Buildings
Pei Museum in China Irks Preservationists
(archrecord.construction.com - 11/13/03)
By Kevin
Lerner
 |
Suzhou
Museum's entrance
Photo: Courtesy Pei Partnership Architects |
Despite protests from local preservationists,
the Chinese government plans to begin construction on the
15,000 square meter, Pei Partnership-designed Suzhou Museum,
on the site of a classical garden in the city of Suzhou. The
light-infused museum will hold city artifacts and will include
exhibition space, an auditorium, administrative offices, and
a gift shop.
The Humble Administrators garden was
originally laid out in the early 16th Century, and its nearly
13 acres rank among a handful of the most famous classical
gardens in China. Pei’s family has lived in Suzhou, and
a relative of his once owned another classical garden in the
city. Most of the garden and its courtyard buildings are protected
by the United Nations World Heritage Convention. Pei’s
museum would replace a group of 200-year-old traditional wooden
buildings (pictured, above) in the southwest courtyard of
the garden, which do not have United Nations protection.
Pei’s designs were unveiled in
August, 2003, with construction originally scheduled to begin
in September. The historic preservationist Huang Wei was able
to hold up the project temporarily while he petitioned the
United Nations for protection, according to Su Yingzi, a U.S.
contact. Groundbreaking is currently scheduled for November.
|
