In celebration of its seventh anniversary, new chair leadership, and the formation of its Advisory Group, the AIANY Committee on Residential Architecture presents Concrete Encounters: Architecture of Repair and Theory Across Cultures—a program blending video interviews and a book discussion. Join us for video interviews with the founders of Amateur Architecture Studio, which set the context for a book talk by Ruo Jia on Chinese experimental architecture within a global theoretical framework shaped by cross-cultural exchange.
Stephen Moser and Michael Landry, incoming AIANY Committee Co-Chairs, will introduce the program, reflecting on past accomplishments and its evolving mission to set the stage for an evening of film and conversation.
Two video segments feature interviews with Amateur Architecture Studio founders Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu. The videos situate their practice within a broader context while highlighting Lu Wenyu’s focus on repair—where material reuse, construction knowledge, and on-site craftsmanship inform a design approach—as they take on their upcoming role at the Venice Biennale in 2027.
After a brief intermission, the event will continue with a lecture by Ruo Jia based on her new book, Chinese Experimental Architecture Or French Poststructuralist Theory: Different Patches of the Concrete (Routledge, 2026). Her research situates Chinese experimental architecture within a global theoretical framework, highlighting how cross-cultural exchanges expand architectural thinking and challenge conventional narratives.
A discussion with Guanghui Ding and Ekin Bilal will follow, contextualizing the themes of Ruo Jia’s book within the development of contemporary Chinese architecture and extending their relevance to a broader global exchange of ideas.
