Architect John C. Portman, Jr.

By Lin Kan Hsuang

The Yintai Center, just off the east third ring of Beijing, demands not to be ignored. Its iconic three towers seem designed to embolden the capital city's skyline, just as they embody the aesthetics of their architect, John C. Portman, Jr: simple, straightforward but considerate. "I am a humanitarian," said the 87-year-old Portman, who prefers functionality over flamboyance, with a humorous blink.

Portman was one of the earliest architects invited to China after reform and opening-up, invited by former vice-premier Deng Xiaoping in 1979 to bring his flourishing John Portman & Associates (JPA) and Portman Holdings businesses to the Middle Kingdom.

Not for profit

Three decades later, hot on the heels of Portman's "Art & Architecture" exhibition in Shanghai last year, Beijing's Capital Museum, in collaboration with the High Museum of Art Atlanta, is hosting a Portman retrospective from April 15 till June 12, featuring not only his architectural projects, but also furniture design, paintings, and sculptures.

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1950, within three years Portman would establish JPA, whose innovative multi-storied atrium building designs won him both fame and wealth. Now the firm is an internationally recognized architecture and engineering company with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Shanghai.

Beijing Yintai Center.

With projects that span 23 countries, Portman combines architecture and contemporary art with historical contexts and local culture to build iconic properties. Not only have these buildings altered city skylines but also accelerated their civic development. The Yintai Center has been recognized by the Architectural Society of China as the most creative design of the last 50 years.

"It may sound absurd, but I've never been too focused on profit. I've been more focused on contribution," Portman asserts. "But the two don't have to be at odds – unless you make them. The emphasis on contribution often results in greater long-term profitability. It's what drove me to be an architect-developer."
Holistic approach

"It is all about people. I watch what people do; I try to understand why they do it," he continues, explaining the idea behind his projects in China. "The best design is one that comes from a holistic point of view, taking everything – from the environment to economics – under consideration. The best businesspeople are solution-finders, rather than sellers of things. That's what I hope that I, and those who work with me, have done here and across the globe."

Despite Portman's hugely profitable success, he said he never deviates from his pursuit of art. "Connecting with art, whether viewing a painting, hearing a fine symphony or participating in artistic expression yourself, allows you to get to the core of who you are, which inevitably shapes, how you see the world and how you create solutions for the world around you."

Portman began his paintings and sculptures in the early 1980s, integrating art into architecture with everything from light fixtures to furniture. University of Georgia professor Olivier Strebelle once commented that "no architect [except Portman] is more aware of the need of this mystery called art in our daily life."

"Understanding human values and the human response to space, nature and lights allows for the development of projects that transcend national borders," Portman said. "Chinese culture hasn't just embraced Western designs, but has adapted the Western experience to…produce a beautiful hybrid approach."
The Beijing exhibition sees three paintings, one sculpture and a chair as well as photographs and design plans of nine of Portman's projects in Asia.

Union of ideas

Having done business in China for three decades, Portman is impressed by Taoist concepts. "Architecture and art are all connected…It is like the yin and yang – if split, each loses value." Portman once left these words on a gallery wall in Atlanta. "Human beings are all creatures of nature. In nature, the main thing…is called the union of the opposites. When opposites come together throughout nature, that's what creates life. This philosophy is the central idea of my projects.

"For example, the ideas of order and variety are two different things. If you have order in architecture and also have some variety without destroying [that], then you are marrying order and variety and creating a synthesis," he continued. "It all swings around yin and yang."

Ralph Waldo Emerson serves as another spiritual instructor. "His whole philosophy was basically to believe in yourself. If you don't believe in yourself, how can you expect anybody else to respect you? Be the captain of your ship." Portman's belief in self-reliance is seen in his entrepreneurship, when he accomplished the then-unprecedented feat of being both an architect and developer.

"Emerson was also very much into nature. His famous statement was that the answer lies in nature. Nature is the key and that's the foundation of his thought," Portman said. "Think about that. We are all from nature. Think about the uniqueness of yourself."

In Portman's career, he's accomplished over 120 projects around the world. Asked which is his favorite, he answered obliquely but wisely. "I've been asked this question many times and I don't know how to answer it. I have six children, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. My designs are my brainchildren as well. I love them all."