China Receives Utzon: The Role of Jørn Utzon’s 1958 Study Trip to China in His Architectural Maturity

Abstract

Both before and after his study trip to China in 1958, Danish architect Jørn Utzon (1918-2008) consistently cited dynastic Chinese architecture as one of his essential design ideals. This article commences with a reconstruction, using archival and anecdotal evidence, of Jørn Utzon's 1958 study trip to China with his close friend, the noted Norwegian architect Geir Grung (1926-89). The investigation seeks to explain both why, as a student, Utzon was so interested in the civilisation of China and how his carefully planned journey yielded Utzon both an intuitive grasp of ideas of Chinese architecture, and, most importantly, a continuing interest in China's traditional systems of building construction. The answers could add to a methodological and theoretical framework for understanding Utzon's work.

Ideas and ideals in Jørn Utzon’s courtyard houses: dwelling, nature, and Chinese architecture

“…This was derived from Utzon's study of Chinese architecture, especially after his pivotal trip to China in 1958. 78 Before and after this trip, Utzon had already developed an understanding of Chinese monuments layouts also intentionally divided the programmes and forms of his proposed building complex into dualist sets. The High School in Højstrup featured a residential tower at one corner of the urban-scale podium and an auditorium room at the other, as Utzon and his team struggled to formulate and synthesise a coherent iconic roof/earthwork juxtaposition.…”