Wenzheng College at Soochow University. This building won the first Architecture Art Award of China in 2004. His "Five Scattered Houses" in Ningbo won an award for sustainable building in Asia in 2005. In 2008, his "Vertical Courtyard Apartments" in Hangzhou were nominated for a big award.
In 2008, he finished the Ningbo Museum. He won the chance to design this building in 2004 after a worldwide competition. The outside of the museum is made completely of recycled bricks. Its shape looks like the mountains nearby, fitting into nature. The museum won China's top architecture prize in 2009.
Wang Shu's other important projects include the Ningbo Museum of Art (2005). He also designed the Xiangshan campus of the China Academy of Art (2007). Another project was the Old Town Conservation of Zhongshan Street in Hangzhou (2009). His buildings are known for being new and modern. They also connect to the history and feeling of the place.
Wang Shu's Design Ideas
Wang Shu creates modern buildings. He uses old materials and building methods. For example, the Ningbo Museum is made from bricks. These bricks were saved from buildings that were torn down for new construction. Wang Shu strongly believes in keeping architectural history alive. He feels that modern changes can make cities lose their special character.
He believes that his work mixes new ideas with old culture. It combines new ways of building with old traditions. His designs use fresh materials in new ways. They also have a classic look based on old building sizes and shapes.
Wang Shu asks his new architecture students to work with their hands for a year. They learn basic carpentry and how to lay bricks. He also wants other teachers to learn these skills. He believes that "Only people who understand the nature of materials can make art using the materials."
Awards and Recognition
In 2007, Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu won the first Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. Other famous architects also won this award.
In 2010, Wang Shu and his wife, Lu Wenyu, won the German Schelling Architecture Prize. In 2011, he received a Gold Medal from the French Academy of Architecture.
In 2012, Wang Shu won the Pritzker Architecture Prize. He was the first Chinese citizen to win this award. He was also one of the youngest people to win it. The judges said Wang Shu had a "unique ability to evoke the past." This means his buildings remind people of history without copying it directly. They called his work "timeless" and connected to its location, but also meaningful everywhere.
The head of the Hyatt Foundation said Wang Shu's win was important. It showed that China would play a big role in future architecture ideas. A Chinese architecture expert, Zhu Tao, thought the prize could change Chinese architecture. He said it showed that architecture is about culture and that architects create culture.
Alejandro Aravena, one of the Pritzker Prize judges, said Wang Shu's buildings are amazing. He said Wang Shu can combine talent and intelligence. This helps him create masterpieces when needed. He can also design careful and simple buildings when a grand one is not right.
Personal Life
Wang Shu's father is a musician and enjoys carpentry as a hobby. His mother is a teacher and a school librarian in Beijing. Wang Shu's sister is also a teacher.
Wang Shu is married to Lu Wenyu. She is his business partner and also teaches architecture at the China Academy of Art. Wang Shu has said that he felt his wife deserved to share the Pritzker Prize with him.
Main Projects
Here are some of the main buildings Wang Shu has designed:
- Completed
- Youth Center (1990), Haining
- Library of Wenzheng College at Soochow University (1999–2000), Suzhou
- Ningbo Museum of Art (2001–05)
- Xiangshan Campus, China Academy of Art, Phases I & II (2002–07), Hangzhou
- Vertical Courtyard Apartments (2002–07), Hangzhou
- Sanhe House (2003), Nanjing
- Teaching Building of the Music and Dance Department (2003–05), Dongguan
- Ceramic House (2003–06), Jinhua
- Five Scattered Houses (2003–06), Ningbo
- Ningbo Museum (2003–08)
- Tiled garden, Venice Biennale of Architecture (2006), Italy
- Old Town Conservation of Zhongshan Street (2007–09), Hangzhou
- Exhibition Hall of the Imperial Street of Southern Song Dynasty (2009), Hangzhou
- Ningbo Tengtou Pavilion, Shanghai Expo (2010)
- Bus Stop in Krumbach, Austria (2014)
- Under Construction or Being Designed
- Heyun Culture and Leisure Centers (2009), Kunming
- City Cultural Center (2010), Jinhua
- Shi Li Hong Zhuang Traditional Dowry Museum (2010), Ninghai
- Contemporary Art Museum on the Dock (2010), Zhoushan
- Buddhist Institute Library (2011), Hangzhou
See also
In Spanish: Wang Shu para niños
