Case Study: Wang Shu And Amateur Architecture Studio

Introduction. Wang Shu & Amateur Architecture Studio
Wang Shu is not an architect like the others. After graduating from the University, from 1990 to 1998, he had no commissions, and he preferred not to take a government or academic position. Instead, he went to work with craftsmen to gain experience in actual building. Every day, from eight in the morning until midnight, he worked and ate with the craftsmen, considered by many to be the lowest level of their society, but he learned everything he could about construction practices. The projects he did at that time were all renovation projects of old buildings, and because old buildings were deconstructed during the fast development of cities, these small works of his were also demolished. When
At a time when ultramodern and resplendent buildings are the fashion, the simplicity, careful work of materials and attention to detail that Wang Shu develops offer another alternative for Chinese architecture.
Building’s overview and context
Ningbo is the second largest city of Zhejiang province and is well known for its history, which can be traced back to thousands of years ago. With its deepwater port and long history as a trading center, is also known as one of the engines of China’s east-coast economy. Located in a new district of Ningbo, the Ningbo Historic Museum (or simply Museum of Ningbo) seeks to marry 1200 years of city history to the natural environment.
The following sentence, written by the Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena, who was part of the jury that awarded the Pritzker Prize to Wang Shu, makes us understand the feelings that this building produces on its visitors: "One does not visit the building; one is hit by the building. [...] Being 'hit' by a building happens very rarely in architecture, because that kind of impact belongs more to the music or cinema, where the experience of a work can be extremely emotional to the point of altering the mood in a profoundly positive
To the south is a park (where the Five Scattered Pavilions, also work of Wang Shu, are located) and beyond it lies a field that will make way for the headquarters of the city’s planning section.
In his project, the architect integrated two basic elements, the harshness of the environment, hence the shape of a mountain, and the softness of the water with which the importance of the East Sea in the history of China is contemplated, hence the shape of a ship. This design also maintains the traditional artistic concept of mountain and water which so often appears in Chinese paintings and poems. With all this, Wang Shu makes homage to the history and tradition of the area.
Its solid outer shell emerges imposing from afar, but is softened in the eyes of the viewer by the rich shade of grey tones that run through it. Its very defined architecture and the materials used make it able to excel in the urban area and not become visually aggressive. The museum causes a sense of curiosity, it becomes a given physical reality, a visual reference for observers and an identity for this newly built area. This construction creates an urban landscape in the vast plain where it is located through a series of paths, squares and public spaces as well as staircases and terraces.