Please join us on Wednesday, April 24 for World Monuments Fund's Spring Spotlight, an evening in celebration of the Qianlong Garden in the Forbidden City. The night will include a presentation by Annabelle Selldorf and a special tribute to WMF Trustee Nancy B. Negley and the Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston for their continued support of WMF and the Qianlong Garden Project.
Occupying almost two acres in the northeast quadrant of the Forbidden City, the Qianlong Garden was built by the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) to serve as part of his planned retirement complex for use following his 60-year reign. He designed the garden as a private retreat, with four courtyards, elaborate rockeries, and some 27 pavilions and structures. The buildings contain decoration and furnishings from a time widely considered to be one of the boldest and most extravagant periods of interior design in China’s history, and representing some of the most significant, exquisitely designed interiors to survive relatively unchanged from imperial China.
In January 2019, WMF announced celebrated architect Annabelle Selldorf will design a new Interpretation Center at the Qianlong Garden, making her one of only a few American architects to lead projects at the site. By adapting the interiors of a restored structure, Selldorf Architects will create a museum-quality exhibition space. For the first time, the public will have access to the garden through the new Visitor’s Center, which is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
Don't miss this exclusive preview from Annabelle Selldorf of the plans for this groundbreaking Interpretation Center.
- Cocktails at 7:00pm
- Seated dinner and presentation at 8:00pm
