Interview with Bin Fan & Xiaoying Zhang, Lead Designers from China

We are Bin Fan & Xiaoying Zhang, lead designers for the project by Chengdu DOV Design Co. We have over 30 years of design experience, and currently, we're focused on international business development.

In the context of the times, designers were respected and had social responsibilities and a sense of duty while also contributing to the development of the environment, which is why we chose the profession of a designer.

Multidimensional Design Company was established 30 years ago, headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It primarily engages in commercial and public interior design, small-scale architectural design, and furniture design, with business operations in the Americas, Australia, and Africa.

For us, design is a form of applied art, a fusion of technology and philosophy, which plays a significant role in the development of human society as a whole. It is the forerunner of technology.

We believe the categorisation of design is not important; the key is the design methods and ideas. We prefer designs that are valuable to society, contribute to the quality of life for humanity, and promote sustainable development of the environment.

A good design is design that is valuable to society, contribute to the quality of life for humanity, and promote sustainable development of the environment.

The project involved the reconstruction of YaYa Pond, with the core project being the renovation and update of the interior of the Catholic Church. We had two responsibilities: first, to maintain and protect the cultural heritage of the church, which is the core building of the block; second, to revitalise the community and commercial atmosphere around the church, thereby bringing new vitality to people and society. We aimed to ensure that the entire space would have a long-lasting life.

The Catholic Church was originally built by a French missionary in 1802 and officially rebuilt in 1898. The earliest ceiling featured a bamboo lattice from the local culture. Taking into account the local culture and religious practices, the texture of "Daoming Bamboo Weaving" was extracted and applied to the Gothic vaulted decorations. Considering public building fire safety, stainless steel material was used to imitate bamboo weaving, which gives the design both a contemporary feature and a historical quality.

The building itself is a cultural heritage. The French missionary designer of the time adopted a Sino-European hybrid style, focusing primarily on participation and respect. During this design process, we immersed ourselves in reverse studying and understanding the design concept of the architectural complex, as if spending months with the French missionary designer from a century ago, eventually continuing to respect and develop the local cultural heritage.

Thank you! Our company has won multiple international awards, but this is the first time winning the French Design Awards, which helps us to go global and align with the trend of globalisation.

The Catholic Church has been in existence for over 200 years and is one of the few buildings of its kind in China and the world, akin to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Due to various historical reasons, it has been damaged multiple times and has undergone several changes. This project is a process of rebuilding and growth. We chose to participate in this project because it was built by a French missionary and is a historical renovation that represents the fusion of Chinese, French, and local cultures. While paying tribute to the French missionary architect, we hope to use contemporary technology to bring back the fragments buried in the river of history a century ago.

The Catholic Church is a Sino-Western hybrid architecture with significant historical weight, which placed great pressure on the designer. We needed to respect history while also creating new value. We held reservations about the "repair the old as the old" approach and prefer to practice the "authenticity" principles of the Venice Charter, which include the following views:

1. The new must respect the old.

2. The new should compensate for the regrets and shortcomings of the old.

3. The new derivative part must have the evolution and footprint of the old.

4. Ensure a perceptual difference between the new and the old.

5. The new should feel "old" in spirit and atmosphere. The handling of the church's surrounding courtyards also applied these views, forming an overall concept.

We have seen the ideas of cultural diversity, cultural integration, and sustainable development. The collision of different traditional cultures can coexist harmoniously with the help of today's technology.

1. International exchange

2. Bringing value to clients through projects

3. Making meaningful contributions to the sustainable development of the human environment

This is the restoration and renovation of an old building, not a new construction. The design approach involves finding ideas under existing conditions. How to reasonably "stand on the shoulders of giants" is the question. The design is like a dancer carefully performing in a china shop, displaying a beautiful dance, interacting with the audience, while also preserving the beauty of the china shop.

With the development of AI, the value of design will gradually shift towards creativity, while the value of technical components will decline. This creativity is not only in the artistic sense but also includes attention to new human needs, cultural development, and sustainability.

Design needs to find a balance between aesthetics, utility, and cultural connotation. Once your work reaches a certain level, winning awards is not difficult.

Participate in exhibitions, competitions, and learn more from clients.

The result of a good design project depends on the client, not the designer.

Leonardo da Vinci, because a good designer should be all-encompassing.

Calm down and look inward; stand up and look outward. Don't let yourself become a closed person. Keep up with the times and believe in yourself.