1. Project Background and Core Philosophy
The Flora Towerer project is located in Yulin, a city with a history of over two thousand years, known as a hometown of overseas Chinese. Faced with the challenge of the decline of traditional public spaces in the process of rapid urbanization, the project innovatively proposes the concept of a "shared ancestral hall." It uses two historical buildings—Flora Towerer, with a history of over 700 years, and the ZHUANGYUAN Tower and Tianzhong Hall, both with a history of over a century—as carriers. Through interdisciplinary collaboration between architecture and anthropology, it explores an urban renewal path that combines value regeneration with circular ecology.
2. Circular Construction Strategies
2.1 Material Recycling System
The project establishes a complete material recycling system, adopting differentiated approaches for the two ancestral halls: For the wellpreserved ZHUANGYUAN Tower, a minimal intervention restoration is implemented, preserving 90% of the original structure. For the damaged Tianzhong Hall, a creative deconstruction is carried out, transforming its components into new functional elements. Modern techniques such as 3D printing and vertical greening systems are employed to achieve artistic reinterpretation and ecological utilization of discarded building materials.
2.2 Spatial Recycling Mechanism
The design breaks the closed layout of traditional ancestral halls, creating three interconnected functional spaces: The opera stage plaza continues the memory of performance at the site; the overseas Chinese threedimensional garden constructs a carrier for cultural narration; and the folk music sunken plaza creates a new type of interactive experience. This spatial reorganization forms a "indooroutdoortransitional" circular flow system.
3. Value Embodiment Practices
3.1 Activation of Cultural Value
Through creative transformation of material carriers, the project transforms the ancestral hall from a single clan space into a multicultural venue. Traditional opera performances on the opera stage plaza, memory sculptures in the overseas Chinese garden, and interactive installations at the folk music plaza together form a threedimensional network for the inheritance of cultural values.
3.2 Reconstruction of Social Value
The "shared ancestral hall" provides a composite space for overseas Chinese to trace their roots, for citizens' activities, and for tourists' experiences. Regular festive events activate community vitality. Ecological designs such as vertical greening not only improve the microenvironment but also serve as a medium connecting people and nature.
4. Innovative Model Summary
The Flora Towerer project establishes a tripartite circular development paradigm of "culturespaceecology":
Cultural Dimension: Through the translation of material and intangible elements, it achieves the contemporary continuation of historical memory.
Spatial Dimension: It establishes a spatial syntax of coexistence between old and new, forming a fluid functional complex.
Ecological Dimension: It constructs a complete life cycle activation path for old buildings, achieving ecological sustainability.
The project provides a replicable technical path and theoretical framework for urban stock renewal, proving that the protection of historical buildings can achieve sustainable development through value innovation, rather than simple frozen preservation. This "circular construction" model respects the authenticity of the material entity while endowing it with new contemporary connotations, offering important references for the revitalization of architectural heritage in the posturbanization era.
