Water Heavens

My “architecture music” stems from the human sentiment and feelings I gathered from Shanghai’s water town Zhujiajiao: the water wheel, the ancient Yuan Jing Temple had great influence on me. I must first thank the People’s Government of the Qing Pu District, as they were the ones who first invited me here to collect folk songs, visit the water town’s ancient houses and hear the heavens play on the water. I am deeply moved by everything here and decided to restore and revitalize two old Ming Dynasty houses and combine their preservation with my new concept of “Architecture Music”. Not only do I want to save the ancient houses but also preserve the folk music culture and combine these two into one creating my “Architecture Music”.

The performance hall’s structure is similar to that of a ancient two story house.  The wooden structure of the upper story reveals a Ming Dynasty style house; whereas the iron pillars and steel floor of the lower story are reminiscent of an industrial space with a distinct German Bauhaus style. During the performance, the river flows in and out through the house, linking the interior and exterior space, thus symbolizing the purification of our spirit and soul. The integration of this unique architectural structure with the performance, connects our inner selves to our surroundings, as well as brings the outer world in to meet our spirituality. The combination of the different Chinese Ming-house and German Bauhaus styles, as well as the contrasting sounds of water, iron and other natural instruments completes my “architectural music” wonderland where heaven and man become one. My ultimate goal for Water Heavens is to create a space where the architecture is an instrument that can be heard and played.