Designs of the Times

by Zhou Jin

Your average Chinese person

may not recognize the name Nicolas Godelet， but two of the Belgian architects designs in China are known by almost all： National Center for the Performing Arts and the Ancient City of Pingyao.

Godelet sat down with China Pictorial at a members club he designed in Advanced Business Park， an economic hub of Beijing. Godelet spoke fluent Chinese， which he picked up through five years of study followed by extensive communication with Chinese clients and construction teams over the past decade.

Building Architecture with Heart

“The building features limestone walls，” Godelet reveals while running his eyes across every corner of the clubs bright， spacious lobby. “Unlike granite and marble， limestone is healthy and environmentally-friendly. It breathes. Grape vines in most European vineyards are planted in soil that contains limestone which absorbs water when the air is humid and releases it in dry weather.”

When the club was built， Godelet coated its limestone walls with garlic juice before rinsing them with water. “This makes the stone surface softer so its easier to carve，” he explains. “This is how we achieved all these exquisite decorative effects.”

Godelet has now worked in China for 10 years since coming to the country in 2002. “I have no idea how many projects I completed over the decade，” he shrugs，“perhaps 100 or more.” However， he stresses that he refuses to be categorized“crudely” amongst foreign architects who come to China only seeking opportunity.

“Maybe only 40 to 50 out of every 100 planned projects are actually completed，”he estimates， “of which only 10 will probably meet my standards of good architecture. An architect should put his heart into his projects to get the best results.”

Godelet refuses to confine his designs to a specific style. “Every building design is singular， because the environment， surrounding vegetation， building materials， and even residents are different.”

Of all the Chinese architectural projects in which Godelet has been involved， the most renowned is the National Center for the Performing Arts， the highest-level theatrical venue in the country.

“I was responsible for the structural design of the Centers underwater gallery，” Godelet explains. “The most difficult parts of the design were anti-earthquake and waterproofing measures.” During his experience working with Chinese construction teams， he was most impressed by the elegant steel work to come from their hands， resulting in top-notch safety. In the frame of the Center， each slim steel tube stands on a ball the size of a ping pong ball， greatly enhancing the structures earthquake resistance.

Ever since the positive experience of helping with the National Center for the Performing Arts， Godelet has been focused on China.

Designing the Ancient City of Pingyao

It was by accident that Godelet accepted the job of environmental and architectural design for the transitional zone between the old and new districts of Pingyao， an ancient town in central Chinas Shanxi Province.

Early in 2007， Godelet was working on a hotel in Pingyao. At a dinner， he happened to meet an official from the ancient town. When discussing the development of ancient towns and necessary environmental protection， they agreed on many topics. The official invited Godelet to make a bid for development of the ancient town of Pingyao. However， Godelet refused because he didnt want to rush a design inlimited time.

Two months later， after returning to Beijing， Godelet received a call from the official， who invited him to help appraise submitted design plans. So， Godelet headed to Pingyao once again.

The blueprints of bidders from various countries were accordingly different. The French architects planned to build a garden outside the ancient city of Pingyao， like castles in southern France. Design teams from the United States and Australia drafted plans to transform the ancient town into a theme park. Other designs suggested residents relocate so the ancient town could become an actual museum. However， all of these plans were rejected because they compromised the integrity of the ancient city.

Eventually， the government of Pingyao chose Tongji University to design plans for internal protection of the ancient town， and Godelet was commissioned to design the transitional zone between old and new districts of Pingyao.

After accepting the job， Godelet searched Pingyao for a place to stay. Every day for the following two weeks， he strolled through the streets of the ancient town to examine old buildings and hear stories about the city.

Moats were an indispensable part of city planning in ancient China. However， when Godelet joined the Pingyao project， its moat had been dry for a long time. After a field survey， he realized that the moat originated in a mountain a dozen kilometers away. So， he diverted water to refill the dried moat. He also planned a street solely for pedestrians and bicycles to connect old and new districts of Pingyao， to ensure the safety of students commuting along the street.

In terms of the architectural style of the transitional zone， Godelet refused to simply rebuild standard ancient Chinese architecture， opting instead to pinpoint the singular features of Pingyaos ancient architectural complex and display them in new structures that utilize low-carbon， environment-friendly technology. He dubbed China the center of Asian terracotta architecture， with Shanxi as the center of Chinese terracotta architecture. For this reason， he chose black bricks for the facades of buildings in the transitional zone， and covered them with black paint unique to Shanxi.

Godelet pays great attention to ecological factors when he designs. He convinced planners to make vegetation belts around Pingyaos west entrance micro ecosystems rather than just city parks. With this in his mind， he traveled deep into the surrounding mountains to research native plants， and transplanted cold-tolerant species to areas around the city wall of Pingyao. Although his concept contrasts traditional Chinese garden designs that advocate “wild and natural”， the creation has won praise from increasing numbers of local residents and tourists.

Now， fish swim in the moat， and more species of insects can be found in riverside foilage， making the transitional zone an ideal recreational area for residents and visitors alike.