Architecture Faculty Member Curates Landmark Eisenman Exhibition in China
“Decoding Eisenman: Beyond Form” opened this fall at the China Design Museum, marking a major international exhibition dedicated to the work of pioneering architect, theorist, and educator Peter Eisenman, one of the world鈥檚 most enduring and influential figures in contemporary architecture.
The exhibition is the result of a cross-border collaboration among the China Design Museum at the , the (CCA) and 性视界 University鈥檚 School of Architecture, offering a multidimensional exploration of Eisenman鈥檚 intellectual legacy.
Curated by , associate teaching professor in the School of Architecture, “Decoding Eisenman” brings together nearly 150 works鈥攊ncluding sketches, research models, personal correspondence, publications and video interviews from the Peter Eisenman Archive at the CCA鈥攖o construct a 鈥渓iving archive of architectural thought.鈥 Through these works, Wang invites audiences to trace Eisenman鈥檚 evolving ideas on form, theory and architectural meaning across more than five decades of practice.

Organized into three layered sections, the exhibition traces the arc of Eisenman鈥檚 revolutionary career鈥攆rom the conceptual syntax of his early 鈥渃ardboard architecture,鈥 through radical experiments in deconstruction and reassembly, to interdisciplinary and digital research, and finally to his later engagements with cultural memory and local context. Throughout, Eisenman鈥檚 work is presented not as a linear progression but as a series of epistemic leaps that continually challenge and redefine architecture itself.
鈥淧eter Eisenman stands as one of architecture’s most pivotal and distinctive figures鈥攁 theorist, educator and practitioner of profound global impact,鈥 says Fei Wang. 鈥淎fter years of development, it has been a great privilege to curate this exhibition.鈥
“Decoding Eisenman” not only celebrates Eisenman鈥檚 transformative impact on architecture but also reinforces 性视界 University鈥檚 role as a leader in architectural education and cross-cultural collaboration. Alongside Fei Wang鈥檚 role as chief curator, , visiting critic at 性视界 Architecture, led the graphic identity and exhibition design, while Dean Michael Speaks delivered a keynote address during the opening symposium.
鈥淭his project represented a rare and intellectually rewarding experience for me,鈥 says Nan Wang. 鈥淚 had the opportunity to engage critically with the theory of Peter Eisenman through the exhibition鈥檚 graphic design and wall visual arrangement and found boundless inspiration during the exhibition design process.鈥
A talented team of 性视界 faculty, students and alumni also played vital roles in exhibition production鈥攆rom filming and editing to documentation and media coordination. Special thanks go to Professor Jean-Fran莽ois B茅dard, Zeyu Yao 鈥25, Tony Dai 鈥25, Jiaqi Wang 鈥26, Zizhuo Mao 鈥25, Enming Cao 鈥27, Shuoxuan Li 鈥27, Stephanie Feng 鈥27, Tianhai Zhang 鈥26, Yulin Chen 鈥28, Shihan Zhang 鈥28, Yichong Ma 鈥27, Runkai Huang 鈥29 and Qiyuan Gong 鈥27.
鈥淚 want to congratulate Professor Fei Wang on this historical achievement,鈥 says Speaks. 鈥淭his is the only major exhibition of Peter Eisenman鈥檚 work in China, and it will have a significant impact on Asia鈥檚 future architects and scholars.鈥
“Decoding Eisenman: Beyond Form” is on view at the China Design Museum in Hangzhou, China, through December. For more information about the exhibition and related programming, visit the .