Helanshan Music Festival kicked off on Aug 6th, and on the same day, the Helanshan Houses were opened to the public. An art and photography exhibition is being held in some of the houses to mark the opening.

Located at the foot of Helanshan Mountain in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the innovative and controversial houses were designed by a group of artists with no previous architectural experience. While the unique designs have been widely praised, some critics have questioned the safety of putting artists in charge of designing a building, and wonder whether the large amount of money invested in the project was really worthwhile.

The foundations of the Helanshan Houses were laid in March this year. Despite being awarded the China Architectural Art Award, the project has sparked a wide-ranging debate on the quality of the architecture, and the relationship between art and architecture. Some say that allowing a group of artists, who have never designed buildings before, to work on the buildings was an interesting decision.

Song Yongping, one of twelve artists who designed the Helanshan Houses says: “Sometimes, we really feel depressed because our ideas are considered awkward and are even rejected by people. Our understanding of art cannot be fully expressed through our works. You see, in today’s building industry, it’s the social ideology that controls the main trend of the development of architecture in China, which regulates that each building should have its special meaning. One day, when you take a walk in a small town in China, you may find yourself in Rome. The imitation and even mechanical copying of some foreign architecture has become more and more popular with economic growth. So our design of Helanshan Houses aims at enriching the house styles of today’s domestic building industry, and meanwhile, expressing our personal understanding of life and nature to the world. But, all in all, Helanshan Houses are not simply an exhibition of art, because they are real houses that can be used as restaurants, hotels and etc.”

While the Helanshan Houses look very different from modern high rises, the use of reinforcing steel bars, cement and glass are similar to houses built all over the country. Some critics feel the appearance of the buildings is not in perfect harmony with the environment, and complain that they do not fit organically into the desert-like terrain. But, the insides of the houses are full of interesting uses of space and a cozy sense of poetry.

Some say that this new relationship between architecture and art is only a one off, and that little will be gained from the experience because the passion of the moment cannot be sustained for a long time.

Some people remain neutral towards the houses. While the 12 houses are very impressive, they are skeptical about whether the houses are worth the investment.