Cui Shu | From Beginning to End

“As a post-80s generation, I am very grateful to have the opportunity and time to learn design and become a designer with the help of parents. It requires rational thinking to solve problems when doing designs. And it is a course of individual growth to witness my career path from freshman to veteran.”  

“Think about this: what drives a gorilla to stand up on two feet for the first time? It is supposed that the answer is an idea. When the gorilla wants to reach food or an object in a tree, it might come up with an creative idea that stand up on feet would help. Therefore, the ability to be creative does not belong to a small, professional group of designers, but to all people. I believe that everyone with independent thinking has his or her own creative ideas.”

“Creativity is produced in the process of cognition and breaking of stereotypes. Cognition can be divided into several stages, the first of which is discovery and awareness. When we discover and perceive, we transform the new knowledge into our own through instruction, then understand it in our own perception. That is the process of cognition.”

Zhang Can | Zero To One

“Today I would like to speak about the process of design thinking. First of all, I want to recommend a book for you, The Eyes of the Skin - Architecture and the Senses by Juhani Pallasmaa. Here is an excerpts from this book, ‘Perception of light, space, memory, form and material, but not direct imitation - Le Corbusier’. I didn’t know if you would study such text at the beginning of design. In our team, drawing is not allowed when brainstorming while every idea should be written down by text, in that words will not limit your imagination yet pictures will.”

“Although I have learned a lot from the works of masters, it is important to think independently. Certainly, you would be full of thoughts and reflections when appreciating the work of an architect like Louis Kahn, which also help to broaden your sight.” 

“It is essential to think over the what your design plan is trying to express before starting. It can be a sense of freedom, sacredness, mystery or tranquility. Design is a method rather than a purpose... I would recommend young designers to read more books so as to acquire a broad range of knowledge.”

Host: First of all, I would like to ask the two curators, what do you want to express by applying stone material in the exhibition space through design?

Zhang Can: This year, we have in total 10 co-curators exploring the possibilities of stone in different ways to present its characteristic as a material and express the ambience of a space. In my exhibition space, I considered stone as a kind of substance on the Earth rather than building material in the first place. Therefore I came up with the concept of “interstellar”. Some planets may contain diamonds, others may be salt, and there are different substances on the Earth. I hope to explore the states of stone.

Cui Shu: I would like to share with you three points that I have learned by participating in this exhibition. First, the exhibition is like a topic given examination that for the first time I am able to walk into each interior space designed by my friends, knowing from what perspectives they answer this “question” and being inspired.

Second, any kind of materials being used through interior design will produce new results. The overall environment of the interior design industry is thriving. In such situation, it is important for designers to make the highest “score”.

Thirdly, thanks to this exhibition, more designers and the community have an opportunity to exchange ideas in a relatively equal, open and diversified way. I hope there will be more such exhibitions in the future.

Host: Next, we would like to invite representatives of stone brands who also participated in the exhibition to talk about their feelings. Have you encountered any difficulties or technological challenges?

Song Weiguo (UMGG): This year, we participated in Zhang Can’s project, “Interstellar Space”. Through close communication, the technical production staff of our company understood the designer’s idea and intention, which was a good learning experience.

We were involved in the production of the carved surface of the wavy wall. Mr. Zhang Can gave us a lot of guidance in the course of processing and there it is presented.

Lv Gengli (MANSON NATURE STONE): Hello everyone. In the space of “Space & Observation”, Manson Nature Stone provided the relatively dark marble. Before the show, we were worried that whether it would be less brilliant compared to other stone varieties.

If you observe closely rather than wandering about, you will never miss the incredible space behind the holes in the wall in which stone are presented in a special way through the design of Mr. Cui Shu. I suppose that is the power of design which will promote the development of stone industry. 

Li Qing’e (LOTUS EAST): We are honored to take part in Mr. Cui Shu’s work of “Space & Observation”. Stone, as one of the oldest building materials to be widely used from the pyramids of ancient Egypt to the Great Wall of China, has well demonstrated its durability. The topic of this exhibition is about the vitality of stone. And I think this work has given the vitality of stone. The main difficulty we encountered was that Mr. Cui wanted to show the texture of natural stone. To achieve it, we were adjusting the transmittance of the stone constantly. Today we are very happy to witness the completion of this exhibition space.

Liu Rui (NEWDECO): First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Zhang Can for trusting us. We participated in the work "Interstellar Space", and made the surface of the installation on the ceiling. The core of this work is to reveal stone itself as a kind of substance.

There are two difficulties in this project. One is that it is impossible to use large slate on the cambered surface. Second is the concern of weight. During the preparation stage, our technical team have communicated with Mr. Zhang Can and his team to solve these problems and later we agreed to change the original three-dimensional shape into several flats by pasting small sized ultra-thin stone on the cambered surface.

Host: I found that designers convey different ideas and present various beauty of stone in their exhibition spaces. So I would like to ask Mr. Zhang Can and Mr. Cui Shu, do you gain any new knowledge about stone through this event? 

Zhang Can: What I learned this time is that in this kind of space, a designer should think about the continuation of space emotions by using materials. Design or material, in fact, are merely the carriers. How to use them properly is rather important. Therefore, I would advise young designers to take part in more activities like this. Also, the preliminary thinking is very helpful.

Cui Shu: After visiting all the booths, I got a feeling that the larger the scale and area of a material being used, the softer it becomes. This broke my cognition that I used to think stone conveys a feeling of cold. But in the work of Mr. Steve Leung, stainless steel is used. Surprisingly, stone becomes soft in contrast. Furthermore, Siza Cham and Thomas Tse both shaped their booths in standard square boxes. Difference is that one placed some three-dimensional stone to make it outstanding in a plain space. Another is to set up a cross installation of stone in the space, combined with light and mirror to create an illusory scene, thereby stretching the whole space. Therefore, here we can not only see how everyone uses the same variety of stone, but also know the curator’s design idea from different perspectives.

Host: Thank you for your sharing. Today we also want to discuss about the trending topic of sustainability. In the context of stone industry, what aspects do you think the sustainability of stone are?

Liu Rui (NEWDECO): With the dramatic increase on quarrying, there is a reduction on good quarries. As a result, a mass duplication of other products becomes prevailing. However, stone is a natural material that cannot be replaced as it has unique texture, veins and colors. I believe the application of natural stone in the future will no be in large quantities or volumes. On the contrary, it will gradually decrease. The vitality of stone will be glowing on designed and artistic works.

Li Qing’e (LOTUS EAST): The recycle of natural stone becomes more feasible due to technological development. Moreover, stone is relatively hard that there are many successful projects proving its durability. From this perspective, I think stone is sustainable.

Lv Gengli (MANSON NATURE STONE): In terms of sustainability, I used to feel that I did business easily, and then the existing market narrowed. But nowadays, stone companies start to cooperate with designers to expand market or find another channel, which, in fact, is a start from scratch. That’s my simple understanding of sustainability.

Cui Shu: Designers should be more restrained when we have the ability to express ourselves. I agree with what Miss Li said to make the stone more durable, so that the material can be used in a long term. Besides, stone is a natural material. Its value is determined by designers or buyers according to the market demand. I think we should enhance our ability of aesthetic thinking while being restrained.

Zhang Can: Sustainability is a matter of resources that it requires greener quarrying and proper application to increase recycle rate. Putting up price is also a method because sustainability or green building is a concept that costs a lot. It will bring more environmental protection to the earth, which is an important aspect of sustainable stone use. Another explanation of stone sustainability is the recycling. Every year, we may dismantle countless buildings and materials, including all kinds of materials and stone, but I think this material can be reused. These are my understandings from design perspective.

Song Weiguo (UMGG): In my opinion, sustainability can be interpreted in internal and external aspects. In the external aspect, we are looking forward to the national strategy of achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. With the development, the requirements of green and environmental protection in the building materials field may become more strict in the future. In addition, in order to achieve these goals, stone enterprises themselves also need to make some changes, such as to change the previous extensive mining, the destruction of the quarry environment, the waste of materials to promote the comprehensive use of materials. Stone is a material with various application possibilities. The whole industry should make joint efforts to develop its potentials.

On July 31, Mr. Steve Leung shared his curation ideas via video. In the on-site forum, designer Xie Tian, Sing Huang (representing Steve Leung) also delivered keynote speeches and had a conversation with representatives from stone brands including Ms. Wang Tianping and Ms. Zhou Shanshan, hoping to give the audience more inspirations about the future of design and stone.

Steve Leung | Reflecting Life by Stone

“Since ancient times, ‘harmony between human kind and the nature’ has been the ideal state in Chinese culture, reflecting the deep pursuit of harmonious coexistence. This year, the theme of the exhibition is 'Stone and Vitality', hoping that by using stone, people can explore the life and beauty of the nature from a new perspective, and establish a deeper connection.”

“The theme of my space was ‘Reflecting Life by Stone’, showing different stages of life. To correspond to the theme, our team and I selected CALACATTA VIOLA as the main material in the exhibition space and use steel stainless to reflect the lights so as to create strong visual impact. With immersive experience, stone material demonstrated its unique vitality, letting audience feel the nature.”

Sing Huang | Unbounded

“There were many people visiting and taking snap in our stand last year and Mr. Steve Leung was pleased with the outcome. Therefore, I was assigned to carry out the exhibition space this year. Perhaps next year, I should be more proactive and tell Mr. Leung to hand over this work to me, because it is really a great honor and learning opportunity to stand here sharing stories with you.”

“It has been 25 years since the foundation of SLD and Mr. Steve Leung will celebrate his 65th birthday this year. I have been working at SLD for 15 years. This time, I hope to share with you some experiences of SLD here in this forum.”

“The success of a project highly depends on the understanding of customer’s needs. Otherwise, the design will never be approved by the customer. Therefore, when doing design, we will primarily conduct marketing research including discussing the upcoming marketing strategy with the customer, as well as the research on targeted audience of the project and the status quo of other similar projects. Finally the design style and aesthetics will be determined.”

Xie Tian | Looking Back

“Design is a kind of thinking, communication and prospect of life. In essence, it is the externalization of the appreciation on the value of existence and the meaning of life. Life is the foundation of design in that loving life is the internal power of design, and help extend design vitality. A person who loves life is likely to become an excellent designer, whose works can inpress and inspire people.”

“What is design life? I always joke that one can be a designer as long as he/she has three abilities - painting, basics of design and diligence, with which, one will earn money and step into the second stage of experiencing life, artistic talent and diligence. In terms of experiencing life, if you think you cannot afford for a five-star accommodation, then how you are able to say that you have the ability to design a five-star hotel. Therefore, I think to be a designer, you have to know life and living styles. Then you have to have some artistic talent, but the most important in this stage is hard work. I often tell my children that the most cost-effective word is ‘diligence’. Mr. Leoh Ming Pei has a saying, when diligence becomes a habit, you will feel uncomfortable if you are not diligent.”

“The meaning of interior design originates from life, because in essence, it looks for a balance in a world full of choices and differences. For me, the significance of interior design is to provide a space for people to settle in. Therefore, it should be taken seriously.

Design requires forward-looking, however, looking back and reflect often is necessity for a good design.”

Host: First, we would like to ask Mr. Xie Tian to share with us your design ideas and expression of this exhibition space. Also, what kind of stone varieties did you choose for the space. How did you use them?

Xie Tian: It is relatively limited concerning the space in such an exhibition. Thus, I think there are two ways of displaying. One is the technique of space shaping to create a scenario by modeling the material to its extreme. Besides, it can be shown with artistic design, giving visitors time and space to think and reflect.

The starting point of my design came from an idea that I have used large amount of stone during my 30 years of design career, but I was confused if I can continue using this kind of natural material unlimited.

In my design space, I placed a seesaw in the middle showing different values of two or more parties. The classical stone sculpture, European Roman column represents the adoration to stone. With aesthetic improving, the connection between space and human has changed, which requires more appropriate use of stone.

On the other side lays a traditional Chinese footstall made of steel bars in which wasted stone materials from the Roman column were piled, representing the reuse of materials. We want to raise questions for audience rather than advocating a certain proposition, because it varies with each individual.

Host: Next, let’s welcome Mr. Sing Huang, representative of Mr. Steve Leung. What do you think are the differences between the two exhibition spaces this year and last year?

Sing Huang: First of all, I would like to say hello to you on behalf of Mr. Steve Leung, who is also looking forward to seeing you soon. As a front-line designer in SLD Group, I want to share with you our experience of this small project from a practical perspective.

Usually, the success of a project depends on two key factors - customer’s preference and cost control. The first problem was solved when Mr. Steve Leung told me to go ahead with the project and follow my heart. As for cost control, the stone brand, Huahui Holding Co. sponsored this beautiful marble, CALACATTA VIOLA and processed according to our needs, which has relieved the stress concerning budgeting. We really appreciate it and enjoy in working on this project.

Sustainable development is one of the responsibilities that we should bear. There’s an extra 1 meter higher of this booth than that of last year. However, we didn’t place more stone, yet just used mirrors reflecting stone to be seemed 1 meter higher, so as to achieve the effect but also save materials.

Host: Next, I would like to invite Ms. Wang Tianping to share with us your experiences over the cooperation with Mr. Xie Tian on the project of “The Border of Two Opposing Powers”. 

Wang Tianping (WANLI STONE): I was impressed that Mr. Xie Tian collected all the wasted stone when we were producing this work. This was the first time a designer required to collect the wasted material and he explained why he did that just now. Besides, it was confused when we were making the seesaw installation and adjusted many times to fix it. But as soon as we come to the scene, it all make sense. It is important to find a balance life while facing many troubles. 

Host: Then let’s welcome Ms. Zhou Shanshan. How do you feel about this cooperation with designer? Are there any innovative applications? And what do you think about the theme of this exhibition?

Zhou Shanshan (HUAHUI HOLDING CO.): Good afternoon, I’m Zhou Shanshan from Huahui Holding Co. This year, we provided the marble, CALACATTA VIOLA for Mr. Steve Leung’s space and worked with the SLD team. I’d like to state a different point of view concerning sustainable development in such forum. I think it is because stone is precious that more devoted design is needed to make proper use of it. Recycle is one of the methods. Also, the combination of mirror and lights in Mr. Leung and Mr. Huang’s space is a way to show the vitality in stone. From this perspective, I believe that advocating the nature is the most important in that all resource is precious and valuable, which requires better applications.

Host: There is still time left, we will continue to ask guests to summarize by using a sentence to describe how to balance the irreplaceable and non-renewable stone?

Zhou Shanshan (HUAHUI HOLDING CO.): Good materials need to be applied properly, which I suppose is the best respect we can show to the nature. 

Wang Tianping (WANLI STONE): All the natural resources are irreplaceable. But since they already existed, we should cherish them as a valued gift from the nature and make the best use of them.

Sing Huang: I think I can hardly use a word to describe. First of all, stone is very beautiful which I like to use in many projects. But it becomes less. In my humble  opinion, if it is possible to thin the stone slab so as to increase the utilization. Next step might falls on technological optimization. 

Xie Tian: In western countries, the most common architecture we can see is the church, for example in Baroque style, which has lasted for five hundred years, one thousand years old or even longer. The outer walls are made of stone material. While in China, wood is widely used in building to form Chinese architectural space by mortise and tenon joint structure. This is the biggest difference between the East and the West.

Western classical architecture has been preserved for a relatively better than Chinese wood structure buildings over thousands of years. From this point of view, it is believed that stone is more durable.

But with technological development, there are lots of materials that can replace the durable function of stone, such as sintered stone. So I think it's not that we don't use stone, but we should use it appropriately. As designers, we can think about the future through the observation and reflection of the past.

Ending

The Development Forum of Habitat Interior Design - Vitality of Stone in Sustainable Design has come to an end successfully. Hope the stone community, designers and practitioners in related sectors would get inspired from the forum.