Inspiring lecture from NHDRO as part of the RIBA emerging architects series this week
It was the last in the emerging architects series this year- dominated by Asian practices, it is perhaps symbolic of the relative vibrancy of the eastern economies at the moment.
http://www.nhdro.com/
My youthful experience of working in Hong Kong gave me an impression of Eastern bling culture- zippy, exciting buildings with shiny millimetre thick facades built quickly and cheaply, without pausing for reflection on culture or context.
NHDRO are inspiring in that they are bringing a creative and thoughtful approach to counter the opulent tastes of contemporary Chinese culture. Big, bold forms, strong ideas and an articulation based on materiality rather than detail- modernism meets sculpture. It’s encouraging that while they are pushing against the mainstream, they are clearly very successful.
There are many young contemporary architects exploring this kind of formal modernism, ourselves included, but what’s exciting is the ideas of how to take this approach to a larger scale, in contrast to the now accepted pared down hi tech rationality of much London commercial building.
Also interesting- the reuse of a derelict colonial building in Shanghai:
http://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/Exhibitions/At66PortlandPlace/2011/Spring/EmergingArchitectureonlineinterviews/InterviewNHDRO.aspx
The building is preserved untouched, like an urban ruin, the textures and decay of the building offset with clean and bold additions to reconfigure the building. In a part of the world where little thought is given to legacy they point to a chance to preserve some essence of past culture. It’s also a great example of reusing an historical building in a sensitive but entirely modern way
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