职业建筑师的品格中芬建筑实践之思考

作者：方海（广东工业大学艺术设计学院院长、教授）

佩卡•萨米宁对自己设计构思的执着追求，以及无锡大剧院设计构思的最终实现，为中国建筑师们树立了良好的榜样。我由此想到当代中国建筑师的现状和中国建筑师们的工作环境，并开始深入思考无锡大剧院这一案例带来的教育与启发。不久前我写了一篇《普利茨克建筑奖与当代建筑思潮》的文章，其中罗列了中国当代建筑的“十二病”。在此拟结合萨米宁在无锡大剧院项目中从设计到施工过程中展现的建筑专业性，对此“十二病”进行进一步的分析。

中国建筑的第一病是过分屈从于领导与决策者，亦称“长官意志”。这种领导风格是中国建筑师抱怨最多的其中一个方面，也确实是影响中国当代建筑发展的最重要的因素之一。在中国，建筑上许多问题的产生原因是由于决策者与业主（往往是公职人员）制定的设计施工进度表过于紧迫，导致建设上一味求快跃进。在无锡大剧院施工白热化的阶段，佩卡•萨米宁在给当时的无锡市市长写的信中援引了2011年温州动车事故的例子，并指出在极短时间内可以达到的设计施工质量是十分有限的。

在这样的环境下，中国建筑师往往把自己作品最后不如人意的结果归咎于长官意志。然而，知道如何向官员和其他决策者提出并解决观点分歧，其实是建筑师专业基本素养的一部分。在无锡大剧院的设计施工阶段，萨米宁和中国建筑师们的处境相同。他非常了解业主的重要作用，也很清楚任何项目都不可能在脱离业主的情况下得到实现。萨米宁提到了荷兰建筑师阿尔多•凡•艾克（Aldo Van Eyck）在芬兰演讲时说的话，“业主从来不会在设计合同中对可能达到的最佳质量作特别要求，故而提升设计质量是建筑师的职责”。萨米宁坚持认为建筑师应该成为这方面的专家，即在项目各个阶段一旦遇到任何问题，都必须具备勇气与辩才去说服业主采取最佳的解决方案。

在过去的二十年里，事实上无论是政府还是私企，中国的业主们，至少基于他们自己对建筑质量的理解，已经开始对最佳质量有所要求。不过，一座良好的建筑最终能否得以实现取决于给设计和建设工作预留的时间，以及建筑师、业主和其它相关人员之间的协作与沟通。在此过程中，建筑师的专业素养和敬业精神起到了决定性的作用，这一点在西方早已得到公认。这也是为什么在过去的二十年间，在中国建成的能够称得上“最好的建筑”的绝大多数建筑物基本上都出自西方建筑师之手。

中国当代建筑十二病中的第二病是为“不专业”。中国建筑师在工作中往往缺乏专业方法，这主要是由于中国建筑教育系统“纸上谈兵”的模式造成的。大学教学中大量空洞的内容不仅浪费了师生的宝贵时间，而且也导致了培养出的建筑师在专业技能上的严重缺失，这使得他们在说服业主接受自己的设计理念时缺乏应有的权威性与专业性。在与项目中的其他各类专家合作的过程中，这种专业性的不足往往就会暴露出来。设计与建造是一个协作的过程，它涉及了许多不同领域的专业技术。建筑师的主要职责之一是组织和协调各部门的工作从而达到最佳可行的结果。萨米宁在无锡大剧院项目中成功领导了他的设计团队，这显示出了中欧建筑事务所在项目规划与管理方法之间的差异。

第三病是建筑师的“不敬业”。敬业程度是不能简单地通过“经常加班”来提升的。敬业与专业性密切相关。在北欧的专业建筑教育体系中，要求职业建筑师就自己负责的设计项目贡献尽可能完美和实用的解决方案。无锡大剧院规模宏大，其结构、功能、细节复杂。在设计与实施的阶段，业主、中方合作伙伴和承包商发现他们在经验与专业技术上常常有力有未逮的情况。凭借精湛的专业知识技能和敬业精神，萨米宁成功展示并实施了建筑和技术上的最佳解决方案，并最终实现了他的设计构思。

中国建筑的第四病是中国“山寨成风”的文化。山寨文化有其艺术史上的根源：在中国艺术发展的过程中，无论是书法、绘画、陶瓷或木雕，“临、仿、模”大师的作品都是最基本的学习和创作方法。因此，当代中国主流艺术、设计和建筑领域普遍存在模仿和照搬的现象，便也不足为奇了。

反之，在芬兰，创造性和个性是艺术与设计的核心。建筑创造的过程需要大量的时间与精力。正如埃里尔•沙里宁所说，“勉力是增强头脑创造性的关键”。对芬兰建筑师而言，创作过程需要反复起草、深思熟虑并带着批判和开明的态度探索不同的可能性。这个过程对全新事物的创造极为重要，然而许多中国建筑师还很难领悟这点。

第五病是“沽名钓誉”，这一点尤其表现在中国的评奖系统中。为了“单位的发展”，主建筑师和其他领导必须挂名在设计师名单的首位，即便他们在项目中并没有实质性的作为。真正参与其中的建筑师和设计师得不到嘉奖或认可，便不太可能会积极地为设计工作付出更多的努力。反之，萨米宁与他的团队维护了设计师的权益，是无锡大剧院名义与实质上真正的负责人。这意味着他们深知自己的职责所在，他们对工作的全身心投入是基于对专业的自豪感而非对名利的追求。

第六病是“安于现状”，“小富即安”是当代中国建筑师的普遍写照。改革开放后的建设热潮给中国建筑师们带来了新的机遇，也使他们进入了小康。也许是中国的长期贫困带来的后遗症，大多数中国建筑师易于满足现状，不思进取，随波逐流。

近代芬兰也是从贫困中起步发展的，但是芬兰建筑师保持了他们对学习新知识如饥似渴的态度。他们意识到了建筑行业日新月异的发展要求他们不断更新自己的知识储备与技能。一个实例是芬兰对建筑信息模型（BIM）的运用处于国际领先水平。

在与业主的沟通之中，掌握最新知识能够极大地增强建筑师的说服力。如果建筑师没有更高层次的专业知识，在与业主的交涉中必定会处于下风，越发难以实现自己的设计理想。以无锡大剧院为例，在制作和组装翅膀下端的三角几何模块双曲穿孔铝板时，针对如何运用合适的电脑软件及如何定位几何控制线这一问题，PES建筑设计事务所对中方合作伙伴进行了全程的指导。

中国当代建筑的第七病是“漠视以人为本的功能性”。北欧建筑设计的核心是功能主义：建筑必须满足使用者的需要，熟悉理解实用性是建筑师的核心素养。在设计无锡大剧院的过程中，尽管在设计观演类建筑方面已经有了长期的经验，萨米宁仍然非常深入地研究了实用性与功能性的问题。为了创造出中国最好的剧院建筑，萨米宁研究了世界范围内所有最具代表性的新近剧院建筑，他与中方业主一起亲身考察了其中的许多剧院，并得到了功能性方面关于细节与解决方法的第一手资料。之后，他调整自己的设计以符合中国的规章制度与国情。遗憾的是许多中国建筑师缺乏这方面的考量。除了中国的政治、体制和社会因素之外，中国建筑师已习惯于赶进度，经常满足于复制或修改前人的设计或标准图，完全忽视建筑使用者的需求。结果许多建成项目完全无法满足预期用途，而新一轮的改造又将导致巨大的花销和浪费。

第八病是为“漠视真正的生态设计”。改革开放后的中国紧跟国际潮流，与时俱进。特别是生态设计在过去的二十年间已经成为了中国建筑界的流行词。遗憾的是，中国建筑行业对生态设计的理解往往流于表面。

另一方面，无锡大剧院的设计反映了芬兰设计师对生态设计因地制宜的深刻思考。这意味着致力于最好的建筑实施，将当地的环境状况同时纳入室内外设计方案的考量中，并通过选择合适的材料与结构以保证建筑有较长的生命周期。这其中包含了高科技结构手段的应用，以及对中国本土材料、技术和建造方法的运用，尤其是在室内设计中。

中国是一个竹材生产大国，竹子在中国文化中具有独特的地位。很长一段时间，竹材被认为是“穷人的木材”，被大量忽视。然而，在无锡大剧院建成后，新型合成竹材在中国成为了生态材料之选。

第九病是“忽视室内设计”。传统中国建筑设计和室内设计是一体化的，采用的是相同的材料、技术手法与设计理念，从而形成了中国古代设计独特与和谐的面貌。然而，也许是出于所受的建筑教育的影响，如今的中国建筑师大都对室内设计不愿重视或无法重视，这使得他们对空间概念的理解不充分且过时。这是中国建筑师与外国设计师之间最明显的差距之一。

在北欧，尤其是芬兰的建筑师继承了建筑设计与室内设计一体化的设计哲学传统。从沙里宁父子到阿尔托再到当代建筑师，在他们的设计中会同等考虑建筑、室内和家具的设计。

当然，中国建筑师忽视室内设计的部分原因要归咎于中国的体制。很多时候，建筑师只负责建筑主体与外壳设计，装潢公司和承包商负责室内设计，再由业主另行购置与建筑并不匹配的家具陈设物品。然而，体制的缺陷并不能成为中国建筑师专业素养不足的借口。很大程度上，由于中国建筑师对室内设计缺乏理解，使得业主无法相信并任用他们设计整座建筑。在无锡大剧院的案例中，中方业主立刻采纳了PES建筑设计事务所完成的细致的室内设计，并委托其全权负责建筑的整体设计，从而使一座完整的艺术珍品得以完成。

中国当代建筑的第十病是“没有家具观念”。总体而言，现代中国建筑起源于以美国和日本为首的西方工业化发达国家。在中国现代建筑和建筑教育的四位开山宗师当中，三位（杨廷宝、童隽、梁思成）毕业于美国，一位（刘敦桢）毕业于日本。然而四位大师在开启中国现代建筑新局面的时候，忽略了建筑与家具一体化这一重要的理念。从中国传统角度出发，这一遗漏是令人费解的。中国古代建筑和家具在材料与结构上是完全统一的，这一点在明代的《鲁班经》中有记载。现代中国建筑和家具设计的发展不同步也许来源于材料使用上的差异——当现代中国建筑以混凝土和钢材为主体的时候，家具的原材料仍旧以木材为主。事实上，直至二十世纪九十年代，中国的家具设计教育都设置在林业大学。如今，许多中国建筑师，包括一些享誉中外的院士大师们，对家具仅有一些粗浅有限的认识。

考虑到中国现代建筑和家具都是现代西方影响的产物，这种建筑与家具的割裂就更加不可思议了。西方建筑师，特别是早期的现代设计大师都是同时涉足于建筑、室内与家具设计的。老一辈的建筑师，包括弗兰克•劳埃德•赖特（Frank Lloyd Wright）、勒•柯布西耶（Le Corbusier）、密斯•凡•德•罗（Mies van der Rohe）和阿尔瓦•阿尔托（Alvar Aalto），以及现当代的诺曼•福斯特（Norman Foster）、弗兰克•盖里（Frank Gehry）、彼得•卒姆托（Peter Zumthor）和扎哈•哈迪德（Zaha Hadid），他们每一位都是家具和工业设计的高手。他们全方位的设计理念是创造高质量作品的关键。

在无锡大剧院中，PES建筑设计事务所为其公共空间设计了家具，并与萨米宁的长期设计合作伙伴芬兰家具设计师约里奥•库卡波罗（YrjöKukkapuro）一起设计了一系列的竹材家具，包括主剧场观众座椅和贵宾区的休闲座椅。建筑师设计了多套画稿并制作了多款模型反复试验，以期找出最佳的方案。尽管由于中国体制上的限制，设计上不得不做出一些妥协与修改，但是总体设计保证了建筑物基本的功能性与完整性。

第十一病是“远离对材料的研究”。这是当今中国建筑界的主要不足之一。当评价一名中国建筑师不够专业的时候，在很大程度上是指这名建筑师对不同材料及其运用的研究不充分。中国建筑师往往把经销商寄来的样品漠然置之，只在完成图纸后匆匆扫一眼。

对于许多西方建筑师来说，例如伦佐•皮亚诺（Renzo Piano）、彼得•卒姆托和赫尔佐格与德梅隆（Herzog & de Meuron），对材料及其全新应用方法的研究往往是设计过程中的关键部分。同样在芬兰，阿尔托大学设置了一项一年期的木材课程，它提供给建筑师和学生们一个对建筑中木材的新型使用方法进行学习和实验的机会。中国的建筑设计院校在这方面比较苍白。

佩卡•萨米宁对材料的研究是极具系统性的，他设计的出发点往往来自于对材料的考虑。他对木材与混凝土的使用尤为感兴趣。1998年，在芬兰建筑博物馆举办了萨米宁作品展，主题为“材料、结构和空间”。无锡大剧院的设计过程同样包括了若干阶段对材料的调查研究，其中包括大型钢翅膀及其下端的穿孔铝板覆面层、门厅玻璃砖墙、主剧场竹材以及光柱中的玻璃元素。在最终选定材料与形式之前，每一阶段都涉及非常深入的研究与测试。

中国当代建筑的第十二病是“缺乏细节设计”。佩卡•萨米宁常常引用美国诗人亨利•沃兹沃斯•朗费罗（Henry Wadsworth Longfellow）诗歌《建造者》中的一句“神之所见，一览无余”。因此，建筑师应该在设计中关注每一处细节，包括隐藏于视野之外的内在结构。在过去的十年间，出现了许多关于“细节决定成败”的著述。在建筑界，细节设计是决定质量的关键因素之一。然而在中国，细节常常被丢给建筑开发商来负责。即便是在2012年普利茨克奖得主王澍的作品中，也能发现中国建筑师细节设计上的不足。

尽管有妥协让步，基于细致的研究和对细节的全面掌控，无锡大剧院的设计与高质量的实施体现了PES建筑设计事务所的专业素养。我们已习惯于相信是改革开放带来的中国建设的求快跃进导致了中国现代建筑的参差不齐，也导致了对细节设计的整体忽视以及工程质量的下降。然而，建筑师对设计的每一个方面都应该负责，中国建筑师不应该缩减自己的职责范围，无论是从最微小的细节还是到整体的质量与可持续性。鉴于此，佩卡•萨米宁领导的设计团队通过无锡大剧院作了一次表率。

Pekka Salminen’s perseverance in the pursuit of his design vision, and its ultimate realisation in the Wuxi Grand Theatre, sets a good example for Chinese architects.This caused me to reflect on the condition of contemporary Chinese architecture and the environment in which Chinese architects work, and I began to consider in depth the lessons to be learned from the case of the Wuxi Grand Theatre.I have earlier written an article on the Pritzker Architecture Prize and contemporary architectural trends, in which I listed the twelve “diseases”, or defects, of modern Chinese architecture.Now, I will attempt a further analysis of these defects, mirrored against the architectural professionalism demonstrated by Salminen from the design to construction of the Wuxi Grand Theatre.

The first defect in Chinese architecture is excessive adaptation to authoritarian leadership and decision-making, sometimes referred to as “magisterial volition”.This style of leadership is one of the aspects most complained about by Chinese architects, indeed, one of the key factors affecting the development of contemporary Chinese architecture.In China, many of the problems in architecture are caused by the unreasonably tight design and construction schedules set by the decisionmakers and project owners, often public officials, and the resulting "great leap forward" in the pace of construction.In a letter written to the mayor of Wuxi during the hectic construction phase of the Wuxi Grand Theatre, Pekka Salminen noted,referring to the 2011 high-speed train accident in Wenzhou, that there is a limit to the level of quality that can be attained in a too short period of design and construction.

In such an environment, Chinese architects often attribute the unsatisfactory outcome of their work to this magisterial volition imposed on them from above.However, it is part of the basic professional competence of an architect to be able to address and resolve differences in opinion with officials and other decisionmakers.During the Wuxi Grand Theatre design and construction process, Salminen was in the same position as Chinese architects in this regard.He has a clear understanding of the role of the client and is well aware that there is no project without them.According to Salminen, the Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck once said in a lecture in Finland that clients never specifically require the best possible quality in design contracts, and it is therefore the task of the architect to “smuggle” quality into the design.Salminen insists that the architect is the expert and must possess the courage and argumentative skills to convince the client of the best solution for any problem encountered throughout a project.

In the past twenty years, Chinese clients, both government and private enterprises,have in fact begun to require top quality, at least according to their own vision of quality in architecture.However, whether good architecture can eventually be produced depends on the time reserved for design and construction, as well as the cooperation and communication between the architect, client and other parties involved.In this process, the architect’s professionalism and dedication to work play a decisive role, as has long been recognised in the west.This is why most of the buildings built over the past two decades that are considered "the best architecture"in China have generally been designed by western architects.

The second of the twelve defects of Chinese contemporary architecture is unprofessionalism.Chinese architects often lack a professional approach to their work, which is mainly the result of the theoretical orientation of the Chinese architectural education system.The lack of substance in the university curriculum not only wastes the valuable time of teachers and students, but also produces architects seriously lacking in professional skills.Consequently, they also lack the authority and expertise to convince the clients of their design ideas.More often, however, the lack of professionalism is evidenced in the cooperation between the different specialists participating in the project.Design and construction is a collaborative effort, involving many different fields of expertise, and one of the main responsibilities of the architect is to organise and coordinate the work of the different players so as to achieve the best possible result.Salminen’s success in leading his design team in the Wuxi Grand Theatre highlights the differences in the project planning and management methods between European and Chinese architectural firms.

The third defect is Chinese architects’ lack of dedication to work.This cannot be remedied simply by working extra hours.Dedication is closely related to professionalism.In the professionally oriented architectural education system in the Nordic countries, architects are expected to be capable of developing the most perfect and practical solutions possible for the design project that they are responsible for.The Wuxi Grand Theatre is a large building, complex in structure,function and detail.During the design and implementation process, the client,Chinese partners and contractors often found themselves in situations for which their experience and expertise were inadequate.Backed by his profound professional competence and dedicated approach, Salminen was able to demonstrate and justify the best architectural and technical solutions, which ultimately enabled him to realise his design vision.

The fourth defect of Chinese architecture is China’s pervasive copycat culture.This has its origin in art history: in the development of Chinese art, whether calligraphy,painting, ceramics or wood sculpture, the most common method of learning and creation is to "follow, imitate and copy" the work of the masters.Hence, the prevalence of imitations and outright copies in mainstream contemporary Chinese art, design and architecture is hardly surprising.

In Finland, on the other hand, creativity and individuality are at the heart of art and design.Architectural creation is a process requiring both time and effort.In the words of Eliel Saarinen: "Work is the key to creative growth of mind".For Finnish architects, the creative process consists of iterative phases of drafting, reflection and the critical and open-minded exploration of different alternatives.This process is essential for the creation of something genuinely new, a fact which many Chinese architects find difficult to grasp.

The fifth defect is fishing for fame.This is especially exemplified by the Chinese recognition system.The leading architects and other management must be placed at the top of the list of designers for the sake of "the development of the organisation", even if they have no real role in the project.The real architects and designers, who receive little credit or recognition, are hardly motivated to put in any extra effort in their design work.Salminen and his team, on the other hand, who stood up for their rights as the designers, were in charge of the Wuxi Grand Theatre project both in name and in practice.This meant that they were also deeply aware of their responsibilities, and their dedication to their work was based on professional pride rather than a quest for fame.

The sixth defect is resting on one's laurels.It is often said of contemporary Chinese architects that they are "content with small wealth".The construction boom following China’s economic reform and opening up to the outside world has brought new opportunities for Chinese architects, along with financial comfort.Perhaps it is an after-effect of the long period of poverty in China that most Chinese architects are content with their current situation, going along with the flow rather than seeking new challenges.

Finland is a country that has also risen from poverty in recent history, but Finnish architects have maintained their thirst for new knowledge and continuous learning.They recognise that the rapid advances in the building industry require them to continuously update their knowledge and skills.As a result, Finland is a global leader in the adoption of BIM design processes, for example.

In communication with clients, possession of the latest knowledge greatly enhances an architect’s position.If architects cannot maintain the upper hand in terms of professional expertise, they will certainly be at a disadvantage in negotiations with clients and have little chance of being able to drive the realisation of their design vision.In the case of the Wuxi Grand Theatre, for example, the implementation of the geometry of the underside of the steel wings required PES-Architects to prepare instructions for their Chinese partner on the use of the appropriate computer software.

The seventh defect of contemporary Chinese architecture is a disregard for useroriented functionality.Functionalism is at the core of Scandinavian architecture and design: buildings must serve the needs of the users and an understanding of usability is part of an architect’s core competence.In the process of designing the Wuxi Grand Theatre, Salminen studied issues of usability and functionality in great depth, despite his already lengthy experience in designing performance buildings.In order to create what is possibly the best theatre building in China, Salminen examined all the recent important theatre buildings in the world, personally visiting many of them with his Chinese clients to gain first-hand experience of their functional details and solutions.Then, he adapted his design to Chinese regulations and conditions.The work ofmany Chinese architects is sadly lacking in this respect.In addition to the effect of political, institutional and social factors, Chinese architects are accustomed to focusing on the swift completion of the building project at hand, often being content to copy or modify earlier designs or standard drawings with complete disregard for the needs of building’s users.As a result, many designs turn out to be entirely impractical for their intended use, leading to costly and wasteful modifications.

The eighth defect is a disregard for true ecological design.After the economic reforms and opening up to the world, China has sought to keep up with the times by eagerly adopting the latest international trends.Ecological design, in particular, has become a buzzword in Chinese architecture in the past two decades.Unfortunately, the understanding of ecological design in the Chinese construction industry is often superficial.

The design of the Wuxi Grand Theatre, on the other hand, reflects its Finnish designers’ profound understanding of ecological design, applied to the conditions in China.This meant striving for good building practice, taking the local environmental conditions into consideration in both interior and outdoor solutions and ensuring a long life span for the building through the choice of materials and structure.These included both high-tech structural solutions and, especially in the interior, the use of local Chinese materials, techniques and construction methods.

China is a major bamboo producer, and bamboo holds a unique status in Chinese culture.For a long time, bamboo was largely neglected in building as “poor man’s timber”, but, after the completion of the Wuxi Grand Theatre, the new type of technological bamboo has become the ecological material of choice in China.

The ninth defect is the neglect of interior design.Traditional Chinese architecture and interior design were fully integrated, employing the same materials, techniques and design concepts, resulting in the singular harmony of ancient Chinese design.However, perhaps due to the design education they have received, most Chinese architects today are unable or unwilling to pay much attention to interior design.This has resulted in an inadequate and old-fashioned understanding of the space concept.This is one of the most obvious gaps between Chinese architects and foreign designers.

Northern European architects, especially Finnish ones, continue to carry on the tradition of an integrated design philosophy.From the Saarinens and Aalto to contemporary architects, they seek to equally take into consideration the architecture, interior and furniture in their designs.

It must be said that the neglect of interior design in the work of Chinese architects can partly be blamed on the Chinese system.In most cases, the architect is only responsible for designing the overall structure and elevations of a building.Interior decorators and contractors are responsible for interior design, with the building owners making purchase decisions that bear no relation to the architecture.However, the defects of the system are no excuse for Chinese architects’ lack of professional competence in this respect.To a large extent, it is the Chinese architects’ inadequate understanding of interior design that prevents clients from trusting them to design an entire building.In the case of the Wuxi Grand Theatre,the Chinese clients were immediately won over by PES-Architects’ accomplished and detailed design for the interior, entrusting them with overall responsibility for the design of the building.This enabled the creation of a true total work of art.

The tenth defect of contemporary Chinese architecture is the neglect of furniture as a part of interior design.In general, modern Chinese architecture originates in industrialised western countries, primarily the United States, and Japan.Of the four founding masters of modern Chinese architecture and architectural education,three (Yang Tingbao, Tong Jun and Liang Sicheng) graduated from the United States, one (Liu Dunzhen) from Japan.In establishing modern Chinese architecture,however, these four pioneers overlooked the important concept of the integration of architecture and furniture.This omission is puzzling from the perspective of the ancient Chinese tradition, in which architecture and furniture were completely integrated in both material and structure, as described in the LuBan jing carpenter’s manual from the Ming Dynasty.The nonsynchronous development of modern Chinese architecture and furniture design perhaps derives from the difference in the use of material: while modern Chinese architecture mainly employs concrete and steel, Chinese furniture is usually still made of wood - in fact, up to the 1990s,furniture design was taught at the forestry university in China.Today, most Chinese architects, including the renowned academicians and national masters, only have a superficial and limited understanding of furniture.

Considering that modern Chinese architecture and furniture are products of modern western influences, this separation of architecture and furniture is all the more difficult to understand, as western architects, especially the early modern designers, designed the architecture, interior and furniture at the same time.The older generation of architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Alvar Aalto, as well as the contemporary masters Norman Foster,Frank Gehry, Peter Zumthor and Zaha Hadid, are also skilled furniture and industrial designers.Their overall design vision is the key to the high quality of their work.

In the Wuxi Grand Theatre, PES-Architects designed the furniture for the public spaces and, together with Salminen’s long-time design collaborator, Finnish furniture designer Yrjö Kukkapuro, a range of bamboo furniture, including the main auditorium seats and lounge chairs in the VIP areas.Several designs were drafted and models tested in order to find the best solution.Although many compromises had to be made due to the restrictions imposed by the Chinese system, this overall design approach ensures the basic functionalism and integrity of the building.

The eleventh defect is inadequate research into the properties of materials.This is one of the major weaknesses of contemporary Chinese architecture.When a Chinese architect is criticised for being unprofessional, this often refers to a neglect of the study of materials and their uses.Chinese architects typically stow away any materials sent by distributors as samples and may only glance at them after they have completed their drawings.

For many western architects, such as Renzo Piano, Peter Zumthor and Herzog & de Meuron, the study of materials and new methods for their application are often a key part of the design process.In Finland as well, the Aalto University offers a one-year Wood Programme, providing architects and students with an opportunity to study and experiment new ways of using wood in architecture.The architectural design schools and institutes in China are undistinguished in this respect.

Pekka Salminen’s study of materials is highly systematic, and the starting point of his design often comes from the consideration of materials.He is particularly interested in the use of wood and concrete.In 1998, an exhibition of Salminen’s work was arranged at the Museum of Finnish Architecture under the themes of material, structure and space.The design process of the Wuxi Grand Theatre also included several intensive phases of investigation into the materials for the large steel wings and their perforated aluminium cladding, the glass brick walls in the foyer, the bamboo in the auditoriums and the glass elements for the light columns.Each stage involved in-depth analysis and testing before the final selection of materials and forms.

The twelfth defect of modern Chinese architecture is the lack of detailed design.Pekka Salminen often refers to the line in American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem The Builders: “The gods see everywhere”.Consequently,architects should pay attention to every detail in design, including the structures that remain hidden from view.There has been much writing in the past decade on details deciding success or failure.In architecture, the design of details is one of the key factors determining quality, but, in China, this phase is usually left to the building developer.Chinese architects’ lack of interest in details can even be observed in the work of Wang Shu, who was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2012.

Despite the compromises, the design of the Wuxi Grand Theatre and the high quality of its implementation reflects the professional accomplishment of PESArchitects, based on the careful study and comprehensive control of detail.We have been accustomed to believing that the “great leap forward” in Chinese construction, brought about by the economic reformation and opening-up policy,has caused the capricious nature of Chinese modern architecture, leading to a general neglect of detailed design and a decline in the quality of construction.However, Chinese architects should not shirk the responsibility of the architect for every aspect of design from the smallest detail to overall quality and sustainability.In this regard, the design team led by Pekka Salminen has set us an example with the Wuxi Grand Theatre.