Li Xinggang

Li Xinggang (born 1969 in Laoting, Hebei) is a Chinese architect, director of Atelier Li Xinggang and vice chief architect of China Architectural Design & Research Group. He founded Atelier Li Xinggang in 2001, and including works with his studio has been involved in more than 30 projects. He has received several Chinese and international awards, and attended several exhibitions concerning architecture and art.

Biography

Li Xinggang (Chinese: 李兴钢) was born in 1969. Upon graduating from the Department of Architecture, Tianjin University in 1991, he began to work in China Architecture Design & Research Group (CAG) China Architecture Design & Research Group to the present. In 2001, he acted as the chief architect of CAG. In 2003, he established his own atelier within CAG.

Li Xinggang is always interested in the Chinese feature in architecture, so he focuses on the classical Chinese gardens and their contemporary characteristics, as well as applies the modern architecture languages of structure and form, skin and material. He intends to strengthen personal design power, and express his own value judgment and architectural philosophy on these two main routes.

He has won several architecture honors and awards, and has also been invited to take part in some exhibitions concerning architecture and art. Atelier Li Xinggang advocates the process of "Research + Design", and emphasizes the response of architecture to the specificities of context, nature, site, material, and user. Atelier Li Xingang is self-sufficient being in charge of the full process of design as well as taking control of the building, interiors, and landscape. It is an approach to contemporary architectural works with cultural depth and aesthetic affection. Atelier Li Xinggang's research team is interested in "Chinese Gardens – Settlements" and "Ancient Master’s Studies", as well as others innovations.

"To me, the enigma of Architecture exists in its longevity and antiquation – its endurance and history are the result of natural instinct and rational logic. The so-called process of "design" is the journey looking for an only and perfect solution, solely realized after analyzing the various given conditions and possibilities. Naturally, the journey and goal depend on the tendency or impressions of the architect, in this case me – a specific Chinese person." – Li Xinggang

Works

In his early works we can appreciate an interest in Chinese gardens. The design was just an expression of the fragmental feel of gardens. This influence continues during his career. Well known for his Sino/foreign cooperation in two big projects up to the moment, in Xihuan Plaza and the Xizhimen Transportation Hub, as the chief designer, he presided engineering design and particular work, cooperating with the French firm Arup it was just the beginning which gave him a basis for the Master Project of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games the design of “Bird’s Nest”, Beijing National Stadium. The dialogued with Herzog & de Meuron and the "structural" steel skin determining whether this design was in line with social demand and acceptable in China.

The development of this "skin-space" concept together with Chinese gardens gave maturity to the Office, the design of Li Xinggang seems swinging between modernism and tradition, or the combination of both. We can see several applications such as Reconstruction of No. B-59-1, Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial, Fuxing Road, Xi'erqi Station and Beijing Subway Line 4 Stations o Hainan International Convention And Exhibition Center in Haikou.

Publications and exhibitions

He was also invited to take part in some exhibitions concerning architecture and art, such as:

“From Beijing to London: 16 Contemporary Chinese Architects”, London (2012)

“Verso Est – New Chinese Architectural Landscape 2011”, Rome (2011)

“Chinese Regional Architecture in a Post-Experimental Age”, Karlsruhe/Prague (2010)

“Heart-Made – The Cutting-Edge of Chinese Contemporary Architecture”, Brussels (2009)

11th Venice Biennale of Architecture (2008)

“Illusion Into Reality: Chinese Gardens for Living”, Dresden (2008)

“Get It Louder”, Beijing (2007)

“Happen”, Left & Right Art Zone, Beijing (2007)

1st/2nd Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism & Architecture (2005/2007)

“Status”: Eight Young Chinese Architects, Beijing (2005)

Selected work

• Xingtao Residencial Quarter, Beijing 2002
• Xinhua Hotel, Tangshan 2001
• Teda Primary School, Tianjin 2000
• Xingtao Club, Beijing 2000
• Xizhimen Plaza & Xizhimen Transportation Exchange Hub, Beijing (cooperated with AREP, France) 2008
• Daxing Culture Center, Beijing 2006
• Competition for Conference & Exhibition Center of Zhongguancun Biological Science Park 2001
• Science Research Center & Service Facilities of Dongguan Technology Institute 2003
• Xing Tao Reception & Exhibition Center 2001
• Multi-Center of Songshanhu Culture Camp, Dongguan 2003
• Multi-Center of Songshanhu Culture Camp, Dongguan 2003
• Jianchuan Mirror Museum & Earthquake Memorial, Wenchuan Earthquake Memorial 2009
• Reconstruction Of No.B-59-1 Project, Fuxing Road 2005
• Office Building of Top China Microdevices 2005
• Hiland•Mingzuo Project, Weihai 2010
• Culture Center & Museum, Rushan 2007
• Ke Garden 2008
• Lego I 2007
• China Custom Museum (cooperated with Approach Architecture Studio) 2009
• Competition for Tangshan Earthquake Site Memorial Park 2007
• Competition for Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Competition, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 2007
• Couple Garden 2008
• Accesses Of Metro Line 4 & Daxing Line, Beijing 2010
• Lego II 2008
• Paper-brick House Venice Biennale 2008
• Interior Design of Atelier Li Xinggang Office 2008
• Shangqiu Museum 2010
• Xi'erqi Station of Beijing Subway, Beijing 2009
• "The Third Space", Tangshan 2010
• Concept Design of Commercial Block of Longfusi Metro Station of Line 6-2009
• Museum for Site of XANADU 2010
• Hainan International Convention And Exhibition Center, Haikou, Hainan 2010
• Section 2 of Bolonghu Headquarter Base, Tianjin 2009
• Jixi Museum, Anhui 2010
• 20+10 Project D4 & P19, Erdos 2011
• Entrance for Site of XANADU 2011
• MAX LAB IV Competition, Sweden (cooperated with FOJAB, Sweden) 2010
• China Resources Hope Town, Xibaipo 2010
• Urban Design of CBD Core Area, Beijing 2010
• Concept Design of Canal Core Area VII09-14, Tongzhou New Town, Beijing 2010
• Gymnasium & Natatorium of New Campus of Tianjin University 2011
• Competition for BIM Ecology Office Building of China Architecture Design & Research Group 2011
• Chinese Embassy in Madrid, Spain 2011
• Ampliation and Renovation of Chinese Embassy in Estonia
• Luliang City Sports Center 2013
• Yuhuan County Library and Museum 2013