Fayuan Temple was first built in the 19th year of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty (AD 645). As one of the oldest surviving Buddhist temples in Beijing, it not only holds an important place in the history of religion, but also serves as a cultural core in the city’s urban development, radiating influence and shaping surrounding neighborhoods. Courtyards No. 10 and No. 2 on Fayuan Temple Back Street are on the west side of the temple, within Beijing’s Xicheng District, densely woven with hutong alleyways, forming a typical urban fabric of the old city.The main purpose of this renovation project is to transform aging residential buildings into commercial spaces suited for contemporary needs (Fig. 2). Positioned at the street corner near a primary entrance, the site occupies a prominent location (Fig. 4), playing a crucial role in attracting foot traffic. Therefore, the façade renovation became the core focus of the design: it had to reconcile modern functionality with preserving the building’s genius loci. This project is thus a deliberate collision between tradition and modernity.Traditional architecture here commonly adopts grey bricks and clay tiles. Before the renovation, the building itself was primarily constructed with traditional grey bricks. Consequently, this design adopts grey tiles as the principal tonal base (Fig. 1), echoing surrounding architectural style and extending the courtyard typology’s cultural and historical continuity.
In this design, traditional materials are fused with innovative ones, producing a new aesthetic of brick and stone distinct from conventional practice. Based on this dialogue between tradition and innovation, the project’s design innovations are embodied in the following aspects:
Innovative Conversation — Fusion of New and Old Materials
Glass brick, a modern material, was introduced to create a striking contrast with traditional grey bricks (Fig. 5). The glass bricks enhance transparency of the street-facing façade while enriching spatial depth through dynamic light and shadow. Light strips are embedded within the wall, aligned with the glass bricks (Fig. 13). High-transparency, low-radiation glass bricks were used, constructed modularly to “converse” with traditional grey bricks, carefully controlling light pathways.
Transparency of Wall — Time’s Penetrating Presence
The light-permeable quality of glass brick introduces new possibilities for interaction between interior and exterior. During the day, sunlight filters through, casting shifting light patterns that trace the sun’s path, softly illuminating courtyards and interiors (Fig. 15). At night, indoor illumination, paired with embedded lighting, radiates outward through the glass bricks. The distinctive composition of the glass-brick wall lends the building a unique identity,the glass bricks spell out the words “法源里,” meaning the small streets and alleys formed around Fayuan Temple. inscribing a temporal imprint within the alleyway fabric (Fig. 7).
Creation of New Pattern — Subtle Craft in Masonry Innovation
Variations in bricklaying techniques infuse new vitality into the architecture. By adjusting brick angles, three distinct textural effects were achieved (Fig. 12). These textures, combined with different materials, were reorganized to compose the entire façade. Such variations distinguish the building from neighbors, achieving delicate breakthroughs within the broader community framework.