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Design by: Li Xiaodong Atelier

Year: 2009

Category:

A bridge connecting two ancient fortresses in rural Japanese village houses a school and rejuvenates the local economy, whilst carefully considering the link between past and future architecture and harmonizing with its environment.



Context
China’s rapid modernization has caused stark contrasts between old and new structures, opening a rupture between past and present architectures, and leaving many rural areas undeveloped and unconnected to the rapidly changing appearance of urban areas. Rural Fujian province, on China’s south-east coast, is a mountainous region with a humid, subtropical climate – it has traditionally been described as ‘eight parts mountain, one part water, and one part farmland’. The small village of Xiashi in Fujian has few new buildings. For several years Xiashi had been in need of not only a primary school, but a new community centre to provide a central, social space.



Mission
The main goal of the Bridge School’s design was to rejuvenate Xiashi’s community and to sustain the traditional culture and lifestyle through a contemporary aesthetic language that does not compete with tradition, but instead presents and communicates with tradition in new ways. When architect Li Xiaodong was asked to design the school, he had the inspiration to place it on a bridge between the two ancient toulou – traditional fortress-like structures – on either side of the river that runs through the village. Originally constructed by ancestors of the local Hakka people, these distinctive circular fortresses have thick, sturdy walls of rammed earth. The structure that bridges the two halves of the village is intended to symbolically connect the past to the future.



Realization
Supported by concrete piers, the simple steel structure acts like a giant box girder that’s been slightly dislocated, so the building subtly twists, rises and falls as it spans the creek. Inside is a pair of almost identical, wedgeshaped classrooms, each tapering towards the midpoint of the structure. Although it’s possible to use the main building as a bridge, a narrow crossing suspended underneath the steel structure and anchored by tensile wires offers an alternative and more direct route.

Included in the building plan is a playground for the children on one side of the water. Physical lightness and spatial fl uidity are key elements of the structure. By means of sliding and folding doors, the school can be transformed into an impromptu theatre or play structure. This ability for movement appeals to children and encourages them to actively engage with the architecture. The steel frame is wrapped in a veil of slim timber slats, which fi lter light and temper the interior with cooling breezes. The lightweight and airy structure appears in stark contrast to the heavy stone architecture on either side of the creek.



The concept for the building was inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, which sees the human being as a complete system with interconnected parts. Approaching the project this way allowed for consideration of the community as a whole to create a fl exible and graceful building. The Bridge School achieves unity at many levels: between past and present, between traditional and modern, between the two riverbanks, and between members of the community. The construction has successfully enlivened the community, addressing social needs through architectural intervention.

Location
Xiashi Village, China

More information
www.lixiaodong.net

_{Text by Elvia Pyburn-Wilk. Read the full story in the book TESTIFY! The consequences of architecture, edited by Lukas Feireiss. This publication coincides with the international travelling exhibition TESTIFY! The consequences of architecture by the Netherlands Architecture Institute.}

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