Archives: In Process. Atelier Deshaus, Long Museum, Shanghai (original) (raw)

Archives: In Process "Archives: In Process" is a recurring segment within the Multimedia column of Perspectives in Architecture and Urbanism. The segment focuses on the work of contemporary practitioners in urban and rural China, featuring representative projects completed in recent years. While images and descriptions of these projects may already be available in international print and digital media, what is largely missing-particularly in English-speaking literature-is evidence of the motivations, practices, conditions, and contingencies that shaped them. The segment aims to fill this gap by exploring the processes of architectural design through a curated selection of visual materials collected from practitioners' working archives. These materials include high resolution scans of sketches, technical drawings, and photographs-taken before, during, or after construction-along with written notes, letters, documents, memos, screenshots, diagrams, and study models. The selection of materials and the structure of each installment follow extensive interviews with the architects. Brief critical paragraphs introduce the images, while detailed captions describe each unique document, ensuring they are easy to access, identify, and cite for both current and future research. Case studies are chosen by members of the Editorial Office to offer insight into broader Chinese architectural discourse and the ongoing transformation of the country's built environment. Atelier Deshaus, founded in Shanghai in 2001, is led by partners and principal architects Liu Yichun (b. 1969) and Chen Yifeng (b. 1972). Based in Shanghai's Xuhui District, the office currently employs approximately 30 collaborators. Since its foundation, Atelier Deshaus has showcased its work in major international architecture and art exhibitions. Liu and Chen are regularly invited to deliver academic lectures at leading universities in China and abroad, and their projects have received multiple national and international awards. In 2011, the office was named one of Architectural Record's Design Vanguard firms of the year. The Long Museum (completed in 2014) is a cultural and exhibition space located in the West Bund corridor of Shanghai’s Xuhui District. Over the past decade, the museum has been featured in international architectural media, both in print and online, and has earned numerous awards. These include the 2014 DFA Awards (Silver Prize, Hong Kong Design Center), the 2014 AR Awards for Emerging Architecture (Runner-up, The Architectural Review, UK), the 2015 Designs of the Year (Finalist, London Design Museum, UK), the 2015 Iconic Award for Architecture Best of Best (German Design Council), the 2015 WA Awards for Chinese Architecture (City Regeneration Award, China), the 2016 Architecture Creation Award (Gold Prize, Public Architecture, China), the 2019 AIA Shanghai Design Awards, the 2020 ARCASIA Awards for Architecture (Gold Prize, Public Amenity: Social and Cultural Building), and the 2021 WA Achievement Award (High Commendation). The Long Museum was commissioned by the Shanghai Xuhui Waterfront Development, Investment & Construction Co., Ltd. and promoted by private collectors and entrepreneurs Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei. Structural, electrical, and mechanical engineering services were provided by the Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd., while the lighting design was overseen by Shanghai Guangyu Lighting Design Co., Ltd.