The Third Shanghai International Architecture and Interior Design Festival
Dialogues among Domestic and Foreign Designers
Time: 2nd April, 2008
Place: Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre
Theme: People — Design — City
Introdution:
This theme will focus on the democratic function of design, deeply think about the relationship between design and people as well as design and city, discuss about what kind of design a city need indeed and how can design integrate into the daily lives of the masses equally and sincerely.
Nowadays, as more and more things have becoming vulgar, hypocritical, claptrap and serving for some privileged stratums, design seems cannot escape from such foreordination as well. Sometimes you will feel they are far away and cannot be touched, sometimes you will feel they are deliberately mystifying and ingratiated, an
d sometimes they will be testy, abreacted and ambitious. It is undeniable that they are certain ultimate manifestations and also full of wisdom. We can not deny their value. However, in the face of doubtful expressions in people’s eyes and those people suffering the oppression of these great "miracle" with innocent face, we have to ask: Is our city is in need of these? Is there anything could really let our hearts were touched and moved us?
City is the most direct window for people to apperceive all. Due to we go through and witness them everyday, what happened surround us has exerted a subtle influence on us until we get the experience and self-awareness of something. For example, in some commercial developed cities with relatively mature design, the combination of business and design shows a state of “commercial driven by the design”. As the lead when the design time, the vitality of the business environment this show. When design is in lead, the vitality of business environment appears. People will come into it with a mood of seeking novelty because of a shining point or a touching detail of its design. People will gladly accept when nice and touched things full of their eyes regardless the business-driven purpose behind. That is the vitality of business environment. Good design abolishes the exploitation relation in commerce (buy or sell by force) and let people be free to choose so that the business relation will be democratic. While good design is reaching the certain amount accumulation, the big business environment of city was strengthened and people’s perception of beauty was improved. This is the instinctive feedback after getting in touch with good design again and again.
The most touching design should be also a design which is the easiest to approach and the nearest to our life. People always say the Northern Europe design is the design of life. It is true. I have had such experience when I traveled in Finland: A friend too
k me to a small street with many designers’ shops. All shops there were no more than ten square meters but were unconventional and with each own individuality. Every thing inside the stores was lovable and comfortable. I held them eagerly, experienced their temperature, touched their sense of quality, and then took them away. In fact, the design of those articles is simple and clean, no any unnecessary, plain but sincere. Therefore, they are especially considerate and comfortable. I have bought a box of incense with white casket packaged. The incense has used up but the box has been saved because I was loath to throw it away. This kind of design faces to life and faces to the most essential sensibility of people. It is a consolation which makes people goodness, gentle and sincere. This is the embodiment of city spirit.
China has many waterfront cities but developed laggardly because of the consciousness to resource value is insufficient. Recent years, these cities have begun to carry out large-scale rebuilding and construction on periphery of water area after realizing the enormous commercial value of water resource to the city. Look at what happened？People who lived there originally were forced to move to strange environment; the fake things (pseudo-classic architecture) have been copied wantonly; towering office buildings have broken the horizon line up and obstructed the view which should have belonged to the city; expensive commerce facilities discriminated against almost people outside and became the special possessions for rich. Water is the city lifeblood and also the headspring of life for citizens. It should have belonged to the masses. In the development of cities, its role is lain in how to let the masses benefit. Likewise, every area in city is evaluated as a region with commerce potential has been experiencing same reality: backout, falsity, privilege. Design is understood and explained here as "possessionism " and "elite culture ".
We shoul
d think profoundly. What is design? Why do we need design? What should design bring to us?
Design holds people together. Just like an actor sees herself / himself through a role, design should correspond to its emotion. City is a carrier, by which design transfers itself to the masses. During the process of transfer, it may be translated and also may be read by mistake. Therefore, this carrier is very important. That’s why we need to think and discuss about how city bears the design and what kind of sight, target and attitude we should have to judge and choose design.