Art Meets Architecture: An Exhibition in a Redesigned Hutong Abode

Earlier this year we wrote about a courtyard house in the hutongs redesigned and redeveloped using German sustainability principles. The house – simply called Shiyuan by its architect Ren Haipeng – has now opened its doors to the public as it acts as host to an art exhibition.

The art in question is by He Duoling, a 74-year-old internationally recognized Chinese painter and illustrator. The exhibition will feature 44 illustrations made by He in the 1980s to accompany Anton Chekhov’s short story “The House with the Mezzanine,” as well as 21 original sketches. According to Ren, the choice of subject is no mistake, considering the illustrations will be placed among the three different mezzanines of the house itself.

“It is a good opportunity for people to visit a traditional courtyard house, to see what can be done with architecture and how it can be used as a living as well as a cultural space,” explains Ren. Using the Shiyuan house as an exhibition space ties into the concept of what a hutong house is: a place of gathering and sharing moments with community members.

Created by Ren and the Days in YARD studio for a private client, the Shiyuan project received much praise upon its completion for sticking to sustainability principles and utilizing a minimalist yet functional design. The house also received recognition in the form of an award in April 2022, when it won the International Active House Alliance’s Transformative Active Spaces Award.

Ren says the space has been opened not just to allow visitors to witness art, but to experience the space in full as well. “The paintings, architecture, sculpture, music, the trees in the courtyard, even the piano in the stage room, all contribute to a relaxing experience,” says Ren.

“The Invitation”, an exhibition of the works of He Duoling, will be showing at the Shiyuan House until Oct 10, Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Tickets are RMB 78 per person (RMB 58 for students and seniors) limited to 20 people per day, and can be purchased via the WeChat link here. At time of publishing, tickets have been fully booked til Sep 18, with more slots to be made available from Sep 6 onwards.

Shiyuan 拾院
3 Shatan Bei Jie, Dongcheng District
东城区沙滩北街3号

READ: The Hutong House Built Using German Sustainability Principles

Images courtesy of Zoulei Pictures