Jia Zhijia, an undergraduate graduate from CAA’s School of Architecture, showcased her architectural model titled “Transformation of the Nine-Storey Pagoda” at the 2024 CAA Graduation Exhibition, earning the gold award for its unique design concept.

In the title, “Nine-Story Pagoda" as an important architectural structure, typically carries multiple meanings such as religious, cultural, or social status, while the word “Transformation” emphasizes the dynamic process of this exploration. In China, various spontaneous constructions can be seen everywhere. These structures, built by anonymous craftsmen, are often overlooked and seem insignificant compared to the solemnity of modern architecture. However, it is precisely these informal constructions that reveal genuine building intentions. They act as tools to pierce through copied architectural styles and Westernized lifestyles, presenting the unique charm and profound value of indigenous architectural culture.

Jia’s graduation project took the rural and urban areas around Hangzhou as its sample, based on the theory of vernacular architecture, and conducted an in-depth study of spontaneous construction phenomena. She employed the methods of field research and architectural composition, extracting four types of spontaneous construction: parasitic on walls, protruding from roofs, crawling on the ground, and dissipating in the wind. By analyzing and imagining the spatial intentions behind these forms, she successfully uncovered and transformed these hidden orders, inspiring the motivation to reconstruct reality.

The graduation work is not only a profound exploration of anonymous architecture but also a rhapsody dedicated to indigenous buildings. Through this work, Jia calls on people to re-examine those seemingly insignificant architectural forms, to understand and respect the culture and historical value behind them, and to inject new thoughts and possibilities into future architectural design.

Transformation of the Nine-Storey Pagoda

Artist: Jia Zhijia (School of Architecture)

Instructor: Li Wenxi