Project Context
Dongcun is located on a hilltop next to Jialing Bridge in Shangqing Temple, Chongqing . It was once the former residence of Xian Ying. The original building complex belonged to Chongqing Light Industry Design Institute, with four original buildings. One below, the other three above in a U-shaped layout according to the mountainous terrain. The opening of U faces the Jialing River. A bomb shelter from the war period is preserved underneath the building complex, connecting the Jialing River Binjiang road downhill with the Dongcun on the hill.
The entire site is located in a striking location similar to a bridgehead with a large river view. Due to the lack of transportation, it has become ‘elephant in the room’ in the true sense: although it has a large volume in the city, it is difficult to get the attention of passers-by. It's like a lonely cloud hanging over the bustling bridgehead every day. This specialty of the place inspired the designer's original idea: the Sky City, a non-daily place overlooking the daily life.
Project Concept
We wish to present the history in an artistic way and give tourists a Chongqing Style time travel by creating an underground system (past) and an overground system(now and future). With the functional changes, commercial layout and the design concept of sky city, we hope people could get away from the pressure and reborn.
Placemaking
Traffic flow renovation
The transformation began with the reorganization of several paths to the sky, with two main ways of access, one following the status quo, through the existing walkway, visitors can climb slowly through the rich shade of Dongcun.
The other is a unique approach, using the existing bomb shelter as an entrance, with two new vertical elevators inside the hill to connect the road below and the plaza on the hill. The elevators create a strong hint of a journey from the ground(past) to the sky(future) when visitors go up and down. Meanwhile they solved the traffic problem.
On the hill, the design team reorganized the traffic flow and horizon of the complex. The new built sky corridors and staircases connected all the roof platforms. The river view space was extended from the riverside plaza in the center of the U-shaped layout to the rooftops of the entire building complex, maximized the river view of the original building, formed a traffic flow running up and down.
Structural renovation
In contrast to the open river view outside, the interior of the original building presents a different scene. The original structure is mainly load-bearing wall, which caused the interior of the building confined and dark.
In order to meet the future commercial use, the transformation of structure and space is imperative. On one hand, the traditional load-bearing wall structure is transformed into modern frame through construction by stages. On the other hand, the river view inside the building is maximized through reasonable demolition and reorganization of the wall aside the river.
Building facade renovation
If a huge object were to be placed on the bustling Jialing Bridge, what should it be? Maybe all there should be here is a cloud.
For the facade renovation, we did not deliberately let the building hedge with the environment to make the so-called uniqueness and stand out. Instead, we adopted a "disappearing" attitude. Hundreds of white metal mesh cages were hung on the facade and organized together in a changeable form, softening the boundaries of the building and making it ‘disappear’ into the sky. It is only when people walk very close to the building that their vision and interest are awakened by the facade of contemporary installations rich in detail and composition.
The design team abandoned the traditional facade method of plates and paints, updated the building in a low-tech way. In order to prevent the cage from rusting, the metal mesh adopts the surface spray treatment instead of stainless steel, which greatly reduces the cost.
Combined with the lighting design, the building is like a cloud hiding in the blue sky in the daytime and a mirage at night.
Landscape renovation
The original landscape of the site resembles the traditional roof space of Chongqing, a world full of pot plants and trees. During the renovation, the greenery of the site was reorganized in order to obtain more river viewing platforms and to reduce the overburden pressure of the old building. The originally disorganized plants are designed into visual levels of near, middle and far.
A 43-meter-long viewing platform is arranged on the west side of the plaza, separated from the Jialing River by miscanthus just above the surface of the platform and floating in the wind.
The plants in the plaza are arranged in dots to divide the space. The original pool and pavilion have been preserved and renovated, and the ornamental tree roots have been preserved in the pool.
The three big trees in the east side of the plaza have been preserved so that people in the building can enjoy a distant view of the river through the trees. Comparing to the low-key style of the building’s facade, the plaza and indoor public areas were boldly painted bright and vibrant colors in the gray city of Chongqing.
Thus, under the boring sky, the rosy terrazzo plaza, illuminated metal pool and bright skylights provide a non-daily space for people.
Team:
Architect: Welive Architects
Client: Chongqing Dongcun No. 56 Creative industries Co., Ltd.
Design Unit: Welive Architects
Chief designer： Li Weitao, Li Bo
Design team： Ding Mingxin, Yi Siqi, Chen Yuxian, Wang Yulian, Shu Hongqiao, Yang Liangling, Zhang Ying, Wu Yu
Landscape design: Ding Mingxin
Construction testing & Construction drawing: Chongqing Construction Science Research Institute Co.,Ltd.
Engineering consultant: Shu Huabin
Lighting design: CSLC International Lighting
Brand design: 10 Design
Posters: Wu Yue (Welive Architects)
Photo credits: INSPACE STUDIO, Welive
Material Used:
1. Texture paint
2. White metal mesh: Chongqing Zhulian logo design CO.,LTD
3.Pebble washout
4.Terrazzo
5.Thermo wood
