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A Review of Youyou Chen’s Thesis Project ”FACT”

REVIEWED BY PARISA MARD MEHDIABADI

Youyou Chen’s “FACT” thesis project criticizes China’s globalization and its rapid attempt to consolidate and extend its air and land holdings by constructing artificial islands. The project uses the format of a Chinese scroll to depict a narrative that speaks of a power struggle between two islands. In this story, the Green Island is forced to colonize a neighboring island due to internal and external pressures. As a result, an aircraft carrying soldiers is sent to the Red Island. Once the aircraft landed, it is transformed into a permanent architecture in form of an airport providing the military base for the massacre of the natives. Although the story is dark, the cyclical nature of this narrative points to human nature’s tendency and desire for control and power. In Chen’s project, architecture is the physical manifestation of power. The aircraft is not only the catalyst for movement but it is also the locus of authority and control.

Chen’s project is similar to that of Thomas Hillier’s thesis, The Emperor’s Castle. In both cases, the authors use narratives to depict and legitimize a specific architectural intervention. The assumed simplicity of the Chinese traditional painting is an effective tool to depict Chen’s ambitious outlook on power and urban development.

Thomas Hillier’s Thesis project “The Emperor’s Castle”

Youyou Chen’s Thesis project “FACT”

It is important however for the author to know the limits as well as the strength of this technique. Chinese perspective uses parallel oblique drawing technique that keeps true the elevation of objects while distorting distance between them. As the project develops it would be interesting to see when Chen decides to follow or masterfully diverge from the rules set up by this drawing technique.

Chen’s project has a built up of many complex layers and it was apparent during the pin up that the reviewers had a hard time following the information. It is critical for Chen to simplify his narration for the presentation. Some of the theoretical information could be conveyed through simple diagrams. The presentation layout is another critical element for Chen. Even though Chen would like to use Mobius strip as a three-dimension representation of the cyclic quality of the story, it might be beneficial to think of ways in which a linear format could imply a loop or continuation.

The airport design is fundamental to Chen’s thesis and it needs as much attention and development as the narration. One of the ways in which the architecture can become the protagonist of the story is to think how the ideals presented in the narration manifest itself in architectural forms. To emphasize the architecture, a narration based on a soldier’s point of view can provide clarity as well as direction for the project. Based on this perspective, the first hand accounts of the setting and the architecture can strength the narrative as well as the architecture of the aircraft. Again, it is imperative for Chen to realize how architecture can enforce or deflect the values and ideas that are set within the narrative. How can the narrative and architecture inform one another?

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