Reweaving Shiyi: A Case Study of the Riverside Passage by Atelier Deshaus

Abstract

With the surge of modern studies of the concept of yijing (意境, artistic conception) in China and the introduction of Western debates on ‘the poetic’ since the 1980s, the term shiyi (诗意), generally translated as poetic, has been frequently employed by contemporary Chinese architects. Atelier Deshaus (AD), an acclaimed contemporary private architectural design studio, is known for the integration of the Chinese shiyi tradition with modern rationality. Yet, AD’s interpretation of shiyi is entangled with Western discussions of ‘the poetic,’ such as Martin Heidegger’s idea that all dwelling is poetic and Kenneth Frampton’s notion of the poetics of construction. This complexity makes it challenging to discern what it is precisely that situates AD’s work in a Chinese cultural shiyi tradition. In this context, this paper aims to explore the distinctive influences of the Chinese shiyi tradition on architectural design, with a particular focus on the case study of AD’s Riverside Passage project, built in 2019 in Shanghai. The research demonstrates that the integration of the shiyi tradition assists AD in countering the increasing homogeneity of urban environments and in reviving a poetic approach to architectural design. This approach can be considered an ecological and systemic approach to architectural design, as shiyi, characterised by openness and suggestiveness, places focus on dynamic relations and the coexistence of architecture, individuals, and their living surroundings.