Tulous in Cooper-Hewitt

The main theme of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is “to help the public understand the many roles design plays in everyday life.” One of its latest exhibit, “Solos: Tulou/Affordable Housing for China,” most definitely outlines the museum’s fundamental theme. I first learned about this exhibit from an article entitled, “In Modern China, ‘Little Kingdoms’ for the People,” in the New York Times. Upon reading the article, I already had an idea of how the newly designed tulous, traditional communal residences in China, are great examples of how art and design interact. As I stepped into the exhibit, I began to experience the impact of design in improving people’s lives.

The article provides some background information about the exhibition. The project, which is designed by a Chinese firm called Urbanus, was built based on the traditional Chinese tulous to mirror growing Chinese trend of urbanization. It was overwhelming to see the growth of China’s urban population–from 13.3% to 50% in just 50 years. This emphasizes the effectiveness of tulous, which have 287 units that can house a maximum of 1,800 people. The buildings, which are almost as big as some major sports stadiums, are now more space efficient compared to their more traditional counterparts, which averaged three to five stories in height.

The Tulou project not only contains apartment units, but also includes shops, gymnasiums, libraries, and other spaces that serve for entertainment purposes. What distinguishes them from typical apartment buildings is the central courtyard that anchors each building. Its uniquely shaped design both allows the residents to blend in more with their community and helps stress the importance of art in their daily lives.

The gallery also features an actual floor plan of one of the apartments in a typical tulou. It is a very basic setup, consisting of a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Furthermore, the gallery effectively demonstrates the project’s purpose by cleverly displaying a full-scale bedroom, which is quite spacious for a low-income complex. The layout of each unit provides a good sense of personal space and comfort. This aspect no doubt contributes to the distinctive role art and design play in our familiar world.

With it’s magnificently reproduced Chinese apartments, the “Solos: Tulou/Affordable Housing for China,” exhibition at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is certainly one worth visiting.