Patterns Redefinition in Beijing East Qianmen. Kengo Kuma Office in Damochang 220 Courtyard House

Canclini, Andrea (2024) Patterns Redefinition in Beijing East Qianmen. Kengo Kuma Office in Damochang 220 Courtyard House. In: Building Technology and Culture in the Asia-Pacific Region : Construction, Materials, Encounters. Transnational Histories of Design Cultures and Production . Springer, Singapore, pp. 15-33. ISBN 9789819717934

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Abstract

This chapter outlines a critical approach and describes the principles of architectural design applied by Kengo Kuma in the Damochang 220 project in Beijing, focusing on aspects of Kuma’s architectural philosophy, the priority of heritage conservation, the use of transformative design and the ‘redefinition of boundaries’ in the redevelopment, regeneration, and reinvention of the area’s hutongs (alleys) and siheyuan (courtyard houses). The text describes Kuma’s use of geometric patterns as part of the tradition of its use, ‘dissolved boundaries,’ and connections between nature and people in the final design and realization of this building.