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Chinese architect and founding principal of DnA Design and Architecture Xu Tiantian has been named the recipient of the Mecca x National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Women in Design Commission 2026.

The five-year initiative invites globally renowned designers to create new work for the NGV collection.

Tiantian's 2026 commission, Bamboo Theatre, is a full-scale installation made from bamboo that draws on the landscape and building traditions of Songyang County in China's Zhejiang province. The work reflects the enduring use of bamboo in contemporary architecture while offering a space for gathering and contemplation.

Announcing Tiantian as the 2026 recipient, NGV director Tony Ellwood characterised her as "a visionary architect who is leading the way globally in rural redevelopment and transformation."

Based in Beijing, Tiantian has built a reputation for breathing new life into rural communities and underused infrastructure. She describes her approach as "architectural acupuncture," a reference to traditional Chinese medicine that captures the precision of her small but transformative interventions. Her recent work ranges from converting abandoned stone quarries into multipurpose arts venues to building a theatre stage in a bamboo forest to facilitate village opera performances.

Bamboo Theatre will be on display from 13 December 2026 to April 2027 at the NGV International. Ahead of the exhibition, Xu Tiantian will join NGV senior curator of contemporary design and architecture Ewan McEoin for a public conversation about the commission and her work more broadly.

In this interview, Tiantian shares insights into her work revitalising rural villages and collaborating with local communities.