On Nov. 1, 2015, Sino-Italian Forum for Future Cities was grandly held in Pugongying Conference Center in DOBE E-manor Daning. As one of the series of activities for the World Cities Day in 2015, the forum was cosponsored by Architectural Society of Shanghai, Sino Italian Design Exchange Center, Sissi Studio, organized by DOBE Group, with Sissi Studio’s Founder Ms. Liu Yu as Chief Planner. The activity attracted the close attention and passionate participation of Chinese and Italian construction industry and media, and got great support from UN-Habitat, Shanghai Coordination Center for World Cities Day, Florence Municipal Government, Italian Consulate in Shanghai, Architectural Society of China.
When Expo Milano ended successfully, Chinese and Italian master architects, rising architects, planners, entrepreneurs engage in real estate, technology and materials gathered in Shanghai, the host city of Expo 2010. Under the theme “ACHI-CITY Future Design and Planning for Sino-Italian Cities from Expo Shanghai to Expo Milano”, combining the “Exploration of Cities in the Internet + Era”, focusing on China and Italy, radiating to the world’s future city development, this forum not only built a high-end open international exchange platform, deepened exchanges and cooperation between Sino-Italian construction industries, promoted the perfect collision and fusion of Sino-Italian architectural culture, but also made a positive and effective exploration for promoting the transformation of traditional industries and speeding up the healthy development of urbanization by discussing the technology innovation born in the internet era.
The forum lasted one day. At 9:00 a.m., the sand painting performance that integrated the main venues of Expo Shanghai and Expo Milano kicked off the forum. The forum was presided over by Mr. Ye Songqing, Vice Council Chairman and Secretary of Architectural Society of Shanghai. Consul General Mr. Stefano Beltrame of Italian Consulate in Shanghai and Council Chairman Mr. Cao Jiaming of Architectural Society of Shanghai respectively made a speech. As the forum’s opening guest, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Architect of China Pavilion for Expo Shanghai Mr. He Jingtang first shared his post-expo practice and thinking on city development with the participants, combining the city concept of Expo Shanghai and design idea of China Pavilion, under the title “Post-Expo Architectural Innovation”. Next, Expo Milano Chief Planner and Theme Maker Mr. Stefano Boeri and Doctor Xu Yibo gave a speech together. Mr. Boeri already returned to Milan for urgent business. But he sent good wishes for the forum, shared his ideas about expo and cities with the guests through a video. Based on the planning concept of Expo Milano, as well as Mr. Boeri’s creation practice, Boeri Studio China’s Chief Inspector Doctor Xu Yibo shared their considerations and suggestions about city development with the audience under the title “To Forest Cities”. Afterward, Mr. Boeri will customize landscape for DOBE’s first project in Hangzhou——DOBE E-manor of East Brook, introduce new vertical landscape from Milano and put his urban forest concept into practice in the park’s planning.
DEDODESIGN founder and Chief Architect Ms. Nunzia Carbone gave a speech titled “Eatable City”, to express her thinking about cities and design ideas. Chief Architect of China Pavilion for Expo Milano Mr. Lu Yichen gave a speech under the title “5 Concepts about China Pavilion for Expo Milano” following the outline of urban public space design in China’s large scale urban construction, combining China Pavilion for Expo Milano, to discuss how to actively create “artificial nature” purposefully through architectural design and landscaping design on the basis of the site’s current condition, to have a real dialogue with urban public space, actively reform urban public space by combing and connecting the site’s cultural context. 3GATTI Studio’s Presiding Architect Mr. Francesco Gatti closed the morning part of the forum with a speech titled “Follow the Heart”.
The afternoon part of the forum officially started at 13:30. The afternoon part was presided over by Director of Operations Ms. Dai Chun of magazine Time + Architecture. Italian architect and Progetto CMR CEO Mr. Massimo Roj came to Shanghai particularly for the forum. He shared his city concept with Chinese and foreign architects under the title “More Ecological, Less Self-interested-Sustainability Facing Sharing”. Senior Chief Architect of Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., Architect of Shanghai Bund Scenery Belt and Shanghai Museum Mr. Xing Tonghe gave a speech under the title “World Expos Guides the Future of Cities” . He shared his ideas about world expo and cities in three parts, namely “Goodbye! Expo Milano!”, “Unforgettable! Expo Shanghai!” and “Stay! World Expo of All Human Beings!”. Chief Architect of Pavilion of Future for Expo Shanghai 2010, Chief Architect of Power Station of Art, TJAD Original Design Studio’s Presiding Architect Mr. Zhang Ming gave a speech under the title “A Relative Future” based on his rich practical experience, to hare his thinking and suggestions about cities. Kokai Studios’ cofounder and K11 Art Center’s Designer Mr. Filippo Gabbiani shared his idea about cities with everyone based on his rich disciplinary knowledge and experience. Person in Charge of Digital Design Research Center of Key Laboratory of Ecology and Energy-saving Study of Dense Habitat (Tongji University) Ministry of Education, Cofounder of Digital Design Committee of Institute of Chinese Architects, ASC, Founder and Design Director of ARCHI-UNION ARCHITECTS Mr. Yuan Feng shared a speech titled “Digital Urban Architectural Aesthetics” based on his research experience in architectural design methods, digital architectural desing and construction methods.
At last, DOBE Group’s Chief Art Director Mr. Su Rong briefly introduced Sino Italian Design Exchange Center’s work on promoting Sino Italian cultural exchanges and building enterprise service platforms. He respectively explained DOBE’s understanding of city renewal, functional space and future city relations from “culture, ecology, service”, “greenness, wisdom, culture”, gave a closing speech for the forum. The one-day Sino-Italian Forum for Future Cities hereby ended perfectly.
According to the forum’s Chief Planner Ms. Liu Yu, the forum this year is just the beginning. In the future, on the World Cities Day every year, a Sino-Foreign Forum for Future Cities will be held based the major events and hot topics of the year, gradually introduce more new concepts, try more exploration and possibilities, in the hope that the forum can promote more exchange and cooperation between Chinese and foreign peers, make contributions to the healthy and harmonious development of Chinese and world cities with the sharing and synergy of Chinese and foreign experts, the whole industry and society can pay continuous attention to and actively take part in the discussion on urbanization construction for Better City, Better Life.
