Chinese and American students to build four seaside installations in Dongtou
Wenzhou, January 10: The Dongtou International Design-Build Festival kicked off today. Over 40 students and faculty members from Wenzhou-Kean University and Kean University in the United States descended upon Dongtou, Wenzhou, and embarked on an eight-day journey of designing outdoor art installations on the island.
As planned, they will be working in four teams to conduct design and construction activities in the island’s Zhongyu Scenic Area. With a focus on the innovative applications that reflect ecological-environmental protection and resource recycling, they are aimed to creating installations that represent the island’s unique characteristics through art.
Dongtou International Design-Build Festival officially opened.
Dongtou is one of 14 counties located on an island in China, and the only 4A-level tourist destination named after a county. Wenzhou-Kean University, with its unique international resources and talent advantages coupled with strong research and practical foundation in fields such as architectural design, aligns perfectly with Dongtou’s efforts to build an international ecological tourism island and promote the "Strong City Action" initiative.
All the participants took a group photo by the seaside.
“Last year, the location for our Master of Architecture project was at Meihuajiao in Dongtou, and the final report was also delivered here by the seaside. That project connected us with the Wenzhou Sea Garden Construction Command, who made this collaboration possible,” said David Vardy, Distinguished Associate Professor at the Michael Graves College of Architecture and Public Design at Wenzhou-Kean University. Growing up in a small fishing village in Scotland, Vardy said, “I really love the history and culture of Dongtou. Coming here feels like coming home. We hope that we can contribute to the cultural and tourism development of Dongtou through this design-build.”
More than 10 students and teachers coming all the way from Kean University School of Public Architecture joined WKU students on the island of Dongtou. Lauryn Repollet, a student in the architectural studies at Kean University, feels that the event is a great opportunity for students from both countries to understand each other’s culture, collaborate, and leave behind something meaningful on the island. Zhan Yue, a graphic design student at WKU added, “Starting last September, students from both sides worked together online, researching Dongtou’s cultural history and gathering materials. We look forward to the creative sparks ignited by students from both countries!”
Foreign students and teachers explored the island culture in Wanghai Building.
After the opening of the festival, participating students also embarked on a cultural tour of the island. They first visited Dongtou’s iconic building, Wanghai Building, to explore the unique history of the island then checked out the Haiyao Art Center to appreciate the beauty of Dongtou’s intangible cultural heritages.
Over the next 8 days, students and teachers will build four public art installations along the seaside using waste materials, such as old iron pipes, fishing nets, ropes, plastic bottles, glass bottles, and discarded stones. These innovative art installations will hopefully become new attractions in Dongtou, providing locals and tourists with a a fresh and engaging sightseeing experience.
Translator:Ding Yifei
Proofreader: Abbigail Ajim, Wenwei Xiang
