Open Architecture, one of China's most influential architectural studios, has built its reputation on rejecting conventional client requests and pushing creative boundaries. The Beijing-based firm, founded by married architects Huang Wenjing and Li Hu, is now set to curate a major exhibition at the Powerhouse Parramatta in Sydney, demonstrating their unique approach to design that extends far beyond traditional architecture.
"People come to us, normally they are not quite sure what they want, but they know they want something different, something special," Li told Dezeen in a recent interview. "If a client wants a specific style, it's kind of boring to us. We want to push the boundary, do something different, something we've never done before." This philosophy has driven the studio's rapid rise since establishing its Beijing office in 2008, creating experimental buildings that often look like something else entirely.
The studio's recently completed Sun Tower exemplifies this approach. The 50-meter-tall concrete cone functions like a giant sundial and originated from the broadest of instructions from the client. "We are more interested in a project that is a question," Li explained. "We worked on a lot of projects with very simple briefs. For Sun Tower, the brief was to make something substantial. We enjoy the process of helping the client to define the project."
This collaborative methodology also shaped their latest commission for Task Eternal, the opening exhibition at the under-construction Powerhouse Parramatta in Sydney, scheduled to open in late 2026. The Powerhouse Museum announced today that Open Architecture has been commissioned to design and curate the exhibition, an aerospace showcase informed by Ted Chiang's science-fiction short story "The Tower of Babylon." The exhibition will be presented in PS1, Australia's largest museum space, measuring more than 2,100 square meters with an 18-meter height.
Unlike typical exhibition design processes where studios receive detailed briefs and object lists, Open Architecture received no brief from the Powerhouse Museum. Instead, they worked collaboratively with the in-house curatorial team to develop the initial concept from scratch. "It's literally a museum within a museum," Li said. "We really want to push the form of exhibition making, combining architecture, concept and curation."
The expansive and immersive Task Eternal exhibition will invite visitors on an ascending journey through four acts: Skyward, Power, Off-Earth, and The Return. Open Architecture structured the exhibition based on the cinematic experience, creating 35 different scenes across the four main acts. The journey spans from early navigation stories through the commercialization and weaponization of space, to exploring space and returning to Earth. "There's so much we don't know, but there's a lot more we need to hold on to. That is the Earth, where we are grounded," said Huang, explaining their hope that visitors will reflect on humanity's urge to strike out into the unknown.
The exhibition represents Open Architecture's evolution beyond the landmark design for which they're known. Huang and Li believe this diversification is necessary adaptation in a complex and changing world. "We are less arrogant than we used to be, humbled by how fast things can change," said Huang. "The way to cope with the changing world is to learn more skills, do more things, explore more territories so we can always adapt. In Chinese, we call it 'skill in 18 types of combat.'"
This adaptability is evident in their recent housing project in Shenzhen, a typology they've never tackled before. The studio is handling not just the architectural design but also planning, landscape design, interior design, lighting design, and furniture design for the project. "Ironically when the real estate market in China was doing so well in the past 20 years, we almost had no opportunity of doing housing design," Huang explained. "But now since its collapse we started to get opportunities, because people realize the market is flooded with bad products of residential buildings, and put more emphasis on lifestyle and quality of life."
Named Nanshan Commune, the housing project is intended as an antidote to China's ubiquitous gated communities and residential towers. Open Architecture has taken advantage of the sloping site, introducing four green terraces and two community centers to the ground level. "We believe buildings are to protect nature, not destroy nature," said Huang. "Architecture should be an instrument to capture the invisible elements of nature, such as light and sound, to ignite our senses to feel the surroundings, because we, as humans, are part of nature."
This nature-oriented philosophy permeates every aspect of their work, from where they choose to build to what materials they use. "Every single decision reflects our attitude to nature," Huang claimed. The duo attempted to convey these ideas through a documentary film called "Nature Trilogy," produced in collaboration with director Zhang Nan and premiered at the Venice Architecture Biennale earlier this year. The film profiles three of Open Architecture's best-known projects – UCCA Dune Art Museum, Chapel of Sound, and Sun Tower – and the philosophy connecting them.
China takes a different approach to sustainability than the West, the pair argue, pitching it as a nature-oriented understanding rather than a technical one. "Nature is not about numbers – how much carbon emissions, how much energy used," said Li. "You can have a building that is beautiful on the chart, but does not perform. Ecology is a social agenda, not a technical calculation." Huang added that while architects have professional training on sustainability and technology implementation, they must also consider social and spiritual aspects. "Nature is sacred. Our ancestors see nature as power and mystery, but nowadays, we see it as resources, something we can use and control."
The founders believe these broader dimensions should take critical importance in architectural practice. "Otherwise we end up with more technology to treat the problem we created by technology. We need to treat the source of the problem, not the symptoms," Huang continued. This holistic approach positions Open Architecture as a studio willing to challenge conventional practices while embracing uncertainty and collaboration as creative catalysts.
