上海·砖ⁿ+斗拱新艺

“轻与重，不仅是材料的对比，也并非单纯的对立，而是技术与传统、理智与感官在建筑中的平衡探索。我们在3x3x3米的空间原型中，通过不同材料、构造工艺和空间形态，来探索“轻与重”这一命题之下材料的极限与潜力。”

——孟凡浩

"Light and heavy is more than a contrast of materials; it’s an exploration of balance between technology and tradition, reason and sensation in architecture. In the 3x3x3-meter prototype, we push the limits and potential of materials, exploring the theme of 'light and heavy' through various materials, construction methods, and spatial forms."

— Meng Fanhao

「砖”」由line+联合创始人、主持建筑师孟凡浩与国际顶级陶土砖奥地利维纳博艮共同打造，旨在通过对砖的构造工艺和形态表现的探索，来展现材料在过去、当下和未来的应用可能性，并为观展者提供一种非常规的装置互动体验。该装置先后在2023上海CADE建筑设计博览会“材料的可能性”空间装置特展和2023SUSAS上海城市空间艺术季展出，现被上海徐汇滨江西岸永久收藏，成为城市公共艺术节点。

Brickn was a collaborative project between Meng Fanhao, co-founder and lead architect of line+, and Wienerberger, a global leader in ceramic brick manufacturing. The installation explores brick's construction techniques and forms to reveal its evolving applications throughout history, as well as its future potential. It offers an unconventional, interactive experience for visitors. Featured in the 2023 Shanghai CADE Architecture Design Expo under the theme "The Possibilities of Materials" and the 2023 SUSAS Shanghai Urban Space Art Season, the piece is now permanently housed at the Xuhui Riverside West Bank in Shanghai, serving as a new public art landmark in the city.

「斗拱新艺」是孟凡浩受邀为2024设计上海特别策划版块“neooold新开物”设计的展场空间，通过对中国传统建筑构件“斗拱”的传承与演绎，为18个艺术品牌提供展陈平台，以呈现传统手工艺与现代设计融合的艺术之美。

Reimagination of Dougong is an exhibition space designed by Meng Fanhao for the 2024 Design Shanghai specially curated section, "neooold." By reinterpreting the traditional Chinese architectural element of "dougong," the space offers a platform for 18 art brands, highlighting the artistic beauty that emerges from the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Part1. 轻与重

Part1. Lightness and Weight

众所周知，雨果在《巴黎圣母院》中借由克洛德主教之口说出印刷术将杀死建筑的预言。在前印刷时代，书籍的拥有几乎是一种特权，人类的一般思想观念经由石头——教堂记录传播，普通百姓只能到教堂或神庙，从那些壁画、雕刻中了解圣经或神话中的故事和教义。在古代中国，人们将重要的文字刻在摩崖石壁或石碑上，期望永久流传。印刷术改变了信息以及思想传播的速度和效率；现在，假如圣经可以免费获得，福音可以随时传送，人们也就不那么需要石头教堂了；建筑失去了作为思想与文化的载体及其象征的意义。

Victor Hugo, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, voiced a striking prophecy through Archdeacon Claude Frollo: printing would spell the demise of architecture. Before the age of printing, books were rare privileges, and humanity’s collective consciousness was inscribed in stone—churches stood as monumental vessels of thought. For the masses, biblical stories and mythological teachings were gleaned from murals and carvings within sacred spaces. In ancient China, vital texts were etched into stone steles and cliffs to endure through time. The printing press revolutionized this paradigm, transforming the efficiency and reach of ideas. Today, with the Bible freely accessible and the Gospel instantly shareable, the symbolic need for stone churches has diminished. Architecture, as a vessel of thought and culture, has gradually receded from this role.

砖的命运也类似，砖正在在消亡吗？火烧粘土砖是人类最伟大的发明之一，也是最古老的建筑材料。古罗马人，以及中亚的波斯人都用砖创造了辉煌的建筑文化。但是随着现代材料技术的发展，似乎难以逃脱被替代的命运。

Bricks face a similar existential question: is their era nearing its end? Fired clay bricks, a cornerstone of architectural history and human invention, have been integral to magnificent cultures, from ancient Rome to Persia. However, with the relentless march of material innovation, bricks seem increasingly vulnerable to obsolescence.

建筑师孟凡浩在（为维纳博艮陶砖做的装置）砖的N次方中，尝试了砖的两种处理方法。一是砌筑的方式——台阶形金字塔台面，二是用钢筋悬挂的砖——倒金字塔形。整体上其形式如沙漏一般，两个金字塔上下镜像。整个装置是一个3X3米的立方体，四面同样被悬挂的砖幕墙所包裹。

In Brickn, an installation created for Wienerberger, architect Meng Fanhao reimagines the brick in two distinct ways. One approach constructs a stepped pyramid; the other suspends bricks on steel rods to form an inverted pyramid. Together, they create the silhouette of an hourglass, mirrored above and below. Encased within a 3x3-meter cubic frame, its sides are enveloped by suspended brick curtains.

△ 砖装置爆炸图 exploded view of the brick installation

△ 砖的砌法工艺分析 analysis of brick masonry technique

而在另一个展览中，孟凡浩将同样的形式用轻质材料再次呈现，也是3X3米的尺度。在新开物展览中，用轻钢和阳光板做的展台，呈现当代的工艺产品。与砖的N次方的材料展示装置相比，新开物的展台是有实际用途的，轻钢和阳光板所呈现的轻盈、朦胧的视感是与所展示的物品相匹配的。

In contrast, neooold Xinkaiwu exhibition offers a lighter interpretation of the same form. This iteration, also 3x3 meters, employs light steel and polycarbonate panels to create a display platform for contemporary industrial products. Unlike Brickn, which highlights the material itself, the neooold platform is functional, with a translucent and ethereal aesthetic that complements the objects it holds.

在概念来源上，新开物展台来自传统的斗拱与藻井，轻钢骨架的层数与斗拱的几铺作相当，本质上是一种空间结构，这是杆件的潜力所在。新开物展台构件在工厂预制，现场装配，与砖的N次方相比，效率更高更快捷。

Conceptually, the neooold Xinkaiwu platform draws from traditional Chinese architectural elements such as Dougong brackets and caisson ceilings. The layering of its light steel frame parallels the structural logic of dougong, embodying the spatial potential of slender rod elements. Prefabricated and assembled on-site, the platform epitomizes efficiency, surpassing the laborious processes of brick construction.

△斗拱与藻井的概念分析 conceptual analysis of dougong and caisson ceilings

所以，现在有两个材料版本的形式，重的与轻的，他们既有相似之处，又有相互矛盾，而后者是对前者的怀疑与挑战。无论从经济、建造速度等每个角度来说，都是轻者对重者的碾压。这也表明了一个当下世界的趋势，一个轻薄的世界正在代替沉重的世界，正如虚拟现实要替代“现实”，曾经杀死建筑的书籍，也似乎正要被手机和平板电脑杀死。

These two iterations—one heavy, one light—exist in dialogue, sharing similarities yet confronting one another. The lighter version emerges as a critique and evolution of the heavier one, embodying the trajectory of modernity. From cost to construction speed, lightness eclipses weight. This mirrors a broader trend in today’s world: a shift from a heavy to a lightweight reality. Just as virtual reality is set to overtake "real" reality, the books that once threatened architecture now appear to be on the brink of being replaced by smartphones and tablets.

△ 正三角“斗拱”式展陈 equilateral triangle display in the style of Dougong

△ 倒三角“藻井”式展陈 inverted triangle display in the style of caisson ceiling

Part2. “重”的原教旨主义

Part2. Fundamentalism of Weight

森佩尔是一个物质主义者，按照他的说法，砖与石是砌块，只能用砌筑的方式，钢铁适合做线性的杆件，适合编织，钢结构类似于一种编织结构，钢结构需要别的材料来做围护，但砖不需要，砖同时适合做承重和围护结构。与钢铁相比，砖越老越有年代价值，越能引起浪漫主义的怀旧情绪和美学观照。砖渐渐成为复古风的符号，不再作为日常大众的建筑材料。实际上在当代，在城市之中，砖在渐渐退出历史舞台，如果怀念砖的传统质感而使用它，也多半采取干挂的形式，作为表皮材料使用，这是森佩尔无言以对的结局。

Gottfried Semper, a materialist, argued that bricks and stones were building blocks, suited only for masonry work. Steel, by contrast, was ideal for creating linear components, woven together like a fabric. Steel structures resemble a form of weaving and require other materials for cladding, but bricks stand alone, capable of functioning as structural supports and enclosures. Unlike steel, which loses value over time, brick only gains character with age, evoking feelings of nostalgia and romanticism. As a result, brick has transformed into a symbol of retro aesthetics, no longer serving as a material for everyday construction. In modern urban environments, brick is slowly receding from architectural use. When employed today, it is often in the form of dry-hanging cladding, merely a decorative surface, marking the quiet conclusion of Semper’s theory.

△ 湿砌（图左），干挂（图右）wet masonry (left), dry cladding (right)

△ 砖装置施工过程 construction process of the brick installation

△ 细节分析 detail analysis

△ 装置外表皮砖的间距由下至上，反重力式的逐渐疏离 The spacing of the bricks on the installation's outer skin gradually widens in an anti-gravity fashion, from bottom to top.

当然在砖似乎要退出舞台之时，总有一些建筑师试图把他重新拉回到舞台上。比如路易康深刻思考过砖的用途，他以为砖只有作为拱，才是最大地发挥了材料的内在潜力。又如晚年的勒夫伦茨（Sigurd Lewerentz），作为瑞典现代主义的代表人物，早期尝试了国际式、白板式的现代建筑，到了1960年代重新出来做建筑，砖的做法直接回归到到古罗马。

Despite this, architects have always strived to bring brick back into the fold. Louis Kahn, for example, saw bricks as reaching their true potential only when used to form arches. Similarly, in his later years, Sigurd Lewerentz—one of the key figures of Swedish modernism—initially explored the International Style and minimalist modern architecture. Yet, by the 1960s, he returned to using bricks in a manner that directly harked back to ancient Rome.

△流线分析 flowline analysis

他用厚薄不均的砂浆，恢复手工艺质感，而且是一种原始的、不太熟练的手工感。砖不但承重、还是围护结构，可做铺地，还要兼做座椅台面，能用一种材料绝不用第二种。不过，路易康和勒夫伦茨让砖的生命短时间地回光返照，理性告诉我们，砖就是属于手工艺时代的材料，命运是注定的，无论在情感上对它多么依恋。

In Lewerentz’s view, uneven mortar was used to recreate a handcrafted texture, raw and almost primitive in its unrefined quality. Bricks serve multiple functions: not only do they bear weight and act as enclosures, but they can also be used for flooring and even as seating surfaces. When one material can perform all these roles, there’s no need for a second. However, despite these occasional revivals, the rational conclusion remains: brick is, and always has been, a material of the craft era, bound by time limitations. Its fate seems inevitable, no matter our emotional connection to it.

Part3. 轻——更轻！

Part3. Light, Lighter!

建筑语言有两个不同的倾向，一个是重，一个是轻。康与勒夫伦茨要抓住重的感觉，更多的人迷恋轻。材料的发展是往轻的方向进步，原来需要厚厚的墙体来保温，现在只需要泡沫板保温棉。轻快——轻意味着快，意味着更灵活。此外，轻也意味着精确性更高，也更具时代特征。

Architectural language moves between two contrasting tendencies: heaviness and lightness. While Kahn and Lewerentz focused on capturing the essence of weight, an increasing number of architects are drawn to the allure of lightness. Material innovation continues to advance towards lighter solutions. What once required thick walls for insulation can now be achieved with foam boards or insulation materials. Lightness implies speed—faster construction and greater flexibility. It also embodies higher precision and reflects the defining traits of the modern era.

在这个时代，轻是一种不可阻挡的趋势。据说，巴克敏斯特·富勒曾经问诺曼·福斯特一个问题：“你的建筑有多重？”。富勒用轻钢杆件制造巨大的穹顶，代表了技术进步论的观念，可以极为客观地以重量来衡量建筑的好坏。富勒于1968年提出的“曼哈顿穹顶”（Manhattan Dome）设想了一个将整个曼哈顿包裹其中的巨大气泡，他还发明了一个词，“Dymaxion”——以更少的重量和能量做更多的事情，未来建筑的技术含量可以由它的重量来决定。评价一个建筑似乎只需要“上称”，更轻就意味着更好。

In this era, lightness has become an undeniable trend. Buckminster Fuller once famously asked Norman Foster, "How heavy is your building?" Fuller’s innovative use of lightweight steel rods to construct vast domes reflected his belief in technological progress, where a building’s quality could be objectively measured by its weight. In 1968, Fuller envisioned the " Manhattan Dome," a massive bubble designed to encompass all of Manhattan. He also coined the term " Dymaxion," a concept centered on doing more with less—less weight, less energy. For Fuller, the technological value of future architecture might be judged simply by its weight: the lighter the building, the better it performs.

△ 富勒的曼哈顿大穹顶概念 Buckminster Fuller’s concept of the Manhattan Dome

然而，轻也有令人忐忑之处。人们会问，轻的构筑物能持久吗？距离英国塞文河上的第一座铁桥距离不过两百多年时间，那些更轻的材料还无法被时间证明能否幸免于自然和人为破坏。科幻小说《三体》中，罗辑在太阳系毁灭的前夜，他能想到的保留人类文明火种的唯一方式，也是最原始的方式——“把字刻在石头上”，在无限的时间面前，留下足迹比创造世界更难。人类的想象力并非没有边界，它无法脱离人类的记忆，如果将“永恒”视为一种价值，那么“重”始终比“轻”更能承担对于永恒价值的念想。

Nevertheless, the pursuit of lightness is not without its anxieties. Can these lightweight constructions endure overtime? The first iron bridge over the Severn River in Britain, built just over two centuries ago, has withstood the elements, but lighter materials have yet to prove their durability against both nature and human intervention. In the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, Luo Ji, faced with the impending destruction of the solar system, turns to the simplest and most enduring method to safeguard humanity’s legacy: "carving words into stone." When measured against the vastness of time, leaving a trace is far more challenging than creating a world. Human imagination, constrained by memory, cannot fully escape its limitations. If eternity is indeed a value, then heaviness will always surpass lightness in carrying the weight of that aspiration.

△ 斗拱搭建过程 process of assembling Dougong

孟凡浩的两个装置，在形式与质料的美学讨论之余，可以引发更深刻的关于建筑学的当下与未来的思考——技术与传统、理智与感官，如何在建造中找到平衡点。保罗·瓦莱里（Paul Valéry，1871-1945）有一著名的诗句：“像飞鸟一样轻，而不是轻如鸿毛”。因为鸟儿可以迎风飞翔，而鸿毛只会被风席卷而去。

Meng Fanhao’s two installations, while exploring the aesthetics of form and material, invite deeper contemplation on the present and future of architecture—how to reconcile technology with tradition, and reason with emotion, in the act of building. Paul Valéry (1871–1945) famously remarked: "Be light like a bird, not like a feather." A bird soars against the wind with purpose, while a feather is at the mercy of the breeze.

我们可以观察到，轻是世界发展的趋势，这是确定的。当然，辩证地看，轻也有边界，也有临界点。所以我们正走在靠近那个临界点的路上，也期待在那个临界点，建筑可以像鸟儿一样起飞。

Lightness represents a defining trend in the world’s evolution. Yet, from a dialectical perspective, lightness has its limits—its critical threshold. As we edge closer to that threshold, there is hope that architecture will rise, not unlike a bird taking flight.

项目名称： 砖ⁿ

设计单位：line+建筑事务所

官网：www.lineplus.studio

联络方式：pr@lineplus.studio

主持建筑师/项目主创：孟凡浩

设计团队：何雅量、柳超、李仁杰

展览：2023年CADE建筑设计博览会·“材料的可能性”空间装置

材料技术供应：Wienerberger维纳伯格集团

永久城市装置：上海西岸砖装置

项目位置：上海徐汇区吴龙路

场地支持：上海西岸集团

幕墙深化单位：上海伊杜幕墙建设咨询有限公司

施工单位：浙江建信装饰有限公司

建筑面积：9 平方米

设计周期：2021年7月-2022年11月

建设周期：2023年8月-2023年11月

结构：钢结构

材料：陶土砖、钢结构、单向镜面玻璃

摄影：陈曦工作室、是然建筑摄影

项目名称：斗拱新艺

设计单位：line+建筑事务所

主持建筑师/项目主创：孟凡浩

设计团队：何雅量、柳超、胥昊、邢舒

业主：neooold 新开物

策展人：陈旻

施工单位：上海瑞尼展览服务有限公司

灯光照明：欧普照明股份有限公司

项目位置：上海世博馆

建筑面积：9 平方米

设计周期：2023年12月-2024年4月

建设周期：2024年6月

结构：轻钢结构

材料：钢管、阳光板

摄影：line+

Project Name: Brickⁿ

Design Firm: line+ studio

Website: www.lineplus.studio

Contact: pr@lineplus.studio

Chief Architect/Project Principal: Meng Fanhao

Design Team: He Yaliang, Liu Chao, Li Renjie

Exhibition: China Architecture Design Expo (CADE) 2023 · "The Possibilities of Materials" Spatial Installation

Material and Technology Supplier: Wienerberger

Permanent Urban Installation: West Bund Brick Installation, Shanghai

Location: Wulong Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai

Site Support: West Bund Group

Curtain Wall Consultant: Shanghai Yidu Curtain Wall Construction Consulting Co., Ltd.

Construction: Zhejiang Jianxin Decoration Co., Ltd.

Building Area: 9 m2

Design Period: 2021. 07 -2022. 11

Construction Period: 2023. 08 -2023. 11

Structure: Steel Structure

Materials: Terracotta Brick, Steel Structure, Unidirectional glass

Photography: Chen Xi Studio, schranimage

Project Name: Reimagination of Dougong

Design Firm: line+ studio

Chief Architect/Project Principal: Meng Fanhao

Design Team: He Yaliang, Liu Chao, Xu Hao, Xing Shu

Client: neooold

Curator: Chen Min

Construction: Shanghai Rainie Exhibition Service Co., Ltd.

Lighting Design: Opple Lighting Co., Ltd.

Location: Shanghai Expo Museum

Building Area: 9 m2

Design Period: 2023. 12- 2024. 04

Construction Period: 2024. 06

Structure: Light Steel Structure

Materials: Steel Pipes, Polycarbonate hollow sheet

Photography: line+