The project is located in Shenzhen OCT Loft, Guangdong Province, China, the original building was an abandoned factory boiler building, it is walls had no windows on all sides and were cracked and seeped and it was determined that the building was dangerous and required structural reinforcement before reuse. After renovation it is the multi-purpose space of Zhongcheng “Space Holdings Group”, the first floor and the west courtyard are open spaces for public and the second and third floors are multifunctional activity spaces for the company.

Continuation and Renovation: Although the original building has been abandoned for more than ten years, its windowless “washed rice stone” (a traditional handmade texture of the exterior wall) elevations makes the building like an ashlar stand in the lush vegetation and present a unique site phenomenon, and this is the sense of place that design team hopes to keep after the renovation. Therefore, how to obtain the necessary lighting and ventilation adapting to the future for human use while retaining the site atmosphere is the core thinking of the renewal design of the facade.

Vegetation and Architecture: The building is surrounded by vibrant plants on three sides and form a vitality place with natural characteristics, while opening the wall of the building to obtain light and ventilation, it is also hoped that this unique landscape scenes can be introduced into the building, then made the closed and light-free boiler room transformed to an open and bright space for man. Therefore, according to the location of the flora and the direction of community, the elevations are divided into two types: a transparent surface and an ashlar-like windowless surface, the west and south elevations facing the community are restored to the windowless washed rice stone walls to continuing the historical characteristics of the site after the completion of new waterproofing, and the walls facing the east and north inner courtyards use of transparent material to gains lighting and scenery.

Courtyard and Installation: Since the site already has a rich and luxuriant plants surrounded, the courtyard decided to design in a way that triggers space and scenic phenomenon to interactive with people instead of adding more new plants. Between the plants in the west courtyard, the steel materials are used to present an installation of flowing form and space named “Shanshui Ripple”, which makes the relatively limited courtyard space produce a multi-level spatial extension phenomenon. And hope to explore the possibility that natural objects and artificial materials are not opposed to each other, but can coexist and echo a new natural place through this courtyard design.

Ultimately, the regeneration of this project is based on the balance and coexistence among the needs of new functions and spaces, the correlations of the natural around the site and the continuation of the historical characteristics of the site and building.

Project Info

Project Name: Zhongcheng Multi-functional Building
Architecture Firm: Aether Architects
Website: www.aethertect.com
Completion Year: 2021
Gross Built Area: 420 sq.m.
Project location: OCT Loft, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
Lead Architects: Huang Zelin
Photo credits: Zhang Chao
Installation Design: Huang Zelin + Qian Honglin Media Arts Studio
Construction drawing Collaborators: ZAO Design, Yan Shining, Liu Chengjin, Zhang Zecheng, Zhang Qi, Liao Xia, Li nan, Wu Baihui
Clients: Space Holdings Group
Construction management: Huang Xiaocong, Zhong Aixiu
Construction Team: Jvquan (Shenzhen) Labor Service Co., Ltd.