Yanzi Memorial Hall

Religious Building of the Year

Finalist

Mansi Yang

• Engineers

Yanzi Memorial Hall is a cultural exhibition with multiple functions, including musuem exhibition, teaching, meeting, and etc. It is used to display the stories of the sage Yanzi. As a public venue, it is not only an urban cultural garden, but also a spiritual education hall for Fengxian citizens.

Based on the concept of "The Path of Yanzi’s Ideal", the project restores Yanzi’s perception of knowledge sharing in Fengxian in his later years by structuring the spatial sequence of the Water Court, the Green Palace, the Academy of Literature, and the Hall of Sages.

The architectural details are simplified to create a space with spatial aesthetics and humanistic care. In order to express the holy humanistic feature, the exhibition is made of white marble with elegant ink texture. The white building and the black water pool compose a traditional Chinese painting，depicting the Yanzi Memorial Hall in the forest.

The long strip windows complement with the natural environment. In order to frame the view within the scenery, the design combines the height of the window sill with the shape of architecture façade, allowing visitors to appreciate the tranquility of the forest.

In addition, traditional Chinese culture of "Wooden and Bamboo Slips" are demonstrated by delicate elements with modern architectural techniques. The bamboo slips ceiling beyond and the louvers façade coexist with the light and shadow. Moreover, the quotations of Yanzi are recorded on the hollow metal plates and being spread on the floor and walls by sunlight.