Architecture Competition Iceland Black Lava Fields Visitor Center Honorable mention - Xinyi Wang

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winner of the Honorable mention of our “Iceland Black Lava Fields Visitor Center” competition - Xinyi Wang from Australia!

Xinyi Wang from Australia

Having studied and worked with Glenn Murcutt, RCR, Junya Ishigami and MAD Architects, together with the Oriental-Oceanian infused culture background, I have accumulated invaluable experience and knowledge on architecture, design and many facets of the profession and academia from some of the most renowned architects and practices all over the world. Growing up in Beijing, the capital city in China of some six hundred years, stories whispered in between the scarlet imperial walls and cold grey “hutong” walls carry the rich and long history of one ancient civilization of this world with heaviness. My adolescent to young adult years in Perth, on the other hand, were filled with the high sky, the red soil and the deep ocean, the brightest sun and lightness. Nevertheless, the existence of our civilization in this world compared to the world of nature, the universe, is less than a grain of sand to all the sands in the entire deserts in the world. The black soil, the red soil, all the rivers and mountains have long been there before and will still be there long after us. No things are greater than nature itself. Therefore, all great architecture, as part of our culture, our built environment, our life, our civilization, should undoubtedly be part of nature.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where company/ individuals have been involved?

The body of work I have been involved in spans a wide range of typologies from residential, commercial, civic, heritage, hospitality, art and culture, skyscrapers, aviation, interior and master planing. I have been part of teams working on many international competitions (with winners and top prizes), and projects, including Science and Technology Museum, Shenzhen; Airports in Harbin, Lishui and Jiaxing; Southbank by Beulah, Melbourne; Serpentine Pavilion, London; Science Museum, Kaunas; Alvar Aalto Museum Extension, Jyväskylä; among many others.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

From the primitive hut to skyscrapers and complex forms of architecture projects, the field of architecture has spanned throughout human history. All forms and types of different architecture share one thing in common, to serve people either physically or mentally, or both at the same time. Spaces are created for people in which we can live, work, eat, entertain, learn, reflect, rest, meditate, recover, worship, travel, and so much more. As a designer of architecture in the age of today, the zeitgeist of architecture (and design in the broader sense) should also open its arms and embrace the greater world beyond human civilizations; to design in harmony as part of nature, for nature and as nature, and to design not only for today, the past, but also the future. The ideal architects of not only architecture, but everything in the world, should no longer be the supermen and superwomen who have control over everything, but humble men and women who are willing to learn, understand, resolve and share, in order to make the world a better place.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

It’s as important to have a vision as it is for people to know where to go before driving their car onto the road. Vision in architecture is critical to design and building better for people and generations from now on. It pushes the boundary that defines us and our world, which can be better and will be better.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture vision competitions?

There is no harm, but plenty of benefits in participating in architecture vision competitions. The time people spend hesitating and procrastinating is time for the winners to draw up their dreams and make beautiful things happen. Although, do take rest in between hard workings for your body to recover :)