Quanyechang is located in the district of Da Shi Lan, on the south of Tiananmen Square. During the Ming era (1368-1644), Da Shi Lan was the heart of Beijing's business district. With its ancient “hutongs” blending with early 20th century buildings inspired by European architecture, it nowadays stands as a symbol of the city's long history and culture.
As part of the redevelopment of the district, Quanyechang was chosen to be refurbished into an arts and retail centre displaying museum pieces and craftwork. The project enables the building to adapt to its new functions and to absorb future transformations while highlighting the intrinsic quality of its fabric. Structured like a 80-metre long covered walkway, punctuated by three atria -major elements of the edifice- the new building features 7,000sqm of exhibition halls, retail surfaces and restaurants, including a tea room and a multi-purpose hall. The floor slabs that had been blocking the three atria since 1960 were knocked down to restore the original appearance of the central octagonal atrium and of the north and south ones. By taking into account the decorative elements of the adjacent spaces, the overall harmony of the original architectural style was restored to its former glory. Quanyechang was actually the first building in China to be equipped with a lift. To highlight this symbolic heritage a superb 9 sqm, glass lift (the largest in Beijing) was constructed. As most of the original balustrades were damaged, marble bases were added to the plaster ones, while the baluster spacing was reduced to meet safety requirements. The cast iron balustrades were recreated according to the original design in order to meet the current safety requirements. The numerous decorative mouldings, which are part of the Quanyechang heritage, were preserved and finely restored to their original appearance despite the heavy wear and tear of time and maintenance works over the past decades. The jade chandelier of the octagonal atrium, which witnessed Quanyechang's history, was restored and put back in its original place. The refurbishment of the multi-purpose hall on level 4 was particularly challenging due to its distinctive features. The wooden trusses are considered as a heritage element of Quanyechang and for this reason they may neither be altered by additional devices nor weighed down by lighting fixtures. The original timber elements were thus covered with a protection tailored to their form. The lighting fixtures hang from the ceiling while various technical devices are incorporated into the timber panels covering the sidewalls.
Client: Beijing Dashilan Yongxing Real Estate Co.,Ltd
Project management: AREP Ville
Restored surface: 7,390 sqm
Studies: 2012-2013
Delivery: 2014
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