Xing Ruan
{{Short description|Chinese-Australian academic, architect (born 1965)}}
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{{Infobox writer
| name = Xing Ruan
| embed =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Kunming, China
| occupation = Author, architect
| subject = Architecture, Philosophy
| website = {{URL|professorxingruan.com}}
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Professor Xing Ruan 阮昕 is a Chinese-Australian academic, architect and author. He is currently Dean and Guangqi Chair Professor of Architecture at School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His work focuses on Asia's architecture and urbanization against the background of Western discourse, and on architecture as a representation of humanity.
Early life and education
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Born in Kunming, China, Ruan received a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture at Southeast University, Nanjing (1982 – 1989), and received a PhD at Victoria University of Wellington (1991 – 1996).
Academic career
Ruan started his academic teaching career in 1995, at Curtin University, Western Australia. He held positions as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and associate professor of Architecture until 2001. In 2002, Ruan joined the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) as Head of the School of Architecture. In 2004 he became Professor of Architecture at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Ruan held a number of roles while at UNSW, including Chair of Architecture Discipline and Director of Master of Architecture (2005 – 2009), Director of Architecture (2014 – 2016), and Associate Dean at the Faculty of the Built Environment (2015 – 2018).
He has been Dean and Guangqi Chair Professor of Architecture at School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University since July 2018.
Design and Curatorial Practice
Xing Ruan runs a research-orientated design practice, encompassing architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and exhibition design.{{Cite web |title=Studio RUAN Xing {{!}} 上海交通大学设计学院 |url=https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/en-us/0fd419d2713b1c148862eccb95c7fa35/53087cf4bbbf6bc22d4f4aa286a2d90e/detail/5fcdbdb70eff262fc1bd6610/detail/5fe599ae39a61cccf23416b3 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=designschool.sjtu.edu.cn}} His latest built works include Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design Building{{Cite web |date=2020-08-31 |title=Xing Ruan: “With External Change, Internal Consistency Persists” |url=https://www.archdaily.com/945183/xing-ruan-with-external-change-internal-consistency-persists |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=ArchDaily |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=来源：建筑学报 |title=建筑学报 {{!}} 上海交通大学设计大楼 {{!}} 上海交通大学设计学院阮昕工作室 {{!}} 2024年5期 |url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA3MzI0ODMyNg==&mid=2651269766&idx=1&sn=b4bb6678c244c2a159090b5642f2e0fb&chksm=84e271afb395f8b94173953228b83b60f27335c8a1a9d3f4ed66aa9ee6e6d8388c323f34ec0c&token=613848066&lang=zh_CN#rd |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=微信公众平台}} and the Beikun Garden.{{Cite web |title=The Beikun Garden at Shanghai Jiao Tong University {{!}} 上海交通大学设计学院 |url=https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/en-us/92694050aa904022af399af9b1239435/757159f2e3867454b87e17478ffabcd4/detail/6368c73a6d8cf427eac6b7ef/detail/6368c7f66d8cf427eac6b877 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=designschool.sjtu.edu.cn}}
He was the Curator of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – China Pavilion;{{Cite web |last=Editors |first=The |date=2023-02-24 |title=Sixty-three pavilions will host exhibitions at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale |url=https://www.archpaper.com/2023/02/sixty-three-pavilions-will-exhibit-2023-venice-architecture-biennale/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=The Architect’s Newspaper |language=en-US}} and Architectural Curator of the 2019 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season Biennale.{{Cite web |title=SUAS 2019 Curatorial Team |url=https://www.susas.com.cn/2019susas/en-phone/curatorial_team.html}}
Publishing career
Ruan has written and published seven books.
He is co-editor, with Ronald Knapp, of the book series Spatial Habitus: Making and Meaning in Asia’s Architecture,{{Cite book|last=Ruan|first=Xing|title=Spatial Habitus: Making and Meaning in Asia's Architecture|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|year=2019|language=English}} published by the University of Hawai’i Press. Subjects of the series included China, Japan, Korea, India, and the Middle East.
In November 2021, Bloomsbury published Confucius’ Courtyard: Architecture, Philosophy, and the Good Life in China,{{Cite book|last=Ruan|first=Xing|url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/confucius-courtyard-9781350217614/|title=Confucius' Courtyard: Architecture, Philosophy and the Good Life in China|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2021|isbn=9781350217614|location=United Kingdom|language=English}} distributed in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
In 2022 he published an essay in the Shanghai Review of Books on the work of writer and geographer Yi-Fu Tuan.{{Cite web |title=段义孚_澎湃新闻-The Paper |url=https://m.thepaper.cn/tag/1053430 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=m.thepaper.cn}}
Ruan has published essays and criticism on architecture and society for academic journals and mainstream media, including the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (JSAH), The Conversation,{{Cite news|title=Why the Sydney Opera House is a Little Overcooked|work=The Conversation|url=https://theconversation.com/why-the-sydney-opera-house-is-a-little-overcooked-64122}}{{Cite news|title=Dear Mr Trump, Here's How You Build a Wall|work=The Conversation|url=https://theconversation.com/dear-mr-trump-heres-how-you-build-a-wall-65544}} Quartz, Architecture Australia{{Cite news|last=Ruan|first=Xing|date=12 February 2015|title=Vale Ath, the genuine architect|work=Architecture Australia|url=https://architectureau.com/articles/vale-ath-the-genuine-architect/|access-date=26 January 2022}}{{Cite news|last=Ruan|first=Xing|date=19 March 2012|title=The great image has no form|work=Architecture Australia|url=https://architectureau.com/articles/the-great-image-has-no-form/|access-date=26 January 2022}} and Architecture Now.{{Cite web|title=Contributors|url=https://architecturenow.co.nz/contributors/Ruan-Xing/|website=Architecture Now NZ}}
In China, his essays have been published in Jianzhu Xuebao [Architectural Journal 建筑学报], Jianzhu Shi [The Architect 建筑师] and Wenhui Xueren of Wenhui Ribao [Wenhui Scholar of Wenhui Daily 文汇学人， 文汇日报].
He has been interviewed about his work by ABC Radio National,{{Cite news|date=22 April 2007|title=New Chinese Architecture|work=ABC Radio National|url=https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/artworks/new-chinese-architecture/3244584}} Times Radio, Barron's Magazine{{Cite news|last=Crane|first=Brent|date=20 December 2021|title=20 Minutes With: Architect and Author Xing Ruan|work=Barron's Magazine|url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/20-minutes-with-architect-and-author-xing-ruan-01640017741}} and ArchDaily.{{Cite news|last=Zhang|first=Yifan|date=31 August 2020|title="With External Change, Internal Consistency Persists"|work=ArchDaily|url=https://www.archdaily.com/945183/xing-ruan-with-external-change-internal-consistency-persists|access-date=26 January 2022}}
Public lectures and events
Xing Ruan has given keynote and public lectures at many international conferences and universities including in China,{{Cite web |title=Preliminary Announcement: International Symposium on the Idea of Design Education {{!}} 上海交通大学设计学院 |url=https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/en-us/dynamic/notice/detail/634f5bbb5155640e7e087be7/1000/detail/5f17e729e3e424a82b60e9f8 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=designschool.sjtu.edu.cn}} Singapore,{{Cite web |title=第二届上海交大安泰亚太论坛在新加坡举办-新华网 |url=http://www.news.cn/world/2022-12/20/c_1211711088.htm |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.news.cn}} the UK,{{Cite web |title=“Confucius' Courtyard: Architecture, Philosophy and the Good Life in China” – Bartlett Alternative |url=https://www.bartlettalternative.com/library/confucius-courtyard-architecture-philosophy-and-the-good-life-in-china/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |language=en-GB}} Italy,{{Cite web |last=胡哲 |title=China's National Pavilion opens at 2023 Venice Biennale |url=http://en.chinaculture.org/a/202305/23/WS646c6810a310b6054fad4a55.html |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=en.chinaculture.org}} and New Zealand,{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcf9Qm5qu9k |title=Utzon Lecture Series 2013 - Xing Ruan |date=2014-03-18 |last=UNSW Built Environment |access-date=2025-02-12 |via=YouTube}} as well as for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).{{Cite news|date=26 January 2022|title=RIBA Hello China digital talks, series 5: Professor Xing Ruan|work=RIBA|url=https://www.architecture.com/knowledge-and-resources/knowledge-landing-page/riba-hello-china-digital-talks-series-talk-5-with-professor-xing-ruan}}
Bibliography
- Confucius’ Courtyard: Architecture, Philosophy, and the Good Life in China – Bloomsbury, 2021
- Fusheng Jianzhu [Floating Life and Architecture 浮生·建筑] – The Commercial Press, 2020
- Hand & Mind: Conversations on Architecture and the Built World (editor) – The University of New South Wales Press, 2019
- Spatial Habitus: Making and Meaning in Asia’s Architecture (series) – The University of Hawai‘i Press, 2007
- Allegorical Architecture: Living Myth and Architectonics in Southern China – The University of Hawai‘i Press, 2006
- Skyplane (co-editor) – University of New South Wales Press, 2009
- Topophilia and Topophobia: Reflections on Twentieth-century Human Habitat – Routledge, 2007
- New China Architecture – Periplus/Tuttle, 2006
References
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Category:Academic staff of Curtin University
Category:Academic staff of Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Category:Academic staff of the University of New South Wales
Category:Academic staff of the University of Technology Sydney
Category:Architecture academics