Luo Songsong

    songsongluo@126.com

    SELECTED architectural works by Denton Corker Marshal (DCM), a renowned architecture design office in Australia, are being exhibited in OCT Art & Design Gallery to present the relationship between architecture and culture, ecological lifestyle and urbanization.

    Entitled “Works,” the exhibition features architectural works from creation to completion by showing models, sketches, documents, images and videos, which are representations of highly abstract ideas, both artistic and inspiring.

    “These works are the best designs of our company, which break through the traditional concept of architecture and present the in-depth thinking of designers,” said Greg Gong, a major director of DCM.

    Based on the size, the exhibition is divided into three sections, including nine small buildings that illustrate “land art,” two large architectural and urban designs, and two other non-architectural works that more embody concepts and artistic exploration.

    “Land art” emphasizes establishing the connection between the work and the specific location where it is built, which signifies that architecture needs to be an integral part of its surroundings, especially in a natural environment.

    Completed in 1992, the bunker-shaped Philip Island House is a perfect embodiment of “land art,” with a main building buried underground and a large well-trimmed lawn in the center.

    “Personally, this is my favorite architectural piece because it is in harmony with its surroundings and has become a seamless part of the coastal landscape in Melbourne,” said Gong.

    Consistent with the small buildings, the two large buildings illustrate the architects’ capacity for treating architecture and landscape as an art form and discovering new inspirations in a more diversified and complex city.

    Acclaimed as a sustainable and innovative landmark building, Manchester Civil Justice Center features transparent outlook, implying that the court is not foreboding nor concealing but open and accessible.

    “In conservative Britain, such a design is a bold attempt to replace the traditional image of a solid courthouse with an idea of transparency and connection,” said John Denton, founder of DCM.

    In fact, some design concepts for large buildings around the world are borrowed from experimental non-architecture, which can supposedly define an architect’s identity and reveal basic architectural concepts.

    “This approach is just like acupuncture, a traditional treatment in Chinese medicine. Doctors have to apply it on themselves before conducting it on patients,” said Gong.

    As one of the only two non-architectural works exhibited, the sinuous and jewel-like Webb Bridge is Melbourne’s extensive system of bicycle and pedestrian paths, creating connections between the past and future in a unified sculptural manner.

    The bridge is designed with traditional fishing baskets and traps used by the Aboriginals in Australia, aiming to incorporate urban and historical contexts by exploring spatial expression.

    Dates: Until Nov. 24

    Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed Mondays

    Venue: OCT Art & Design Gallery, 9009 Shennan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区深南大道9009号华侨城华·美术馆)

    Metro: Luobao Line, OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C