Currently, the renewal of old cities often only preserves the physical form but loses the essence of life. How to revitalize history in a state of "Observable and Palpable" with sustainable growth is the focus of the Zhexi project.

In terms of form, we make history conform to the imagination through conservation and repair, preservation and renovation, renewal and alteration; in terms of space, on the basis of sorting out the spatial context, the design preserves and continues the spatial texture and unblocks the traffic in the area, in order to improve the urban spatial structure and to enhance the quality of contemporary use of the block space.

01 Trace the Context of Streets and Alleys and Weave the Texture of Old Streets

The project is located on both sides of Zhexi in the core area of Tiantai. Except for a small number of historical buildings preserved in poor condition, the site has been almost completely demolished. Fortunately, the skeleton of the streets and alleys is relatively clear and intact.

The design takes Zhexi as the spatial main axis. Following the skeleton of streets and alleys and combining with the buildings along the bank, it forms a continuous ribbon-shaped park as the characteristic public space of the block. The historical and cultural blocks along both sides of the river continue the spatial structure of the old city, combining the layout and form of the Tang and Song Neighborhoods to "weave" the missing texture and space, which not only recovers the memories of Tiantai people about the blocks, but also integrates contemporary aesthetics and is of practical use.

02 Zoning of Commercial and Residential Areas to Create a Vibrant Space

The area is divided into two parts: the commercial street and the residential area. The commercial street is laid out and extended along the stream, focusing on the creation of rich small-scale public space under the "ribbon" wholeness, accommodating more dynamic activities.

The commercial street at the back of the lake side creates a rich inner street space with scale and curvature through the spatial design methods of transferring and releasing. The bustling city and rich breath of life are presented in it.

The residential layout is on the periphery of the commercial street: the south side is dominated by low-rise townhouses, and the north side by high-rise buildings. The townhouses emphasize the reproduction of the spatial relationship of traditional residential houses and the relationship between neighbors in the streets and alleys; the high-rise buildings follow the layout of the site and create an inward-looking and quiet environment through the central garden.

03 Organize Riverside Space to Revive the Old City's Prosperity

Zhexi has a small water flow, which is suitable for walking in the creek. But the original building was built against the revetment, so people are limited to view the waterscape. Therefore, we redesigned the riverbank to create a water-related public waterfront space with more activity possibilities through the Wind and Rain Corridors, Waterside Walkways, and Water Play Platforms, providing more opportunities for later operation.

After the opening of the Old Street, the prosperity of the old city in the past is reborn on both sides of the Zhexi: bustling crowds move along the flow of the Zhexi, shuttling between the creek bank and the inner streets. From time to time, people wade into the creek along the footpaths. In the evening, there are also many people sitting on the Linchuan Bridge quietly watching the lights of the block, and when the rain comes, they pace along the corridor, leaning against the railings to enjoy the rain...

04 Unblocking Internal Streets and Anchoring Public Nodes

The Zhexi Old Street is characterized by cluttered buildings, cramped streets and alleys, and mixed pedestrian and vehicular traffic, making it difficult to meet contemporary use. On the basis of preserving the spatial texture of the old street, the design allows the old street to meet the needs of contemporary use and operation through the removal of unauthorized building works, unblocking internal streets and alleys, rational planning of parking spaces, and independent traffic flow.

Public spaces in the memory of Tiantai people: alley ends, intersections, bridgeheads, and historical buildings are used as exhibition and performance spaces through restoration or rehabilitation and reconstruction; we have also built some new public spaces, interspersed with the structure of the old street to increase the richness of the experience of the space.

05 Modern Materials and Techniques for a Traditional Living Atmosphere.

We look for the design basis from East Zhejiang folk houses and local folk houses in Tiantai, but the expression of the form is not a reproduction of the tradition, but the use of modern materials and modern design methods. Through the integration of details into the form of expression, it forms a rich and powerful Tang style, elegant and delicate Song rhyme, and modern and simple architectural visual perception.

In addition to the need to protect and repair the Long House of Xu Town and other ancient buildings, we integrate "modern" into the rebuilt or reconstructed historical buildings, such as Sima Pavilion, which uses modern materials to interpret the strong Tang style; on the premise of retaining the shape of the space, the Tongyue Gate is reconstructed by means of printed glass lined with thin strip stone and light belt...

We hope to continue the atmosphere of history and life, but also be suitable for current use, in line with modern construction. The design vision of attracting more people to come in to see, appreciate, play and live was finally realized and presented in Zhexi Old Street.

Project Information

Project Name: Renewal of Zhexi Historical and Cultural Blocks in Tiantai
Project Location: Tiantai, Zhejiang
Detailed Address: Zhexi Old Street, Chicheng Sub-district, Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Design Time: December 2019
Date of Completion: September 2023
Land Area: 94693m²
Building Area: 223476m²
Floor Area Ratio: 1.22
Architectural Design: gad design
Construction Drawing Design: gad Design
Ancient Architecture Design: Suzhou Garden Design Institute
Landscape Design: Lansong Group | Greentown Environment
Owner: Zhejiang Yangfan Real Estate Group
Photography: Right Angle Image
Main Image: Right Angle Image