Interview with Wu Gang

I have been thinking about urban construction for 30 years, our design is better or worse for human beings. This is related to my grown experience. I grew up in the scenic village at the foot of Yellow Mountain. There are only tens of thousands of people in the old city. The leisure and comfortable style of life has been deeply imprinted in my memory. Now that the cities are getting bigger and bigger, but they have lost the basic sense of spatial beauty, I hope they return to what they should be. Handling a harmonious and orderly environment has a profound effect on our architecture.

First of all, we will think about what basic needs we can functionally meet for the project users - "customers’ customers" and then upgrade these basic needs, such as integrating diverse experiences to enrich and improve the quality of their lives.At the same time, thinking about how to help customers to enhance their market competitiveness, strengthen the cost-effectiveness of the project, landing and technical realizability.Of course, we will also consider whether we can meet the needs of the above two types of people professionally, constantly challenge ourselves, deny ourselves, and continue to communicate with customers. On this basis, we will complete the continuous innovative design and make an infinitely close to perfect solution. We call this "interactive design".

I've been thinking about whether the whole construction industry can become more rational when the economy is developing smoothly, whether the construction activities of the society can consider people and cities more, and I will be very happy if the construction practice can develop in such a direction.

I like challenges and I am very optimistic and positive, have the positive attitude to learn new things.

From the point of view of urban design, we have recently figured out how to create a city that is suitable for Chinese people, including the texture, space, function of the city, and so on. I have also made some attempts, such as the Shimao Tiancheng in Jinan, Shanghai Anting Science and Technology Harbor, are all hoping to use some appropriate size of small block texture, to break the pattern of large and disorderly blocks. In architectural design, more and more deeply consider how to use China's own technology, for the Chinese people, to design a truly suitable architecture for our time. I also worked with my partners to think about how to organize a design-oriented team that is competitive in China.

We will try to provide better soil for architects who love architecture and help them grow.

There are two most important aspects. First of all, you must love architectural design. A bank clerk may have no passion for his work, but he can work from nine to five, but design is a relatively special industry, as an architect, it is difficult to succeed if he/she does not love the industry i. We value a person's work attitude and see if he/she really wants to be an architect. In addition, we will also pay more attention to the basic skills that young architects learn in universities, such as the ability to analyze problems logically, the hands-on ability, and especially the creativity of design.

Every day is a different day to me, I always keep myself fresh.

By always learning the new things and keeping up the pace with the time.

As long as it makes contribution to the society, I would consider it as the a good design, a good design always sparkles.

To designers, a 100% perfect design is like never even exists. You always want to make it better and you always think you can make it better. So for me I would stop at the point when I think it is 90% perfect, in that case I would feel satisfied with the project and still I left a space for the design to grow.

Well I guess it will be in the future….even though I’ve done many big projects and I am satisfied with them, I always expect the next one to be a more exciting one.

There are too many great architects and I learnt a lot from them, it’s really hard to say which one is my favorite.

I grew up at the foot of Yellow mountain, got my bachelor’s in Shanghai and my master’s in München. I worked in Germany and then I come back to Beijing and work all over China. Those different cultures together benefit me a lot, they’ve given me a broader view as a human being and as an architect, which lead me to better designs.

The essence of the design is to arrange a mechanism of communication and cooperation, stick to design is what I am insist on.

What I’ve done in return is to do good designs that benefit the society, and to give young people more opportunities in their careers.

The process of participating in the awards is memory and learning experience. I look forward to winning the prize, to encouraging myself and the team.

It was definitely my freewill, being a designer is like a dream come true and to give me possibility to create more dreams.

A good design will make contributions to the whole human society and of course everyone should invest in it.

Well….I never think about it, maybe I was born to be a designer and it was meant to be.

Design is like putting everything together in one thing, you get what you see, you hear and what you think about together as a whole to make a little world for everyone to enjoy.

There shouldn’t be any limitation or rules about it, every designer has a unique way to present their own work.

It depends on the project.

Either works, trends might set the design as some designers might willingly follow what is popular at the moment. However, a good design could also set the trend as a good design type should be spread.

WSP Architects is an international comprehensive design firm. WSP was founded in Munich, Germany in 1996. Thanks to the steady development in these years, WSP has established offices in Munich, Beijing, Shanghai, Hefei with over 100 planners, architects, landscape architects and interior designers. It has become one of the leading design institutes in the industry, holding rich management experiences for large-scaled projects and maintaining partnerships with many successful clients.All four principal architects and landscape designers——Mr. Wu Gang, Ms. Zhang Ying, Mr. Chen Ling and Mr. Knud Rossen possess European education background and practice experience. Directed by these talents, WSP has been well recognized by the public and the professionals of its creativity, its advanced design concept and its exploratory spirit which are well displayed in their urban planning and design, high quality residential, city complex, industrial/ office park, hospitality, cultural, landscape and interior design projects.The core advantage of WSP comes from its multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural and multi-national group of principal designers and its design team. Based on this advantage, WSP has buWilt up a work model that allows experts of various disciplines, engineers, manufacturers as well as clients to join force to work for the best quality. This unique work method and process ensure the flourish of ideas, the innovation of the designs and the final success of every project.

It means everything to me.

Every design I made is like my kid to me, it’s hard to tell which my favorite is.

I feel full of energy when doing my design.

I am more than excited to see it is realized.

I live in Beijing right now and there are full of cultural heritages of this ancient city/country which surely affects my design, but it is hard to say the pros and cons, everyone has the unique opinion.

It depends on the project.

BIDU Inc. , Vanke, Infineon, LEGEND HOLDINGS, Hangzhou Normal university....

You are always welcomed to find me through our website/wechat account or by emailing pr@wsp.com.cn.