Traditional Twist: Concrete and Cantilevers Define this Modern Hutong in Beijing

Micro Hutong acts as a social condenser, promoting both privacy and maximum interaction between tenants.

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Traditional Chinese hutongs — narrow, gray brick alleyways lined with siheyuan courtyard houses — are seemingly a thing of the past. Modern development and the rapid rise in Beijing’s population over the last few decades has caused many of these long-established communities to be taken over by skyscrapers and large apartment complexes. The urban housing crisis in this booming city has forced many people to relocate. The few hundred hutongs remaining in Beijing are being threatened by these trends, as well as a recent influx of tourists interested in exploring the heritage of these historical spaces.

ZAO/standardarchitecture, a Beijing-based firm founded in 2001 by Zhang Ke, has envisioned an ultra-small-scale social housing project set within the confines of a traditional hutong that challenges the future of these historic spaces. Located in the Dashilar District, a historical neighborhood within walking distance of Tiananmen Square, Micro Hutong is an experiment in urban regeneration and hutong preservation.

Sketch by Zhang Ke

Comprised of five staggered rooms arranged around a central, shared courtyard, the 35-square-meter house acts as a social condenser, promoting both privacy and maximum interaction between tenants.

Photos by Wu Qingshan (left) and Wang Ziling (right)Courtesy ZAO/standardarchitecture

The design of Micro Hutong is surprisingly sculptural and spacious. From the street, the project is nearly hidden. Set behind an unassuming façade framed in a patchwork of aged wood and rusted metal, the space opens up to a cozy interior communal space complete with tables and seating. This flexible urban living room acts as the transition zone from private space to the street.

Photo by Wang ZilingCourtesy ZAO/standardarchitecture

Just beyond this, the wood-paneled floor gives way to the traditional brick-laid pavement of the original hutong. The five rooms, each designed with entirely transparent façades, jut out into the small, open-air courtyard, providing dramatic views for tenants.

Photo by Wu Qingshan Courtesy ZAO/standardarchitecture

The project was cast on-site with concrete mixed in Chinese ink, creating a bold yet minimal tone throughout the hutong. Three openable roof skylights, in addition to the central courtyard, provide natural ventilation and allow natural light to seep into each living space.