Project: Wanghu Villager Center
Award: Adaptive Reuse - Small, Gold, 2023
Location: Taizhou City, China
Architect: The Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd
Combining traditional forms with modern materials to show the symbiosis between nature and the historical buildings that once stood here, this tourist centre has been designed around the run-down remaining earth walls of the mushroom growing rooms that once stood here.
The site was formerly occupied by three mushroom growing rooms, one of which has disappeared completely. Through rebuilding it, the project retells the story and heritage of the working village, ensuring those memories continue. The design sets off the history of the old walls with the light coloured concrete of the new building providing the perfect drop to highlight the original mellow brickwork.
Design highlights
The architects used an analysis of the existing built environment of the village as the prototype for the project. The new buildings extend the fabric of the village while remaining in keeping with the scale of the original buildings. To protect the village’s quaint atmosphere, the new buildings are inserted inside the enclosure of the old walls.
Photo credit: Zhao Qiang