The west bank of Pearl River housed brick warehouses in the 1950s, a significant granary of Guangzhou. The government’s renewal master plan aims to preserve its industrial past while building a city-planning exhibition hall and civic center. The project aims to encourage participation in the district’s rebirth. The design balances new functionality while presenting the old site attractively to younger generations. The project has received the SITES Platinum Award and has become a benchmark for urban green and sustainable development.

The original prototype of the Chongkou Warehouse consisted of four individual warehouses situated in an east-west direction along the riverbank, with a simple architectural form and low connectivity among the buildings. By adding steel-roofed structures to three of the independent warehouses, a coherent usage logic and new spatial domain were created, integrating the previously fragmented spaces and endowing the building with new spatial qualities.

Flexible and diverse functional areas were incorporated based on the space’s characteristics. In the combination of the new and old structures, the original building’s structure and materials were preserved to the greatest extent possible. The main material used in the new construction is a replica industrial red brick, and the building’s exterior follows the sloping angle of the original roof.

The original building was deconstructed into “components” and “spiritual symbols”, and different structural components were organized into a new architectural order through the “insertion” method.

The new construction is expressed through a triangular stable form, symbolizing the strong momentum and stability of the Guangzhou West Bank development under government support. The steel-roofed structure extends horizontally east-west, forming a semi-sheltered space with the landscape on the west-facing river side, allowing the building to integrate into and enrich the leisure life interface along the river for citizens.

The relationship between the building, the original environment, and the landscape vegetation is maintained through material and form changes, ensuring indoor-outdoor interaction and transparency. Based on the new functional positioning of the building, the project was planned and designed to achieve true activation of the space and organic preservation.

Category:EnvironmentsYear:2023Designers:Ann Yu, Sue Wang, Eva Zheng, Lynn Li, DOMANI Architcetural Concepts, Guangzhou, ChinaManufacturer:Guangzhou Pearl River Industrial Park Investment and Development Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China