Mix Architecture has renovated a tea pavilion and a library in a fishing village on Lake Gucheng, in China. The project is part of a wider revitalisation of the village by the Chinese architects, which has also seen the transformation of an adjoining house into a guest residence with three bedrooms. The main space of the project is a glazed tea house that protrudes through one wall of the formerly derelict residence, visually connecting it with a courtyard. The other end of the box opens onto a new library and meeting space within, which surrounds a lightwell cut through the roof to improve natural lighting. Tall wooden bookcases wrap around the lightwell, spanning the building from floor to ceiling.
Mix Architecture wanted to preserve as much of the existing buildings as possible, while introducing modifications that would make them more useful to the residents’ lifestyles. The tone of the wooden book shelves contrasts the existing beam and column structure of the building, highlighting this mix of contemporary and traditional styles.
In addition to the renovation of the stone houses, the studio were also asked to design two toilet blocks for the community. One is positioned by the entrance to the village, while the other is set in a small grove of trees. A gabled metal mesh volume intersects the roof of the first toilet block as a modern interpretation of the gabled form of the old stone building. The second is a mono-pitched block overarched by a slatted metal structure that forms the roof. The roofs of this block is raised above the walls to offer natural lighting and ventilation.
- Project:
- Jiangshan fishing village renovation
- Location:
- Jiangshan, Gaochun, Nanjing City, Jiangsu, China
- Program:
- renovation
- Architect:
- Mix Architecture
- Design team:
- Wu Ziye, Zhou Suning, Tang Tao, Liu Man, Mao Junpeng
- Contractor:
- Nantong Jielida Construction Service Co., Ltd
- Area:
- 385 sqm
- Completion:
- 2018