Remade Project of Dazhalan and Baitasi in Beijing
Zhangke, Huali, etc.
Beijing, China
2015
Description
Dazhalan is a well-preserved, traditional block in Beijing, its streets and courtyards, almost remains the same. Baitasi is also a historical heritage. Drawing from the experience of designing micro-parks in overseas, the designers remade the Yangmei Xie Street by converting the parking place into resting area, offering tables and chairs, game zone, restaurant, etc. in order to meet the demands of public space. Many designers tried to cooperate with traditional artisans to render the intangible culture in Dazhalan. Designers joined hands with Zhang Ziqiang, the “Rabbit God of Zhang”, who is a traditional toy artisan, to combine new material with technology, in the hope to develop teenagers’ interest in traditional handicraft. Master Zhou, who is well-known for weaving palace lanterns with iron wires, associated with American Design Studio to create a series of sculptural works mixed with weaves and lamplights. The whole block has gotten mojo back. The Institute of Excitation’s work A stranger of NO.23 courtyard, replacing the NO.23 courtyard in Batasi into an experimental space. Varies art installations highlighted the illusion of courtyard; the unordered installations and its collage with the construction confused the sense of space. Architects renewed Hu Tong to micro-Hu Tongs, new compound-yards, inner box Hu Tongs, parasitism Hu Tongs, etc. All the living place and public space have been remade partially or in small scale, exploring a possibility of future life.
Written by Pan Li
Excellence
The Jury was impressed with the thinking of the design team in providing genuinely social spaces within a newly reconstructed historical living accommodation, and for building into the design both diversity of possible uses and the open-ended workspace required by artisans of the intangible heritage and the newer creative industries. The team insisted on human scale and combining artisan-led initiatives (rather than big brand development) with the availability of new technology.