"Light and heavy is more than a contrast of materials; it’s an exploration of balance between technology and tradition, reason and sensation in architecture. In the 3x3x3-meter prototype, we push the limits and potential of materials, exploring the theme of 'light and heavy' through various materials, construction methods, and spatial forms." — Meng Fanhao

Brickⁿ was a collaborative project between Meng Fanhao, co-founder and lead architect of line+, and Wienerberger, a global leader in ceramic brick manufacturing. The installation explores brick's construction techniques and forms to reveal its evolving applications throughout history, as well as its future potential. It offers an unconventional, interactive experience for visitors. Featured in the 2023 Shanghai CADE Architecture Design Expo under the theme "The Possibilities of Materials" and the 2023 SUSAS Shanghai Urban Space Art Season, the piece is now permanently housed at the Xuhui Riverside West Bank in Shanghai, serving as a new public art landmark in the city.

Reimagination of Dougong is an exhibition space designed by Meng Fanhao for the 2024 Design Shanghai specially curated section, "neooold." By reinterpreting the traditional Chinese architectural element of "dougong," the space offers a platform for 18 art brands, highlighting the artistic beauty that emerges from the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Part1. Lightness and Weight

Victor Hugo, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, voiced a striking prophecy through Archdeacon Claude Frollo: printing would spell the demise of architecture. Before the age of printing, books were rare privileges, and humanity’s collective consciousness was inscribed in stone—churches stood as monumental vessels of thought. For the masses, biblical stories and mythological teachings were gleaned from murals and carvings within sacred spaces. In ancient China, vital texts were etched into stone steles and cliffs to endure through time. The printing press revolutionized this paradigm, transforming the efficiency and reach of ideas. Today, with the Bible freely accessible and the Gospel instantly shareable, the symbolic need for stone churches has diminished. Architecture, as a vessel of thought and culture, has gradually receded from this role.

Bricks face a similar existential question: is their era nearing its end? Fired clay bricks, a cornerstone of architectural history and human invention, have been integral to magnificent cultures, from ancient Rome to Persia. However, with the relentless march of material innovation, bricks seem increasingly vulnerable to obsolescence.

In Brickⁿ , an installation created for Wienerberger, architect Meng Fanhao reimagines the brick in two distinct ways. One approach constructs a stepped pyramid; the other suspends bricks on steel rods to form an inverted pyramid. Together, they create the silhouette of an hourglass, mirrored above and below. Encased within a 3x3-meter cubic frame, its sides are enveloped by suspended brick curtains.

In contrast, neooold Xinkaiwu exhibition offers a lighter interpretation of the same form. This iteration, also 3x3 meters, employs light steel and polycarbonate panels to create a display platform for contemporary industrial products. Unlike Brickn, which highlights the material itself, the neooold platform is functional, with a translucent and ethereal aesthetic that complements the objects it holds.

Conceptually, the neooold Xinkaiwu platform draws from traditional Chinese architectural elements such as Dougong brackets and caisson ceilings. The layering of its light steel frame parallels the structural logic of dougong, embodying the spatial potential of slender rod elements. Prefabricated and assembled on-site, the platform epitomizes efficiency, surpassing the laborious processes of brick construction.

These two iterations—one heavy, one light—exist in dialogue, sharing similarities yet confronting one another. The lighter version emerges as a critique and evolution of the heavier one, embodying the trajectory of modernity. From cost to construction speed, lightness eclipses weight. This mirrors a broader trend in today’s world: a shift from a heavy to a lightweight reality. Just as virtual reality is set to overtake "real" reality, the books that once threatened architecture now appear to be on the brink of being replaced by smartphones and tablets.

Part2. Fundamentalism of Weight

Gottfried Semper, a materialist, argued that bricks and stones were building blocks, suited only for masonry work. Steel, by contrast, was ideal for creating linear components, woven together like a fabric. Steel structures resemble a form of weaving and require other materials for cladding, but bricks stand alone, capable of functioning as structural supports and enclosures. Unlike steel, which loses value over time, brick only gains character with age, evoking feelings of nostalgia and romanticism. As a result, brick has transformed into a symbol of retro aesthetics, no longer serving as a material for everyday construction. In modern urban environments, brick is slowly receding from architectural use. When employed today, it is often in the form of dry-hanging cladding, merely a decorative surface, marking the quiet conclusion of Semper’s theory.

Despite this, architects have always strived to bring brick back into the fold. Louis Kahn, for example, saw bricks as reaching their true potential only when used to form arches. Similarly, in his later years, Sigurd Lewerentz—one of the key figures of Swedish modernism—initially explored the International Style and minimalist modern architecture. Yet, by the 1960s, he returned to using bricks in a manner that directly harked back to ancient Rome.

In Lewerentz’s view, uneven mortar was used to recreate a handcrafted texture, raw and almost primitive in its unrefined quality. Bricks serve multiple functions: not only do they bear weight and act as enclosures, but they can also be used for flooring and even as seating surfaces. When one material can perform all these roles, there’s no need for a second. However, despite these occasional revivals, the rational conclusion remains: brick is, and always has been, a material of the craft era, bound by time limitations. Its fate seems inevitable, no matter our emotional connection to it.

Part3. Light, Lighter!

Architectural language moves between two contrasting tendencies: heaviness and lightness. While Kahn and Lewerentz focused on capturing the essence of weight, an increasing number of architects are drawn to the allure of lightness. Material innovation continues to advance towards lighter solutions. What once required thick walls for insulation can now be achieved with foam boards or insulation materials. Lightness implies speed—faster construction and greater flexibility. It also embodies higher precision and reflects the defining traits of the modern era.

In this era, lightness has become an undeniable trend. Buckminster Fuller once famously asked Norman Foster, "How heavy is your building?" Fuller’s innovative use of lightweight steel rods to construct vast domes reflected his belief in technological progress, where a building’s quality could be objectively measured by its weight. In 1968, Fuller envisioned the " Manhattan Dome," a massive bubble designed to encompass all of Manhattan. He also coined the term " Dymaxion," a concept centered on doing more with less—less weight, less energy. For Fuller, the technological value of future architecture might be judged simply by its weight: the lighter the building, the better it performs.

Nevertheless, the pursuit of lightness is not without its anxieties. Can these lightweight constructions endure overtime? The first iron bridge over the Severn River in Britain, built just over two centuries ago, has withstood the elements, but lighter materials have yet to prove their durability against both nature and human intervention. In the sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, Luo Ji, faced with the impending destruction of the solar system, turns to the simplest and most enduring method to safeguard humanity’s legacy: "carving words into stone." When measured against the vastness of time, leaving a trace is far more challenging than creating a world. Human imagination, constrained by memory, cannot fully escape its limitations. If eternity is indeed a value, then heaviness will always surpass lightness in carrying the weight of that aspiration.

Meng Fanhao’s two installations, while exploring the aesthetics of form and material, invite deeper contemplation on the present and future of architecture—how to reconcile technology with tradition, and reason with emotion, in the act of building. Paul Valéry (1871–1945) famously remarked: "Be light like a bird, not like a feather." A bird soars against the wind with purpose, while a feather is at the mercy of the breeze.

Lightness represents a defining trend in the world’s evolution. Yet, from a dialectical perspective, lightness has its limits—its critical threshold. As we edge closer to that threshold, there is hope that architecture will rise, not unlike a bird taking flight.

Project Name: Brickⁿ

Design Firm: line+ studio

Website: www.lineplus.studio

Contact: pr@lineplus.studio

Chief Architect/Project Principal: Meng Fanhao

Design Team: He Yaliang, Liu Chao, Li Renjie

Exhibition: China Architecture Design Expo (CADE) 2023 · "The Possibilities of Materials" Spatial Installation

Material and Technology Supplier: Wienerberger

Permanent Urban Installation: West Bund Brick Installation, Shanghai

Location: Wulong Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai

Site Support: West Bund Group

Curtain Wall Consultant: Shanghai Yidu Curtain Wall Construction Consulting Co., Ltd.

Construction: Zhejiang Jianxin Decoration Co., Ltd.

Building Area: 9 sqm

Design Period: 2021. 07 -2022. 11

Construction Period: 2023. 08 -2023. 11

Structure: Steel Structure

Materials: Terracotta Brick, Steel Structure, Unidirectional glass

Photography: Chen Xi Studio, schranimage

Project Name: Reimagination of Dougong

Design Firm: line+ studio

Chief Architect/Project Principal: Meng Fanhao

Design Team: He Yaliang, Liu Chao, Xu Hao, Xing Shu

Client: neooold

Curator: Chen Min

Construction: Shanghai Rainie Exhibition Service Co., Ltd.

Lighting Design: Opple Lighting Co., Ltd.

Location: Shanghai Expo Museum

Building Area: 9 sqm

Design Period: 2023. 12- 2024. 04

Construction Period: 2024. 06

Structure: Light Steel Structure

Materials: Steel Pipes, Polycarbonate hollow sheet

Photography: line+