Interview about Shantang Street Phase IV Renewal Planning, winner of the A' City Planning and Urban Design Award 2023
Shantang Street is a cultural street with a history of 1200 years. It has a rich history, while today the neighborhood is dilapidated, overgrown with weeds, with few people, and lacks of vitality. The project is an overall renovation and renewal of the fourth phase of Shantang Street. By the renewal of the old buildings, implanting new commercial activities, and designing public spaces, the neighborhood will be revitalized, and injected with vitality and confidence, while retaining its historical traces.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe authenticity of history means that historical buildings maintain their original style, structure, and space. By redefining indoor spaces to meet modern functional requirements, contemporary elements are also appropriately reflected in landscape and interior design. Comparing new elements with historical buildings can better highlight the value of historical elements.
Shantang Phase IV Block is a waterfront block. Shantang Street is adjacent to Shantang River, which is an ancient canal and has now become a part of the Grand Canal World Heritage Site. So 'one line' refers to the waterfront Shantang Street, which is the core of the entire block. The "Four Points" refer to the four important spatial nodes on Shantang Street, which are also the most historically valuable architectural courtyards. By implementing updates to four important spatial nodes first, we can rebuild people's confidence in the community and become a catalyst for community revitalization. Encourage more private capital and individuals to participate in the overall renewal of Shantang Phase IV.
The book of “Yingzao Fayuan " is a wooden building code that originated in the Qing Dynasty of China and has a history of 300-400 years. The traditional wooden structure buildings in Suzhou are built according to this standard. Traditional wooden structures have excellent seismic performance and are also green buildings.Traditional buildings all have a sloping roof. The use of sloping roofs not only solves functions such as sun shading, insulation, and roof drainage, but also improves natural ventilation indoors. These characteristics meet the requirements of modern building standards.
The buildings on the Li's Yizhuang plot are spacious and tall. This feature is more suitable for display. At the same time, the combination of modern cultural exhibitions and historical spaces will be more touching, especially for young people.Young people are our main target audience, and we hope to attract them to enter historical buildings, understand historical spaces, and then achieve inheritance.
A good community should not only consist of elderly or young people, but should also be mixed age. The fourth phase of Shantang retains some of the indigenous dwellings, and some distinctive historical buildings have been updated and designed with new formats to attract young people. The goal is to create a mixed age community.
We conducted extensive social interviews and read historical documents. We learned that before the 1980s, the residents of Shantang Phase IV were mainly flower farmers. They make a living by growing and selling flowers. There are large flower fields between Huqiu and Shantang Phase Four. The entrance of Huayuan Lane and Maying Lane on Shantang Street is the place for flower trading. So, we used three traditional flower species in landscape design.
The core strategy is to preserve the historical space, maintain the authenticity of historical elements, and find business formats that match the historical space. Attracting young people through commercial operations, integrating historical space with modern life.
We have visited the project site multiple times to observe the use of street space by surrounding residents, and conducted extensive social research and interviews.
Shantang Street is a 1200 year old historic district. Historical relics and elements are very dense. However, due to years of disorderly construction, the historical space has been alienated and the authenticity of historical buildings has been obscured. Our focus is on organizing and presenting the pattern of historical space.The residents of Shantang are very familiar with the history of Shantang Street and they love Shantang culture very much. When historical buildings are combined with modern social functions and rejuvenated, they naturally rebuild community confidence.
Before the update, a professional company conducted detailed surveying and 3D spatial scanning. Ensure the authenticity of historical space. In terms of business format, we have collaborated with business consultants to think about what kind of business model and historical space match with us.
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