加埃唐·蕭

尚晉 譯

知行合一，謙和于世：建筑師莊惟敏

加埃唐·蕭

尚晉 譯

學術(shù)與實踐或許是一對永恒的矛盾，但莊惟敏一次又一次向世人證明二者在本質(zhì)上是相互依存的。作為一名教育家、建筑師和學者，莊惟敏充滿人文關(guān)懷的聲音在建筑界不絕于耳。他直面當今世界的問題——自然、社會、文化、科學和經(jīng)濟。簡言之，莊惟敏極富遠見的創(chuàng)作不僅推動著中國面貌的變化，更影響著世界建筑的語言。

理想建筑，可持續(xù)性，復興設計，城市再生

1 初遇

在擔任世界建筑師聯(lián)盟（UIA）主席時，我有幸與莊惟敏先生相識。他的年輕讓我印象深刻。在其他國家的人眼里，中國人總是顯得很年輕。但他的謙遜與眾不同，寥寥數(shù)語即表達出傳承已久的智慧，平靜的腳步承載著歷史的厚重?；蛟S我的華裔祖父母在我身上留下了可以與他發(fā)生共鳴的東西，讓我們仿佛心有靈犀。只是我從未達到同樣的境界。他的“中國性”對全球化的吸收和消化程度令人欽佩。我一直在努力尋求歷史、現(xiàn)代與未來之間的平衡，而對于這三者他似乎已經(jīng)駕輕就熟。

2 和諧

這就是他，彬彬有禮的紳士，西式儀表之下顯露出濃郁的中國風骨。莊惟敏有其自己的建筑哲學，以及對建筑方法的堅定信念。他能以深邃的東方思維處理西方的形式邏輯、表面質(zhì)感以及豐富的現(xiàn)代造型。真實性與全球性之間的平衡是他永恒的探索。即使找到實現(xiàn)點他也不會停下，而是忘我地去延續(xù)作品的生命力——不只是建筑形態(tài)，更是其中的本質(zhì)。

2.1 融匯古今

在對形象的探索中，莊惟敏對建筑語言和知識發(fā)展有著深刻的認識。他的作品不僅植根于地段，更在城市中激起漣漪，影響著其他建筑，最終融入城市的個性。他同樣相信現(xiàn)代性只能通過保存文化與個性之間的完美平衡實現(xiàn)[1]。因此，他的作品會超越設計要求，營造出一種歸屬感，讓人們看到場所的個性與社會是密不可分的[1]；如同歷史塑造城市一樣，城市也塑造人。他堅持的是能體現(xiàn)創(chuàng)造生命的基本原則的作品，他理解時間、文脈和歷史的多重關(guān)系，并由此找到使其共生的途徑。

由這些原則生成的設計會與城市的各種要素聯(lián)系在一起，并與人緊密相連。它是互動的、開放的、溫暖的。莊惟敏豐碩的成果折射出他在材料、尺度和形式上的精湛技藝。他創(chuàng)造出的不僅是建筑，更是一個富有生命的機體[2]。

2.2 形法自然

莊惟敏對可持續(xù)性的追求使這位學者走出安靜的象牙塔；不再只是去理解人如何影響自然，而是著眼于探索適應現(xiàn)代世界的建筑性能[3]和可持續(xù)發(fā)展[4]的道路。他所倡導的是在個人、國家和世界層面上的目標和價值的革新。

他還為設計方案的實施奠定了基礎，以期在社會和自然環(huán)境中實現(xiàn)理性而精妙的平衡。他讓我們看到如何超越文化、技術(shù)和環(huán)境的樊籬，實現(xiàn)公眾的利益，并未雨綢繆地避免環(huán)境災難降臨地球。

3 傳道

在歷史上，高等教育一直是促進學生全面發(fā)展、推動建筑運動的手段。統(tǒng)一化教學方案的理念在法律、會計和經(jīng)濟學科上都是成功的，因為其中的基本原則數(shù)十年都沒有大的變化。相反，建筑學是日新月異的，一成不變的教學模式無法為學生傳道。設計師通常是靠目的感或教給他們的建造原則來創(chuàng)作的。雖然世界在不斷發(fā)展，但建筑教學并沒有相應的進步去滿足新的需求。莊惟敏的使命是創(chuàng)造一個教學的平臺，去面對今天和未來的挑戰(zhàn)。

在學術(shù)界和全球?qū)嵺`千變?nèi)f化的背景下，他所代表的是賦予學生實踐經(jīng)驗的獨特道路。他在清華的工作成為溝通世界與中國的橋梁。清華得天獨厚的資源[5]就是學生的工作室，讓青春的創(chuàng)意和技能在現(xiàn)實的工作環(huán)境中開花。這巨大的貢獻將成為一個標桿、一個傳播的典范，影響著全世界一代又一代學生。很少有建筑師有機會在同樣的生涯中傳授豐富的經(jīng)驗，聚集全球的人脈；大多數(shù)建筑師是在從業(yè)和教學中選擇其一。莊惟敏不僅能二者兼顧，而且執(zhí)其牛耳。

21世紀初受邀加入UIA后，他贏得了更為廣泛的國際關(guān)注，他的思想也進一步加深了東西交流。

3.1 作品與遺產(chǎn)

邏輯與創(chuàng)造力之間永恒的矛盾，是科學與藝術(shù)在建筑上不滅的火花。美只是一個幸福的愿望。我們對美的愛不是追求思維的美學。建筑師為何要設計代表思想、符號和回憶的建筑？我們?yōu)楹我獮樯詈凸ぷ鞯目臻g惴惴不安？我在莊惟敏的作品中看到了在具體環(huán)境中對每座建筑內(nèi)在靈魂的不懈追求。這是一場志在必得的戰(zhàn)斗，讓科學與藝術(shù)在建筑上實現(xiàn)完美的平衡，讓一個國家最深厚的底蘊在新的時代締造最輝煌的未來。

平衡是關(guān)鍵，是扎根哲學的關(guān)鍵。莊惟敏的作品能將我們帶上超越建筑的旅途。它不只是引人矚目的視覺美，更是一種真切的美德，飽含醇厚的人性。

莊惟敏的作品還在很多方面超越了建筑的最初功用。對于建筑而言，創(chuàng)新總是要面對強大的阻力。心理上的阻力包含多種情境。諾爾斯和林（Knowles and Linn）[6]認為它是人在得到指令時本能的抵觸；它代表反對他人限制自我決定的下意識愿望；它指人回避不悅情緒的趨勢，而對我們更重要的是，它揭示了人對變化的復雜心態(tài)。因此，創(chuàng)新的阻力是當下一個清晰的現(xiàn)實。莊惟敏努力引領學者研究適應人類世界的新方法，并在其作品上體現(xiàn)出無數(shù)亮點，從而證明了創(chuàng)新的價值。他的教學之路帶來的不僅有源于本土的心得，還有更廣泛的視角。

3.2 謙遜

莊惟敏的話不多，但言之有物。UIA的圈子里極少有人知道他的價值和品質(zhì)。即便是UIA議會上面紅耳赤的爭論，他也不會顯山露水，而是一言一行都有分寸。他極少主動發(fā)言，一旦開口則四座無聲，眾議皆息。這樣的情形我已目睹多次。

4 遠見

很多建筑師都堅信他們有權(quán)用建筑實現(xiàn)個人的追求和表達，而這會讓空間喪失意義、功能和公平。莊惟敏的作品從不是這樣。他關(guān)注的是創(chuàng)造更宜居的社會，他的愿景不僅是實現(xiàn)建筑的美與傳承，更是營造一個公平的世界，他手中的建成環(huán)境是真正包羅萬象的。

他的作品從未停留在建筑的基本功用上。我們可以在他當下的作品中看到對過去的傳承，可以說他是超越時代、著眼未來的哲人。在他心中是人類亟待解決的環(huán)境、跨學科研究和建筑再利用的實際問題。他對中國2008年奧運會后體育場館的后續(xù)利用研究[7]促使建筑領域建立一個亟需的新的框架。他在應對中國飛速發(fā)展帶來的尖銳問題的同時，也為前沿實踐奠定了基礎。就這一點而言，他關(guān)于建筑策劃和城市性的專著[8]也值得關(guān)注。

有人會覺得儒雅是西方的品質(zhì)。而我從莊惟敏身上看到的是一種普遍的儒雅，毫不造作的新儒雅。文而無聲，質(zhì)也無形。洗盡鉛華的空間，獨存自由的本質(zhì)。這是存在的真諦。

借用彼得·艾森曼（Peter Eisenmann）采訪的妙語，那是空間的頌歌。

1 First Encounters

I have had the honor of personally befriending ZHUANG Weimin where we met during my term at the head of the International Union of Architects (UIA). Dynamism, Charisma and Intelligence; I was struck by his youth. Seen from the rest of the world, the Chinese look forever young. But there was something special about his humble silence, his way of transmitting the wisdom of a long heritage legacy in just but a few words. Walking quietly through the modern times carrying the depth of history behind. We shared something in common probably inherited from my Chinese grandparents; a legacy, an untold identity connecting us. However, I have never been able to achieve the same comfort zone. It is impressive to see how well the globalisation was absorbed and diluted in his "Chineseness". I have always struggled to find the balance among the three elements－yesterday, today and tomorrow. He seems to have tamed all three of them.

2 Harmony

And there he is, a courteous man with elegant western manners, with the strong identity of Chinese Character. He lives in an incarnate manner the philosophy of his profession, the strong beliefs of his approach to architecture. He handles the western logic of forms, the sensuality of exteriors, and the exuberance of modern contemporary shapes with the inner depth of the oriental mind. He is in constant quest for the balance of authenticity and globalism. And when he achieves it, he does not stop there, but works ferociously to ensure longevity of his work, not only in its built form, but most importantly in its essence.

2.1 Symbiosing past and present

In his quest to shape our landscape, Weimin understands the evolution of the architectural language and intelligence. His work etches not only in its desired land plot, but ripples throughout the city, influencing other developments, and ultimately contributing to shaping urbanism. He shares the belief that modernity can be achieved only with a strong balance with the preservation of culture and identity[1]. In doing so, he ultimately achieves more than desired, promoting a sense of belonging and highlighting that the identity of a place is strongly linked to its society[1]; as history shapes a city, the city shapes its people. He believes in work underlying those basic principles that create life, and he understands the various relationships of time, context and history that leads to a solution enabling cohabitation.

The work originating from those principles leads to designs that lives in connection with the various elements of the city and engages with the populace. It is interactive, welcoming, and warm. Through the plethora of Weimin's portfolio, he demonstrates a mastery of materials, scale, and form creates more than architecture; he enables a living fabric[2].

2.2 Shaping lessons from nature

Weimin's drive towards sustainability shifted him from a passive to active researcher, not only looking at understanding how we impact nature, but goes beyond in helping to devise methods of building performance[3]and sustainable development[4]more appropriate to our modern world. He hence a calls for a change of goals and values at an individual, national and international level.

5 惟于中國

莊惟敏是我心中靈感的源泉，文化的橋梁；多元而不失個性。他是在多元文化背景下游刃有余的建筑師，立足中國，放眼世界。他的創(chuàng)作在兼顧西方邏輯的同時傳承著中國的特色，并使之在21世紀發(fā)揚光大。莊惟敏將西方的技術(shù)和思想融會貫通，同時悄然地進行了變革，這種變革是廣泛、積極而穩(wěn)健的。

學貫中西的莊惟敏將西方的技藝完美地融于中國千年的底蘊之中。

莊惟敏還是理論和實踐的開拓者，以嚴謹?shù)目茖W分析和深刻的直觀感悟，讓建筑與城市日益適應人的需求和文化。

結(jié)識莊惟敏，見證他對建筑世界的卓越貢獻，是我的榮幸。□

He helps lay the foundation for enabling planned measures to take place with the view of reaching a rational and planned equilibrium in our social and natural environment. Weimin teaches us how to transcend cross cultural, technological and environmental barriers to act in the common good and pre-emptively avert catastrophic environmental befall on our planet.

3 Transmission

Historically, higher education has been a vehicle to promote holistic student development and help shape architectural movements. The ideology of providing consistent educational schemes works successfully in educational fields such as law, accounting or economics, which consist mostly of static principles that do not evolve much through the decades. Architecture, on the other hand, is ever-changing and cannot be properly imparted through a rigid educational mould. Designers usually create from a sense of purpose or simply follow principles of construction that have been taught to them. While our planet has evolved through change, by comparison, architectural education has not similarly evolved to match its needs. Weimin's mission however was set on fostering an education platform set to tackle the challenges of today, and that of tomorrow.

Among the immense variety of situations within the academia world and global practice environment, he could embody a unique situation engaging the students into the world of practical experience. His work at Tsinghua was a two-way bridge connecting the world and China. Tsinghua has this unique asset[5]which is the students' studio, an entityproposing the blossom of the young creative and innovative skills into the pragmatic harshness of the work environment. This immense contribution is to become a benchmark, a transmission model to influence generations of students across the whole world. Few architects have had the opportunity during the same career to transmit and share their wealth of experience, of global network of contacts. they practise or they teach. ZHUANG Weimin could not only do both at the same time, but also did it at the helm of the institution.

When he was invited to engage with the UIA in the early 2000s, he obtained an even larger international network on the listen to his ideas leading to a dynamic exchange between the East and West.

3.1 Works and Legacy

the constant battle between logic and creativity. this is a universal dilemma of architecture being both and art and a science. Beauty is only a promise of happiness. Our love for beauty is different from an intellectual aesthetics quest. Why should architects be worried to design buildings that express a specific idea, symbol or memory? Why are we so vulnerable to the space we live or work in? I have seen in ZHUANG Weimin's work the perpetual search of the inner soul for each project in its environment. A determined battle to express the depth of this country's identity in its new destiny, a promising successful future. The quest to translate into a material and physical expression of this balance.

Balance is key. It is key to the deep rooted philosophy. the observation of his works may take us to a journey beyond architecture. It is not only visual beauty that attracts our eye, but the fact that they seem to possess a kind of virtue, or maturity. Something distinctively human.

Weimin's work also transcends its original purpose in more ways than one. In the architectural field, innovation comes with a strong sense of resistance. Psychological resistance is a broad notion that refers to various situations. Knowles and Linn[6]suggest that it encompasses the instinctive noncompliance that arises when a directive is imposed on one; it embodies the automatic desire to resist someone else's attempt to limit our choices; it refers to peoples' avoidance of unpleasant thoughts but also, and particularly relevant to us, it symbolizes the ambivalence that people have towards change. Hence, resistance to innovation is predictable and a very present reality. Weimin's drive to lead researchers to investigate new methods more adaptable to our human world showcases the numerous advantages offered by his work and demonstrates that innovation is worthwhile. The education agenda of Weimin thus contributes to an influence on that puts in perspective not only local gain, but also in the wider scheme of things.

3.2 Humility

A man of few words. But each word mentioned bears the full weight of its importance. Few architects and people in the UIA circles know in depth the value and the quality of the man. Even during the highest moments of passionate debate at the UIA Council, could we hear him engage impetuously in the discussion. Each situation is treated with care and respect. He seldom asks for the floor, but when he does, his few humble words silence many arguments and win the consensus. I have been a silent observer of several similar situations.

4 Visionary

Many architects believe that they are eligible to use the act of building for their personal exploration and expression. This creates a space void of meaning and lacking in function and equity. Weimin's work goes far in the opposite direction; his focus is that of creating a more liveable society and his vision leads towards the creation of a world not only rich in architectural beauty and inheritance, but also rich in equity. He truly englobes the built environment in all its colors.

Many of his works goes beyond their primary purpose. As we saw in him the man preserving the past in his works of the present, we now see a man of the future, living ahead of his time and thinking about environmental factors, multidisciplinary research, and building re-use in a fabric that is, urgently and flagrantly, in need of such. His research work on post-utilisation of sport venues after the 2008 Olympic events in China[7]leads the way towards a much needed new framework in architecture. His research paves way for pioneering practices as he engages in cutting egde issues in a rapidly growing China, and influences an even larger demographic area. In this respect, his works in Architectural programming[8]and Urbanism, is also worth mentioning.

Some may think that elegance is a western quality. What I have seen, through Weimin, is a universal definition of elegance, a new form of elegance devoid of artefacts, a loud silence of invisible forces. A space liberated from all superfluous elements, leaving only the essence. the atmosphere of things.

Or as elegantly mentioned in his interview as a celebration of space, quoting Peter Eisenmann.

5 One in China

I see in ZHUANG Weimin a source of inspiration, a bridge between cultures without losing one's identity. I see in him an architect who accommodates his bi-culturality; being deeply Chinese and Global at the same time. there is a form of western logic in his work, in his career while he has deeply preserved and blossom the Chinese identity in the XXIst century. the western technology and thinking has totally been absorbed and diluted in a silent transformation. this transformation is diffuse, progressive, and slow in apparence.

The cohabitation within himself of the two traditions – China and the west – optimising the use of all the resources offered by the West among those that China has accumulated during the last millennia.

Weimin proposes alternatives, essential theoretical and practical approaches, to architecture and urbanism that is more adaptive to the human need and cultural aspirations, combining rigorous scientific analysis with deeply rooted intuitive experience.

I am happy to know ZHUANG Weimin. It has been an honour to be a personal and privileged witness of his contribution to the world of architecture. □

[1] Huang Juzheng. Architecture and Creativity. Architect's Journal, 2012.

[2] Zhuang Weimin. Built in Mind. China Building Industry Press, 2000.

[3] Zhuang Weimin, Lu Peng, and Wang Ying. Influence Factors of the Extension of Green Buildings: Empirical Research from Construction Industry. Construction Economy 2 (2008).

[4] Liang Sisi, Zhuang Weimin. Assessing Building Performance:the Guarantee of the Building Delivery Life Cycle,and the Environmental Sustainable Development—Comment and Introduction of Assessing Building Performance. The Architect, 2007(02): 147-50.

[5] Zhuang Weimin. China Builds, 2014. (http://issuu. com/visionincluded/docs/china_builds)

[6] Knowles, E. S., J. A. Linn. Resistance and Persuasion. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2004.

[7] Zhuang Weimin, Li Tie, Ma Jia. Research on Utilisation of Sports Venues after the Events: Taking as an Example the Design of the Judo and Taekwondo Gymnasium for the 2008 Olympic Games. Urbanism and Architecture, 2006(03): 19-22.

[8] Zhang Wei, Zhuang Weimin. Operation System of Architectural Programming: Realization from the theory to the Practice. Architectural Creation, 2008(06).

Teaching and Practice: ZHUANG Weimin, a Humble Man of the World

Gaetan Siew

Translated by SHANG Jin

There can be a dichotomy between academia and real world practice, but ZHUANG Weimin, shows us, over and over again, how both worlds are in need of each other. As an educator, architect & researcher, Weimin addresses the architectural crowd with a tone resonating with humanitarianism. He engages with the brave issues of our contemporary world, addressing; nature, society, culture, science, and economy. Simply put, Weimin's visionary work is not only contributing change in China's landscape, it influences architectural language on a much larger picture.

visionary architecture, sustainability, rehabilitation design, urban regenaration

國家土地發(fā)展公司（智能毛里求斯）董事長，UIA前任主席

2015-09-24