Chaer Hutong No.22

A s much as we are taking the stand of transforming old neighborhoods
as theme parks or heritage sites, we stronglybelieve that each one of
these neighborhoods has its own unique characteristics from different eras,
other than just being the general "Ancient Chinese Neighborhood". In fact,
generations of architects in China have been putting collaborative effort to
restore the historical debris through modern architecture languages, starting
from 1920s when Mr.Lv Yanzhi replanning the Zhongshan Cemetery project.
This project has served as a great inspiration for Chinese architects at that
time to build modern city with an emphasis on the cultural and historical
heritage. In the later years, Mr Tong Jun tried to express an innovative spatial
experience through combining the traditional Chinese garden design elements
with the western functionalism. As an ancient neighborhood with 600 years of
history in Beijing, Dashilan was once the most prosperous commercial area
for local people. But in recently years, this area has been suffered due to the
economic and social reformation, eventually has becoming the most densely
populated slum with outdated facilities. In order to help Dashilan to rejuvenate
from its present situation, we intend to establish a self-sustaining eco system
by providing a modern environment for local lives within this neighborhood,
adapting standards from western system, combined with Chinese design
elements to revoke the authentic feeling of Chinese neighborhood living at the
same time. We are dedicated to transform Dashilan to a bustling destination
both for locals and visitors, via investigation, speculation, articulation and
reinvention through the lens of contemporary architecture.