On September 11, the Commemorative Exhibition and Academic Seminar of Mr. Guan Zhaoye was grandly opened in the Academic Hall of Xi'an Eurasia University Library with the theme of "Everlasting Philosophical Thoughts".

(Fig. 1) Scene of the Opening Ceremony

Zhao Guohua, Secretary of the Party Committee of Xi'an Eurasia University, said in the opening speech: "Since 2002, Mr. Guan Zhaoye has successively designed a series of library projects for the university, and also guided the design of the Administrative Center, the teaching building in the southern area and the planning system of phase II of the campus. In these architectural works, we can experience the practice of the architectural design concepts advocated by Mr. Guan Zhaoye such as 'the building should be compatible with its function and nature; attach importance to the taste of architecture; and emphasize the harmony between architecture and nature and human environment' in reality anytime and anywhere. These architectural concepts are highly consistent with Xi'an Eurasia University's educational concepts. To this end, a special section of 'Mr. Guan and Xi'an Eurasia University' is added to the commemorative exhibition to tell Mr. Guan's design story at Xi'an Eurasia University, so that more people can understand the concept and wisdom behind the architectural design of Xi'an Eurasia University campus, and appreciate the cultural essence of environmental education."

(Fig. 2) Zhao Guohua, Secretary of the Party Committee of Xi'an Eurasia University, delivers an opening speech

Liu Yulong, Chairman and Chief Architect of Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University Co., Ltd., said in his speech: "Mr. Guan is not only an architect and an architectural theorist, but also an excellent teacher. Mr. Guan treats students as if they were his children." Yesterday, I arrived at Xi'an Eurasia University at more than 11 pm. When I saw that the clock on the school tower was still lit, I thought of Mr. Guan as a beacon guiding us. There are also two signs specially placed at the school gate, one is to celebrate Teachers' Day and the other is a commemorative exhibition of Mr. Guan Zhaoye. I think this is the best commemoration."

(Fig. 3) The Chairman Liu Yulong delivers a speech

Mr. Guan Zhaoye values the influence of architecture on human emotions, concepts and taste, and he has made significant contributions through his extensive works throughout his life. In order to integrate Mr. Guan's philosophical thinking with campus architecture, Han Mengzhen, on behalf of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, donated his representative works to Xi'an Eurasia University. Professor Hu Jianbo, Founder and Chairman of the university, accepted the donation on behalf of the University.

(Fig. 4) Donation Ceremony of Works by Mr. Guan Zhaoye

Later, Professor Hu Jianbo, Founder and Chairman of Xi'an Eurasia University, Zhao Guohua, Secretary of the Party Committee of Xi'an Eurasia University, Professor Xu Maoyan from the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, Liu Yulong, Chairman and Chief Architect of Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University Co., Ltd., and Professor Han Mengzhen, Deputy Director of the Department of Architecture of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, jointly cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the commemorative exhibition and officially started a journey of "appropriateness" exploration across time and space.

(Fig. 5) Ribbon-cutting for the Opening Ceremony of Mr. Guan Zhaoye's Commemorative Exhibition

In order to let everyone better understand Mr. Guan and his architectural thoughts, Professor Han Mengzhen, Deputy Director of the Department of Architecture of School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, Professor Xu Maoyan from the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University, and Professor Hu Jianbo, Founder and Chairman of Xi'an Eurasia University, showed their insights into architectural philosophy from different aspects at the Seminar on Architectural Thoughts of Mr. Guan.

Guest: Professor Han Mengzhen, Deputy Director of the Department of Architecture of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University

(Fig. 6) Professor Han Mengzhen shares with us the exhibition theme of "Everlasting Philosophical Thoughts".

Mr. Guan Zhaoye has two most important identities in his life: an architectural educator and an architect. As an architectural educator, Han Mengzhen introduced Mr. Guan's educational achievements. Mr. Guan is not only admired by teachers and students but also has cultivated generations of outstanding architects and architectural scholars. What's more, as an architect, Mr. Guan has been committed to the design and research of cultural and educational architecture for a long time, with more than 80 high-level architectural designs, and he has developed the architectural philosophy with "appropriateness" as the core.

By analyzing many projects designed by Mr. Guan, such as the Tsinghua University Library (Phase III and Phase IV), the Building Complex of Western Part of Tsinghua University, Peking University Library, Hebei Museum, Xi'an Eurasia University Library, etc., Han Mengzhen elaborated on the three major connotations of "conforming to the grade of architecture", "consistent with the type, nature and economic conditions of architecture" and "harmonious with the surrounding environment" under the philosophy of "appropriateness", bringing a feast of ideas for the audience. And these thoughts are still shining brightly today, with a vision that transcends time and space.

(Fig. 7) Mr. Guan's article What Matters is Appropriateness, Not Luxury or Novelty published in 1992 in the Journal of Architecture still has important guiding significance up to now.

Guest: Professor Xu Maoyan from the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University

(Fig. 8) Professor Xu Maoyan gives a thematic sharing titled "Recalling A Few Stories of Mr. Guan Zhaoye".

At the seminar, Xu Maoyan emotionally recalled the story of Mr. Guan leading students to carry out summer practice and guiding and helping him in his academic career. By sharing Mr. Guan's experience of assisting architect Liang Sicheng in planning Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, taking the initiative to undertake a research project on Tian'anmen Square, and designing fountains in Tsinghua University Library (Phase III), he brought an image of an architectural master with great patriotism, lofty mission for cultural inheritance and respect for the environment to the audience.

(Fig. 9) Mr. Guan's conceptual sketch of the Tsinghua Library (Phase IV) Focuses on the Protection of the Campus Environment and the Inheritance of Campus Culture.

Guest: Professor Hu Jianbo, Founder and Chairman of Xi'an Eurasia University

(Fig. 10) Professor Hu Jianbo gives a thematic sharing titled "Sharing and Thinking of Educational Architecture-The Construction Process of Xi'an Eurasia University".

The transformation of the campus is the epitome of the development of a university. Focusing on the development history of Xi'an Eurasia University, Hu Jianbo pointed out that after entering the standardized development period, Xi'an Eurasia University has set two major visions: to build a century-old prestigious university and to contribute cultural landscape to Xi'an. Driven by this, he began to plan the campus construction with high quality and standards. Mr. Guan Zhaoye's story with Xi'an Eurasia University also slowly unfolded: starting from his involvement in the construction of the library in 2002, to his opinions expressed when he visited the lobby of Building 8 in the north part of the campus (now the North A Teaching Building) and the basketball court, to the design of the Student Activity Center, the east gate of the university, the teaching building in the south part of the campus, and the Administration Building... ... Over the past 10 years, Mr. Guan Zhaoye has not only built a number of educational building complexes featuring "Pluralitas in unitatem" for Xi'an Eurasia University, but his "Appropriateness" architectural philosophy has also profoundly influenced the construction of the campus of the university.

"After Mr. Guan made a series of designs for Xi'an Eurasia University, every building, space and landscape in the campus began to emphasize the dialogue between people and the environment, the harmony between buildings, and the experience of teachers and students," said Hu Jianbo.

(Fig. 11) Library Built by Mr. Guan Zhaoye

(Fig. 12) Design Sketch of East Gate Painted by Mr. Guan Zhaoye

Growing together with campus architecture, Xi'an Eurasia University has gradually matured its campus construction planning system. Finally, Hu Jianbo shared the "Planning System for Campus Environment and Learning Space Construction of Xi'an Eurasia University". In the future, the university will continue to adhere to Mr. Guan's "Appropriateness" architectural concept and implement campus construction and renewal in a reasonable and pleasant scale, so that people, environment and education can coexist harmoniously and develop better here.

(Fig. 13) Guests visit the Commemorative Exhibition of Guan Zhaoye.

As an architect and architectural educator, Mr. Guan Zhaoye has made many high-level achievements in exploring new buildings with the characteristics of the times, nationalities and localities. Nowadays, under the contemporary concern of modern education, what kind of development will educational architecture have in the future? Liu Yulong, Chairman and Chief Architect of Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University Co., Ltd., shared his exploration of the planning and design of the new university campus featuring "Disciplinary Leadership and Cultural Nurturing".

Liu Yulong pointed out that under the strategic goals of "the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China" in education, the new trend of discipline construction has given birth to new characteristics of campus space, i.e. megastructures, clustering, modularity, openness, intensification and growth. As builders of campus planning, we should have a forward-looking vision to assist or promote the development of disciplines. We are the problem solvers for comprehensive solutions.

With this as a guide, the roundtable salon of "Future-Oriented Architecture-Sharing and Thinking of Educational Architecture" was officially opened. Eight experts and scholars in the field of architecture and education had an in-depth discussion with nearly one hundred participants on site, exchanging views on the development of Mr. Guan's thoughts in the current and future architectural field, as well as new practices for educational architecture in the new era.

For campus architecture,

it should not be guided by planning, nor the architecture,

but the comprehensive landscape design.

—Li Ziping, Professional Chief Architect and Professor-level Senior Architect of China Northwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.