Illuminating the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture with the Light of Innovation

Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture Source: CCTV News

Jingzhe is the season when all things awaken and grow.

Spring thunder stirs, and all things revive.

Riding this spring breeze

Let us step into the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture

Verdant hues everywhere, poetic and picturesque

Here lies the spring of Chinese civilization

Version resources from different eras and carriers

Together releasing vitality and power across time and space

Versions are the "golden seeds" that record history and witness civilization

In this mid-spring season

Let us explore the seed bank of Chinese civilization together

Witness the enduring brilliance of Chinese civilization

Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture

Today we have invited

Fang Fang, Lead Lighting Designer of Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture

Sharing the story behind the illumination of "Wenrun Pavilion" with everyone

- Special Thanks for This Issue -

Lighting Institute of Zhejiang Provincial Architectural Design and Research Institute

The Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture, also known as "Wenrun Pavilion," is one of the most important cultural construction projects of 2022.

“版本作为一种文化载体，反映和见证着一个时代的文明成就，也推动和支撑一个民族的发展进步。”中国社会科学院学部委员刘跃进说，“站在新时代历史起点上，建设国家版本馆彰显了新时代的国力昌盛，昭示着中华民族伟大复兴的壮阔前景。”

For architect Wang Shu, lighting designer Fang Fang and all the teams involved in the design and construction, the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture represented a significant "national examination," which they met with ultimate pursuit and responsibility, creating this century-spanning artistic engineering masterpiece.

Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture

"The West considers the physical building; we contemplate the creation of space."

— Wang Shu

The architectural design of the Hangzhou National Archives Center revolves around the theme of "a contemporary library building with the spirit of Song Dynasty gardens," featuring "southern garden and northern hall, integrated hall and garden," which distinguishes the Hangzhou branch from others.

In fact, no Song Dynasty gardens have survived to this day, leaving designers without any direct reference. Therefore, Wang Shu drew inspiration from Song paintings, innovatively applying the "level distance" technique from Guo Xi's "Three Distances" theory of the Northern Song Dynasty to architectural construction, presenting a charm of progressive layers and concealed beauty.

Main Study Night View

Therefore, lead lighting designer Fang Fang and her team did not use the traditional method of external direct lighting. Instead, they shifted the focus to the gray spaces and the light emanating from within the building, striving to restore the building's inherent character. This approach aligns perfectly with the Song Dynasty's reverence for nature and advocacy of the concept of "unity of heaven and humanity".

South Garden Night View

By emphasizing the internal structure and various materials, the team considered the unified whole formed by mountains, water, and architecture as an integrated entity. They incorporated light as a crucial spatial material into the project, which not only expressed the architectural personality but also solved the functional lighting challenges in complex spaces.

Central Pavilion Night View

West Intersection Night View

Faced with diverse materials and complex architectural structures inside and outside the exhibition hall, designer Fang Fang led the lighting team through extensive calculations and simulations. Different equipment and lighting methods were adopted for materials with different reflectance rates, and various special luminaires were designed for specific structural areas to adapt to the space based on architectural features, ultimately presenting a unique and unified night view characteristic.

The Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture also has a large demand for intelligent scene control, so the design team adopted KNEX system integration for central control, integrating all controllable devices such as luminaires and monitoring systems of the Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture into one terminal, enabling easy control and adjustment, and effectively reducing energy waste.

Fang Fang

Director, Lighting Institute, Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Architectural Design and Research

Lead Lighting Designer, Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture

Fang Fang:

The strategic importance of this project needs no emphasis. All collaborating units involved demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility and made tremendous efforts. The challenges were numerous, but fortunately, we are generally very satisfied with the implementation results and overall effect.

Fang Fang:

Professor Wang Shu once stated that his greatest inspiration for garden creation here came from West Lake. We focused on the enclosure relationship between the main study, the south study, and the surrounding mountains and water systems.Just like West Lake, in this project, pedestrians experience changing scenery with every step; each spot offers a unique view. This applies to daytime scenery as well as to night views.

Based on the primary and secondary relationships of architecture, mountains, and water systems, different luminance levels are applied. Consideration is given to the role of objects in the composition to decide what to emphasize or omit, highlighting a state similar to that in "Travelers Among Mountains and Streams." Artistry is an important factor we consider throughout the entire project.

North Pavilion Area Night View Actual Shot

Fang Fang:

In selecting products for such projects, we tend to choose products we are already familiar with, as well as manufacturers with strong customization capabilities and robust after-sales service. This is because there is often no time for extensive research, a significant amount of customization is required, and sometimes there is a lack of initial funding support.

Fang Fang:

Before starting a project, we pay special attention to the unique character and temperament of the carrier itself. The characteristics of Song-style aesthetics differ significantly from modern, intense, and bold artistic expressions with grand gestures. Considering that the entire project involves an interplay between architecture and landscape gardening, the structural design and material selection adhere to many features of traditional aesthetics.

In terms of lighting techniques, we aim for the light to gently sweep across the space overall, while ensuring rich layers and lingering appeal in the details. This allows visitors and users to first perceive the beauty of nature and the environment as they wander through it.

Fang Fang:

This project involves a large number of custom luminaires. For example, wall washers require customized beam angles and anti-glare angles based on varying heights and textures. However, the greatest challenge lies in lighting the timber structures. Using traditional overlapping construction methods on-site, and to ensure no luminaires are visibly exposed, a single building may involve tens of thousands of custom luminaires and components, making the overall difficulty extremely high.

Editor's Note:

The Hangzhou National Archives of Publications and Culture, together with the Central General Hall in Beijing, the Xi'an Branch, and the Guangzhou Branch, jointly undertake the important mission of "continuing the Chinese cultural lineage." All four national archives embody the dedication, meticulousness, and craftsmanship of countless builders. They have used the power of technology to present the traditional charm of the Chinese nation to the world, and the light of civilization spreading through the National Archives will continue to illuminate the path of rejuvenation for the Chinese nation!