The 16th International Architecture Biennale China Pavilion will be on display in Venice, Italy, from May 26 to November 25, 2018. On April 27, a press conference for the China Pavilion was successfully held in Beijing, officially announcing this year's theme: "Building a Future Countryside." The curator, Professor Li Xiangning, outlined the curatorial concept and structural framework of the exhibition. He noted that the Chinese countryside has become an open field brimming with diverse possibilities and opportunities, making the theme "Building a Future Countryside" a direct response to this year's Biennale theme, "Freespace." The exhibition features six sections—"Production," "Tourism," "Community," "Culture," "Dwelling," and "Future"—showcasing recent rural projects by Chinese architects. It aims to return to the birthplace of Chinese culture to recover forgotten values and overlooked possibilities, offering a vision for the future of our countryside.

Preface: Tsinghua University School of Architecture is a world-renowned institution for architectural education. But how does a design institute operate within such a prestigious university system? Over its 60-year history, how has the Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute (THAD) maintained its relationship with the school, and what transformations has it witnessed in China's architectural industry? What challenges does the contemporary architectural field face? How will design institutes evolve under shifting national policies? How significant is the gap between architecture students and practicing professionals, and what qualities do contemporary architects lack? ArchDaily had the privilege of conducting an in-depth interview with Professor Zhuang Weimin, Dean of the Tsinghua University School of Architecture and President of THAD, to explore these questions.

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Founded in 2006, Shanghai Hetai Architectural Decoration Co., Ltd. has spent the past 17 years specializing in the research and practice of fair-faced concrete restoration and long-term protection, as well as the creation of fair-faced concrete finishes (weather-resistant Portland cement and weather-resistant white cement finishes). Through rigorous product selection, performance testing, process exploration, project application, and technological innovation, the company has successfully completed the restoration and long-term protection of 36 fair-faced and conventional concrete buildings cast across various periods. Additionally, they have completed nine fair-faced concrete finish projects alongside ongoing weather-resistance and stability testing spanning 10 to 16 years.

With the rise of social media, we have entered an era of a multimedia "society of the spectacle," where the influence of images on the public grows year by year. Visually-driven media platforms are increasingly dominating the market, serving as an alternative form of travel that allows people to experience breathtaking scenes from around the world without leaving home. Dedicated to bringing design inspiration to the public, ArchDaily established its presence on Instagram years ago. In 2022, we expanded onto China’s Xiaohongshu (RED), hoping to share exceptional projects with a broader audience. As expected, the influence of star architects remains strong, while playfulness, aesthetics, and relevance emerge as key terms guiding reader interest. Here, we present the top 20 most-liked architectural projects of 2022 on ArchDaily’s official Xiaohongshu and Instagram accounts. Read on to discover the public's architectural preferences.

Against the backdrop of a global culture steeped in consumerism, every aspect of our lives is being consumed. As the physical medium of consumer behavior, commercial architecture is undeniably a vital link in this consumer society. "Insta-worthy" spaces—embodying trends, spectacle, and the culture of the gaze—are a direct manifestation of this influence. Yet, looking back at architectural history, we must also acknowledge that the rise of consumerism has largely driven architectural development. The influx of capital and the keen interest of real estate developers have, in some ways, granted architects more opportunities to realize their creative ideals within commercial projects.

Whether in cities or rural areas, "consumer architecture" functioning as public space often serves as the most prominent gathering point. To explore how to create comfortable, inviting commercial spaces, this article presents a curated collection of the best "consumer architecture" of 2021, offering design inspiration for your next project.

In 2018, ArchDaily China’s reach grew stronger than ever. We brought Chinese architecture into the global conversation, introducing Chinese design to the world while delivering global architectural news to our Chinese readers. Remaining true to our founding mission, we strive to be an open platform that benefits the public, fostering a more inclusive and equitable architectural community. This year, we once again invited our Chinese readers to vote for the 2019 ArchDaily China Building of the Year Awards. Through an unbiased, geographically unrestricted voting process, our readers became part of a massive jury to select the most representative architectural projects of our time.

Over the past three weeks, more than 300,000 votes were cast. From over 400 Chinese projects published in 2018, voters selected the top ten nominated projects, and ultimately, the three most representative winners. Because ArchDaily’s readers consist of industry professionals and architecture enthusiasts, this award represents peer-to-peer recognition, carrying immense significance.

The following are this year’s winning projects:

As part of our 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale coverage we present the proposal for the Chinese Pavilion. Below, the participants describe their contribution in their own words.

The motivation for this exhibition is more than just xiangchou, a Chinese term that refers to nostalgia for rural lands. We return to the countryside where Chinese culture originated to recover forgotten values and overlooked possibilities; from there, we will build a future countryside.
– Li Xiangning (Curator)

One of the major challenges facing contemporary built environments is the future of rural development. In China, the countryside has become a new frontier for experiments in this area, and the country is developing its countryside at a speed and scale unseen in the West. Drawn by the promise of boundless opportunity, architects, artists, developers—as well as capital flow—are converging in rural areas across the nation.

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Over the past three weeks, we received a total of 230,000 votes from our readers to select the winners of the ArchDaily 2018 Building of the Year Awards in China. With a readership composed largely of industry professionals, voters selected the three most exemplary projects from more than 300 Chinese works published on ArchDaily.cn in 2017. As a peer-voted accolade, this recognition carries significant weight.

Following two weeks of enthusiastic voting, ArchDaily readers have narrowed down more than 300 nominees to the top 10 finalists of the year.

During the nomination phase, we witnessed how this award highlights the collective progress and evolving boundaries of architecture. These shortlisted projects represent the most inspiring, impactful, and resonant works chosen by our readers.

The finalists showcase a diverse spectrum of practice, spanning established industry leaders alongside emerging boutique firms with highly distinct design voices. Collectively, these projects also highlight architecture's profound capacity to improve our built environment.

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