Hu Shi Museum and Visitor Center

In 2018, commissioned by Anhui culture and tourism group, Prof. Chen Keshi and his design team completed the design of Hushi Museum and tourist center in Shangzhuang, Jixi, Anhui, the hometown of Hushi, the late president of Peking University and one of the famous scholars and thinkers in modern China.
The planning and design of the Hushi museum and tourist center in Shangzhuang is a successful case of Prof. Chen Keshi's modern interpretation of local traditional architecture in Jixi, Anhui Province, based on the values of urban humanism and the life and ideological background of Hushi. The plan focuses on refining the basic elements of local traditional architecture, selecting local materials and modern steel and wood frame to connect and combine harmoniously, and simplifying and improving them; especially, the curve design of the back of the house is inspired by the local mountain scenery, with simple, smooth lines and a strong sense of fashion, which brings people's thoughts from Mr. Hu Shi's hometown into the modern era, and leads to the expected future.
The design plan aims to express the idea of “New”. Mr. Hu Shi is the representative of the new idea but located in Shangzhuang, a traditional farming village, traditional architecture and local materials also need to be part of the design. Based on absorbing the basic elements of Anhui traditional architecture, following the slope change of the site, the design is composed of 10 single buildings into a large concept quadrangle. Every single building has its independent use, and the interior of the architectural form is connected and combined into a lively and flexible modern architectural space. 10 single buildings form an internal sightseeing loop, and the roof garden is for tourists to rest.

The atrium is covered by a steel and wood frame roof, which is also a simple technique of modern architecture. One side of the atrium is open for tourists to enter, while the other side has a strip-shaped patio between the eaves and the building, which is following the practice of the traditional residential patio in Anhui Province.
The curve design of the back of the house is inspired by the rhythm of the surrounding mountains, and the free setting of facade doors and windows which derived from the traditional practice of Hui style architecture. The plan uses traditional materials and colors that people have loved for thousands of years, but it can't completely adopt the traditional methods of small green tiles, wooden beam frames, and doors and windows, they need to be simplified, upgraded and machined with modern aesthetic concepts, to achieve the simplicity and time-honored beauty that can't be worked by hand.
The project is located at the gateway to the scenic Shangzhuang township in Jixi Prefecture, Anhui Province, 30 km away from the urban area of Jixi Prefecture. The township has many cultural and natural scenic spots, including the former home of Hu Shi, the Hutiehua house, and the former home of Hu Kaiwen, Chessboard Village and the Emperor’s Tomb, as well as such traditional handicrafts as Huizhou ink, wood carving and brick carving.