On March 20th, the "Ma Guoxin: My Design Career - Architecture Cultural Book Exhibition" kicked off at Tianjin University.
Ma Guoxin is an outstanding representative of China's third-generation architects. In 1994, he was awarded the title of "National Master of Engineering Survey and Design." In 1997, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and in 2022, he was awarded the title of "Senior Academician." He has been responsible for and led the design of projects such as the Beijing International Club, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the National Olympic Sports Center, Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2 and Parking Building, and the China People's Anti-Japanese War Memorial Sculpture Park. Currently, he serves as the chief architect of Beijing Architectural Design Institute and the president of the 20th Century Architectural Heritage Committee of the China Cultural Relics Society.
Since the publication of his first work, "Kenzo Tange," in 1989, Ma Guoxin has authored and published 36 books over nearly 35 years. This exhibition marks the first time in the domestic architectural community to showcase the oeuvre of a design master. The exhibition not only presents the "people and events" of the Beijing Architectural Design Institute that have walked alongside New China, but also expresses the industry's sentiments through "thoughts and insights." With Ma Guoxin's diverse forms of publications, the exhibition constructs a valuable textbook and historical material for architectural culture.
In the exhibition, visitors can follow two main threads. One is the Ma Guoxin Works Line, based on "Memories of Nanlishi Road: My Design Career," which showcases seven aspects of Ma Guoxin's architectural creations: initial design experiences, documentation of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, internships at Tange Associates, construction for the Asian Games and two Olympic bids, planning and design of Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 2, planning of the China People's Anti-Japanese War Memorial Sculpture Park, and Ma Guoxin's design insights. The second is Ma Guoxin's 35 publications and co-authored works, divided into eight parts: Reflections on Forty Years of Japanese Architecture, Essays, Photography Collections, Biographical Collections, Monographs, Architectural Art, Poetic Collections, and Co-authored Works.
After the opening ceremony and exhibition, more than 30 experts and scholars exchanged their insights during the academic seminar on "Ma Guoxin: My Design Career - Architecture Cultural Book Exhibition." On the same day, Ma Guoxin also gave a wonderful lecture at Beiyang Lecture Hall, bringing an insightful talk to the students of Tianjin University.
This exhibition is guided by Tianjin University, the Architectural Society of China, the China Cultural Relics Society, and the Earth Sciences and Engineering Division of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. It is organized by the Propaganda Department of Tianjin University, Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., Ltd., the 20th Century Architectural Heritage Committee of the China Cultural Relics Society, Tianjin University Press Co., Ltd., and Tianjin University Library.
