On January 17th, 2026, the School of Architecture at Tianjin University solemnly held the Commemoration in Honor of Academician Peng Yigang and Inaugural Ceremony of the Center for Engineering-integrated Architecture in Tianjin University. Guided by the theme "Upholding Academic Legacy and Advancing Disciplinary Development," the event brought together renowned architectural scholars and experts, industry leaders, family and friends of Academician Peng Yigang, as well as faculty and student representatives from Tianjin University. Attendees paid tribute to the architectural master's academic spirit and outstanding contributions, witnessed the release of key academic works including The Complete Works of Peng Yigang, and marked a pivotal milestone in the development of the Engineering-integrated Architecture discipline.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Yang Xianjin (Party Secretary of Tianjin University), Chai Liyuan (President of Tianjin University), and Liu Xinfeng (Party Secretary and Chairman of China Architecture Publishing & Media Co., Ltd.). Academicians present included Cui Kai (China Architecture Design & Research Institute), Wang Jianguo (Southeast University), Chang Qing (Tongji University), Meng Jianmin (Shenzhen University), Zhuang Weimin (Tsinghua University), Li Xinggang (China Architecture Design & Research Institute), and Zhang Pengju (Inner Mongolia University of Technology).
(Speakers and Key Moments (From top-left to bottom-right): Yang Xianjin, Cui Kai, Li Xinggang, Liu Xinfeng, Zhang Pengju, Wang Jianguo, Chang Qing, Meng Jianmin, Zhuang Weimin, Wei Yili (Esteemed Scholar), Zhu Guangya (Esteemed Scholar), Wang Qiheng (Esteemed Scholar), Chen Qian (President of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of TJU), Peng Yue (Son of Mr. Peng Yigang))
Immersed in the solemn yet warm atmosphere, Guests fondly recalled Academician Peng Yigang’s profound influence on teaching, research, and personal integrity, expressing sincere respect for his academic career and educational contributions.
The commemoration began with video messages from senior architects and industry pioneers. Academicians Zhang Jinqiu, Ma Guoxin, He Jingtang, Zheng Shiling, Wei Dunshan, Cheng Taining, and Wang Xiaodong, along with Duan Jin (A former student of Academician Peng and an academician himself), Lu Jinxiong, Bao Jiasheng, Xing Tonghe, Bu Zhengwei, and Wan Suchun (Academician Peng's first disciple), shared heartfelt memories of Academician Peng, conveying deep sorrow and highest admiration for the late master.
Participants joined the launch ceremony of his three key works The Complete Works of Peng Yigang, Peng Yigang's Sketch Collection, and Peng Yigang's Essays.
The Complete Works of Peng Yigang consists of 10 volumes, comprehensively compiling Academician Peng's representative writings, design works, architectural drawings, photographs, manuscripts, and other records of his professional and personal life. It offers a systematic overview of his lifelong academic and creative accomplishments.
Peng Yigang's Sketch Collection features 99 representative works from his career, systematically presenting the diverse techniques and aesthetic pursuits of his architectural expression.
Peng Yigang's Essays primarily includes Mr. Peng's personal narratives, as well as recollections from colleagues, students, family and friends. Through multiple perspectives, The book commemorates this academic luminary who nurtured four academicians and five National Engineering Survey and Design Masters, portraying a three-dimensional and vivid image of Mr. Peng Yigang and interpreting the "craftsmanship spirit" revered by countless followers.
Following the commemoration, all guests proceeded to the School of Architecture for the Unveiling Ceremony of the Bronze Statue of Professor Peng Yigang. Created by Professor Jiang Zhiqiang from the School of Art, Xiamen University, the statue was unveiled by six distinguished guests: Cui Kai, Li Xinggang, Zhang Pengju, Zheng Gang, Zhou Kai, and Zhang Chunyan. Attendees paid their respects in turn. The completion of this bronze statue stands not only as a permanent tribute to Mr. Peng Yigang’s enduring legacy but also as a perpetual vessel for passing down his academic ethos and educational philosophy within the Tianjin University community.
At the Inaugural Ceremony of the Center for Engineering-integrated Architecture, at Tianjin University (CEIA-TJU), Li Xinggang (Chairman of the Academic Committee of Tianjin University School of Architecture and Academic Leader of the Center for Engineering-integrated Architecture) introduced the center's background, core educational philosophy, and development plan. He stated that Tianjin University is the first institution authorized to establish Engineering-integrated Architecture as an independent sub-discipline-- a forward-looking reform that re-envisions architectural methodology in response to profound contemporary shifts. By applying engineering logic, the approach systematically integrates architecture, structure, environment, technology, and socio-humanistic considerations, transforming design into a collaborative multi-objective optimization process.
The center is dedicated to cultivating interdisciplinary leaders with cultural mission, social responsibility, cross-disciplinary vision, and the ability to address complex engineering challenges.
Attendees congratulated the center on its establishment and expressed confidence that under the leadership of Li Xinggang's team, Engineering-integrated Architecture will embrace broader development prospects.
Professor Ding Yao from Tianjin University School of Architecture presented "Introduction to Educational Reform in Engineering-integrated Architecture" from the perspective of teaching. He explained that this methodological reconstructing responds to contemporary shifts and seeks to return to the fundamental quests of architecture and higher education--that is applying engineering thinking to integrate specialized technologies in service of the cultural goal to benefit humanity. The new curriculum system will be organized around design studios and will engage both domestic and international expert teams in teaching, with the goal of pioneering new pathways for the development of the architectural discipline and educating interdisciplinary leaders prepared for the future.
A Subsequent academic roundtable featured four themed discussions "Reforming Contemporary Chinese Architectural Education from the Perspective of Engineering‑integrated Architecture" "Teaching Reform for Cultivating Future Talent," "Scientific and Technological Innovation Focused on National Strategic Needs," and "Design Innovation for Industry Evolution." Chaired by academicians and masters including Zhuang Weimin, Zhang Pengju, Han Dongqing, and Zhang Jie, the forum brought together over 60 experts and scholars from universities, design institutes, and industry enterprises for in‑depth dialogue, collectively exploring pathways and prospects for the integrated development of architecture and engineering technology.
The establishment of the CEIA-TJU marks a new beginning, creating an important platform for academic exchange and collaboration within the architectural community, and injecting new vitality into the development of the architectural discipline. With support from experts, the center is expected to become a key platform for integrated innovation and leadership development , working together to advance the higher-equality growth of China’s architectural discipline and industry in the new era.
This event serves not only as a profound commemoration of Mr. Peng Yigang but also as a conscious inheritance of his academic spirit and intellectual legacy. Mr. Peng's legacy continually reminds us to uphold academic integrity while building on tradition, and to expand the intellectual horizons and practical scope of Chinese architecture across generations. As an institutional embodiment of this philosophy, CEIA-TJU will focus on methodological Re-imagination of architecture through an engineering mindset, exploring new paradigms for architectural education and practice with Chinese characteristics, and providing sustained momentum for contemporary architectural development. Guided by Mr. Peng Yigang's academic spirit, Tianjin University will continue to strengthen the organic integration of scholarly heritage and contemporary innovation, enabling architecture to continuously renew its vitality in responding to social development.
Source | School of Architecture, Tianjin University
Editor | Qin Yu
Reviewer | Zhang Jiyuan
