Sensibility of the East, Rationality of the West｜王大閎自宅

I

我認為的建築之父是王大閎，每當假日我時常到圓山買模型材料，隨後來到旁邊的咖啡廳王大閎書軒 dh café，一間由玻璃打造的書屋，這間咖啡廳十分唯美，而座落在咖啡廳對面的，是王大閎自宅，雖然位於繁榮的市區，卻十分靜謐，放眼望去一片的綠意盎然，因此我也開始對這位建築師產生強烈的好奇心。

To me, the father of architecture is Wang Da-hong. On holidays, I often went to Yuanshan to buy model-making materials, and would then visit the nearby dh café, a glass bookhouse cafe. The cafe is very aesthetic. Sitting across from it is the Wang Da-hong Residence. Though located in the busy city center, it is very quiet, surrounded by greenery as far as the eye can see. This made me become very curious about this architect.

II

王大閎，出生於1917年，本是北京人的他於1952年遷移來台，成立了大洪建築師事務所，此後打造出了台灣許多偉大的建設。他的建築始終呈現，理性的西方感性的中國，他雖然接受了西方的教育，引進西方的建築技術，但也堅守著自己的國族認同，這個特點呈現在他的建築上，有點像東方現代建築，又有點像帶有東方韻味的西式建築。

Born in 1917 and originally from Beijing, Wang Da-hong moved to Taiwan in 1952 and founded Dahong Architects, going on to build many great constructions in Taiwan. His architecture always presents the rationality of the West and the sensibility of China. Although educated in the West and introduced Western construction technologies, he also held onto his national identity. This characteristic appears in his buildings, looking somewhat like modern Eastern architecture, yet also somewhat like Western architecture with Eastern character.

III

他的建築總是帶給我一種和平的感覺，能讓人過目不忘，建築的外輪廓線如此對稱與流暢，然而進入建築物本身，才發現並不只是外表的視覺美學，而是由內而外的和諧，我想這就是為什麼王大閎先生的作品永不退流行的原因吧，不論什麼時代都能成為「經典」。

His architecture always brings me a peaceful feeling, it is unforgettable. The outlines of the buildings are symmetrical and smooth, yet upon entering the buildings themselves, one realizes it is not just the visual aesthetics of the exterior, but harmony from the inside out. I think this is why Mr. Wang Da-hong’s works never go out of style, and can become classics no matter the era.