“In a new era of multiple unprecedented challenges imposed by the processes of industrialization and urbanization, landscape architecture is now on the verge of change in the world, and especially in China. It is time for this profession to take the great opportunity to position itself to play the key role in rebuilding a new Land of Peach Blossoms for a new society of urbanized, global, and interconnected people. In order to position itself for this sacred role, landscape architecture must define itself in terms of the art of survival, not just as a descendent of gardening. The profession must re-evaluate the vernacular of the land and the people, and lead the way in urban development by planning and designing an infrastructure of both landscape and ecology, through which landscape can be created and preserved as a medium, and as the connecting link between the land, the people, and the spirits.”
In 2006, Dr. Kongjian Yu, dean and professor of The Graduate School of Landscape Architecture at Peking University and president of Turenscape, published his “
Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture” (Images Publish), and delivered several keynote speeches on a series of conferences including the 43rd IFLA World Congress, IFLAer Conference and ASLA Annual Meeting. His speeches and his projects had raised worldwide awareness. The Time Asia magazine described him as a “
force of nature,” others describe him as: “an innovative and frankly brave landscape architect who sticks to his vision of a truly sustainable and authentic China, no matter whom he offends, what project it costs him, or which government official’s feathers get ruffled.”
Through his multiple ASLA honor awards from 2002 to 2006, Yu had successfully made the Chinese contemporary landscape architecture known to the world. His thinking of landscape architecture as the art of survival, which strongly imbedded with the “China factor”, make people to reconsider origin and it future of this profession.
At the beginning of the new year, Kongjian Yu has constantly received invitations for lectures from institutions around the world, and will continue his mission of redefining the profession of landscape architecture as an art of survival. Following are some of the major destinations of Dr. Yu’s global itinerant lectures:
2009
BULTHAUP SPRING 2009 LECTURE SERIES - Kongjian Yu
Apr 01, 6:30 - 8 pm
George BairdThe Eric Arthur Gallery, University of Toronto
Topic: Toward New Aesthetics/ Recovering Landscape as an Art of Survival
Sponsored by BULTHAUP
Opening the Gates: A Critical Appraisal of China’s Urban Development Practices
Friday, February 6, 2009; Saturday, February 7, 2009
112 Wurster Hall,UC Berkeley
Topic: Looking for a Smarter Solution: The Negative Approach to Urban Growth Planning
Sponsored by the Center for Chinese Studies, Institute of East Asian Studies, Berkeley China Initiative, The City of Jiaxing, China, The Berkeley/Tongji Research Center for Sustainable Transit Oriented Development, Global Metro Studies, China Project, PLACES Journal, Eva Li Chair in Design Ethics
2008
Nov. 6-8, 2008
An International Symposium in the University of Pennsylvania
Topic: Re-Imagining Cities: Urban Design After the Age of Oil
Sponsored by the School of Design of the University of Pennsylvania, the Penn Institute for Urban Research and the Rockefeller Foundation
Oct.10, 2008
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Endowment Lecture in UBC Robson Square
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the Vancouver League and the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Oct.1, 2008
Dumbarton Oaks in the Music Room at the Main House
Lecture Topic: The New Vernacular: Redefining Urbanity in Contemporary China
Sponsored by Dumbarton Oaks
Sep. 30, 2008
Piper Auditorium, Harvard GSD
Lecture Topic:
The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the Graduate School of Design in Harvard University
Mar.18, 2008
University of Florida
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the Architecture School of University of Florida
Mar.17, 2008
University of South Florida
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the Architecture School of University of South Florida
Mar.13, 2008
The College of Virginia Tech
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the College of Architecture at Virginia Tech
2007
Nov.28, 2007
Paris in France
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Versailles National School of Landscape Architecture
Nov.26, 2007
Lille in France
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Superior National School of Architecture and Landscape of Lille
Nov.22—23, 2007
Paris in France
Lecture Topic: Between Architecture and Landscape Education?
Sponsored by La Villette School of Architecture
Nov.1—3, 2007
Boston in the United States
Lecture Topic: Urban Waterfronts 25—The Next Wave
Sponsored by the Waterfront Center
October 9, 2007
University of California, Berkeley
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Sep.14—15, 2007
Adelaide in Australia
Lecture Topic: An Approach to Solve the Problem of Air and Water from Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Sep.6—8, 2007
International Urban Design Conference
Lecture Topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Gold Coast City Council, Australia
Aug.7—9, 2007
India-China Symposium-Final Announcement
Lecture Topic: Cultural Identity and internationality in China
Sponsored by the University of Madras and Fudan University, Shanghai
May 25, 2007
Mexico
IFLA Americans Regional Conference and Mexican society of Landscape Architects
Keynote speech: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by IFLA and Mexican society of Landscape Architects
May 24, 2007
Iberoamerican University
Lecture topic : The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Mexican society of Landscape Architects and Iberoamerican University
Evening April 30, 2007
University of Idaho
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Idaho
Evening April 26, 2007
Purdue University
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Purdue University
April 23, 2007
6 PM, Piper Auditorium
Harvard University
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
April 19, 2007
6 PM, B3 Meyerson
University of Pennsylvanian
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Pennsylvania School of Design
April 18, 2007
6 PM
Delaware Valley College
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Ornamental Horticulture & Environmental Design, Delaware Valley College
2:30 PM, March 7, 2007
Taibei University
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Urban Planning Institution of Taibei University
7 PM, March 6, 2007
Taiwan Culture University
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Chinese Institute of Landscape Architects in Taiwan
10 AM, March 6, 2007
Chinese Culture University in Taiwan
Lecture topic: The Art of Survival: Recovering Landscape Architecture
Sponsored by Department of Landscape Architecture,
Chinese Culture University in Taiwan
with Taiwan University Students
more photo:
http://www.landscapecn.com/special/survival/photo.htm
more infomation:
http://www.landscapecn.com/special/survival
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