Background
The origin of Jiangmen can be traced back to the market that formed between the slopes of Penglai Mountain and Yandun Mountain along the tributaries of the Pearl River Delta. This market has now evolved into a historical district with Changdi Road as its main axis. Qimingli is located in the northern part of this area and is an important node in the district, which is currently planned as a historical, cultural, and commercial zone. As one of the key overseas Chinese villages in Jiangmen, Qimingli faces the challenge of low spatial vitality under the protection planning of its historical appearance. The original closed residential building forms are in conflict with the open space needed for a commercial district.
This project involves the renovation of the single building at No. 49 Qimingli. With a building group that is over a century old, we approached the site with respect and a sense of awe, aiming to explore the evolution of building types and their rebirth in historical districts.
Site
No. 49 Qimingli was originally a residential house rebuilt in the 1980s, with a design quite different from the surrounding historic buildings. The owners decided to demolish the old building and rebuild it on the site. When we took over the project, the main structure had already been completed. The new building adhered to local regulations for historical areas, aligning with the neighboring buildings in terms of facade and balcony design, though the new building features a flat roof, and the side facade have large window. The interior space was not yet finalized.
As a family ancestral home with no current residential use, the owners wanted to transform the building into a coffee bar that would be open to the public, while retaining three floors for private use.
The project’s limitations stem from strict local regulations on the facade design, such as the requirement to match the balcony design with neighboring buildings, resulting in mismatched floor heights between the interior and balcony levels. The building facade also had to be covered with traditional gray bricks to blend with the surrounding architecture.
Faced with these constraints, we decided to focus on the investigation of Qimingli, carefully exploring its historical context to develop a rational framework that could address the site's contradictions.
Continuation Of Community Morphology
After cataloging and categorizing the facades of the existing buildings in Qimingli, it became clear that most buildings share a uniform architectural type. This common architectural type governs the building heights, roof shapes, and facades of the area. The unified pitched roof and gable style of these 2-3 floors residential buildings suggest their evolution from traditional Lingnan Residential Buildings , adapted to the constraints of limited land area and the need for larger usable spaces. Many of the buildings with overseas Chinese backgrounds show Western architectural elements such as arches, columns, and decorative gables, but the overall shape and logic of the buildings still adhere to the common architectural type that defines the district.
The design continues this common architectural type by adding a pitched roof made of a light steel frame structure on top of the originally flat roof. This new roof, which matches the slope of neighboring buildings, continues the street morphology. The new roof, constructed from metal frames, polycarbonate panels, and tempered glass, creates a semi-open space. Its contrast with the surrounding buildings gives the roof a symbolic significance.
The Evolution Of Doors And Windows
The building site measures approximately 4 x 10 meters, and after accounting for wall thickness and staircase space, the remaining interior space is quite limited, similar to the surrounding buildings. Originally used for residential purposes, the 4-meter width was typical for a single room, but this proved somewhat cramped for commercial use.
We decided to use doors and windows as a way to break through these spatial constraints and extend the interior space outward. Thanks to the concrete frame structure of the new building, the position and size of windows and doors were relatively flexible. We redesigned the window openings on each floor based on the actual space requirements:
First Floor: The coffee bar is located on the ground floor, serving as the main service and reception area, and will become a gathering space for visitors. After positioning the bar, we found that only a narrow 1-meter-wide corridor remained. Therefore, extending the space outward became a key strategy: the bar counter extends to the entrance, creating a direct connection with the exterior, while large windows on the side allow seating to spill into the external space. These windows are divided into smaller sections to match human proportions and seating arrangements, creating different interior and exterior seating zones.People's activities will also extend into the outdoor alleys.
Second Floor: The second floor serves as the main seating area. To make the most of the limited space, we sought to create distinct spatial layers, with each seating area offering a sense of individual space. The design first regularized the irregular floor plan by using a rod system to define boundaries. The rods also serve as dividers, creating partitions and window frames that form a screen system. Windows here are mainly for the view, extending the space and sightlines outward. The window shapes are designed according to the seating areas, framing glimpses of the historical architecture across the street.
Third Floor: The third floor, used by the owners, mainly consists of a dining area and a set of sofas around a teeating area’s layout. To save space, the sofas are integrated into the window frames, allowing the space to extend outward and bringing views of the nearby historic district into the interior.
Top Floor: The top floor offers a great view of the surrounding area. We focused on how to frame this view rather than providing an entirely open vista. The facade is divided into large viewing windows, operable ventilation windows, and translucent windows, creating a series of “framed” city views. This segmentation enhances the experience of the landscape, providing multiple perspectives on the scenery.
The Transformation Of Openness
The design of the door and window system was driven by both internal spatial needs and the surrounding environment, presenting an outward-facing strategy. Unlike traditional doors and windows, which serve basic functions like ventilation, lighting, and security, the new design focuses on expanding interior sightlines and framing views. This transformation gives the building an open quality relative to the surrounding historic buildings.
Extension The Environmental Texture
The material language is divided into two systems: "old" and "new." "Old" refers to the response to the surrounding historic district, while "new" reflects the changes of the present era. We aim for the materials not only to reconstruct textures and history but also to gradually reveal the evolution of these changes. Starting from the first floor, rough granite floors, terracotta bricks in the bar area, and washed stone walls continue the material textures of the surrounding buildings. As you move up, you encounter more refined Metal components. As visitors ascend through the building, the heaviness and shadow gradually dissipate, with large expanses of tempered glass and polycarbonate panels bringing in light and transparency. The body relaxes, culminating in the top floor's open seating area and wide vistas. At night, the light streaming through the polycarbonate panels creates a glowing box, visible from afar, resembling a beacon of the times.
Individual Buildings And Collective Communities
As Aldo Rossi describes in 《The Architecture of the City》, architectural history does not evolve as modernism suggests, with one stage replacing another. Instead, architecture from earlier periods coexists with that from later periods. The renovation of No. 49 Qimingli is the result of a reflection on both collective nostalgia and individual expression. The continuation of the street form aims to establish a connection with the site, evoking collective memories of the community and the city. Meanwhile, the carefully crafted window views inside the building serve as a contemporary narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the surrounding area. These windows are a poetic construction, seeking beauty and vitality in a previously quiet and decaying neighborhood. The views also prompt reflection, as the revitalization of the district cannot simply rely on the rebirth of these weathered buildings. A truly vibrant district requires individual buildings with diverse functions and the connections between them. The open-minded approach in the renovation of No. 49 Qimingli seeks to serve as a prototype for collective change.
Project Name：No. 49 Qimingli : The Rebirth of a Historic District
Project Type：architect/interior
Design Firm：URBAN NoMAD
Completion Date:2022
Principal Designer：Huang YingHang
Project Location:Pengjiang District,JangMen,China
Area:Nearly 300㎡
Project Photography：URBAN NoMAD,Li Jijing
