Shapowei Art Zone

The refrigeration plant is located at Shapowei, Xiamen City, neighboring to
the renowned Shapowei wind shelter; Renovation of the refrigeration plant
to an art district is an important pilot plot for the city’s old town renovation
project. The architect is to tackle with the task of creating innovative design
within a relatively limited project budget.
The architect encompasses the site with 12 slabs of concrete of varied heights,
creating a half-enclosed plaza space. The core component to the plaza is a
skateboarding rink, offering activity area for skateboarders. The concrete
walls join the ground in arc shapes, creating spaces for skateboarding and
BMX bike sports. The project itself can be used as multi-functional space of
hosting performances, creativity fairs, and etc., to fulfill the activity space’s
diverse functions, adapting to a broad spectrum of activities hosted in
Shapowei Art District.
The main entrance is located at the southeastern side of the building; the
ground floor of the building encompasses a half open space, presumably the
prior loading dock. The designer has added a small activity area in this space
to host small scale exhibitions, at the same time simultaneously to be used as
small classrooms. The wall has retained the original thermo doors, air curtain
and control boxes from the refrigeration plant’s refrigeration unit, keeping an
imprint/trademark of the old factory; one of the doors are used as entrance
to “Real Live” Club located on the ground floor, the remaining are retrofitted
as window displays that can be opened, at the same time adding function of
security. ”Real Live” club is renovated from the prior refrigeration space of
two levels. It hosts various events of a spectrum of diversity, attracting the hip
population in Xiamen for visits.
The West Side Art district is designated as the new name for the refrigeration
plant, ever since it’s completion, it has became a cultural, artistic complex that
integrates sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, apparel design, wood crafting,
animation, music, paper craft, and video work. Varieties of studios are open
for public free of charge; the audience is able to interact with the artists face
to face. The intervention of the new functioning complex to the art district not
only stimulated the old factory’s dynamics; it has buoyed the entire Shapowei
District’s business value. Two months after it’s inauguration, Shapowei’s
storefront rent has doubled, but still new storefronts continue to resurface,
for example Pang Pang Beer opened by German owners, “Nest/Hive” bar ran
by interior designers, minute changes are undergoing in this district. The
architect is pleased to see that the new booming hip stores are interlaced with
local grocery stores, fish stalls, fish ball shops, fruit stands and many other
stores for everyday lives, hence it’s still the Shapowei that’s familiar to all, only
more dynamic.