Today, we will focus on the theme of "Changing Cities to Keep History Alive" and share innovative solutions from five cities. Without further ado, let’s learn about revitalizing cultural heritage with Guangzhou Award Secretariat!

Guangzhou, China

The Renovation of Yongqing Fang

Located in the center of Xiguan, Guangzhou, Enning Road used to suffer a lot during the urban development, and its upgrade was concerned by all sections of society. In 2016, Vanke, a large residential real estate developer, managed to renovate Yongqing Fang on Enning Road, making this area an outstanding sample in Guangzhou. Guided by the idea of “organic renewal” and “micro-renovation”, the construction team not only followed the initial planning to make a unified style of the old architectures, but also retained each building’s characteristic. In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Yongqing Fang during an inspection tour, and said: “Keep history of cities alive. Preserve the tie between people and their hometowns.”

Check to see more at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/928095/yongqing-fang-landscape-design-lab-d-plus-h

Shanghai, China

The Waterhouse at South BundLocated by the new Cool Docks development on the South Bund District of Shanghai, the Waterhouse is a four-story boutique hotel built into an existing three-story Japanese Army headquarters building from the 1930’s. It can be regarded as a production of urbanization. The original concrete building has been restored while new additions built over the existing structure were made using Cor-Ten steel, resonating with the industrial nature of the ships which pass through the river. In June 2020, the Waterhouse temporarily suspended its business, planning to transform the parking lot into urban green spaces. After this transformation, the original industrial buildings and old docks will be given public function in the modern society.

Check to see more at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/263158/the-waterhouse-at-south-bund-neri-hu

St∙ Petersburg, Russia

Transforming a Former Railway Yard into a New Residential District

KCAP in collaboration with Orange Architects, and A.Len Architectural Bureau as co-Architect, have imagined a proposal to transform the former Tovarno-Vitebskaya railway yard on Ligovsky Prospekt into a new residential district with communal facilities, retail, and extensive greenery, in the south-eastern part of the grey belt of St. Petersburg, Russia. Entitled Ligovsky City, the project is “an adaptive re-use intervention that promotes new urban life, based on a mix of historical and modern structures and on the contrast between large and small scale solutions”. It proposes an urban solution while preserving the architectural memory of the place.

Check to see more at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/943928/kcap-plus-orange-architects-transform-a-former-railway-yard-into-a-new-residential-district-in-st-petersburg-russia?ad_medium=gallery

East Sussex, England

The Reborn of Hastings Pier

First opened in 1872, Hastings Pier was an important focal point for the seaside town. In 2008, the pier was closed over fears the structure was unsafe. Unluckily, it suffered extensive fire damage during the early hours of Tuesday 5 October 2010. After the destruction, dRMM, an international studio of architects and designers, seized the opportunity to redefine what a pier could be in the 21st century by creating a strong, well-serviced platform that is sustainable and flexible. The new pier can support endless uses, from big-top circus to major music events, local fishing to international markets. Reclaimed timber deck furniture was designed by dRMM and Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling as part of a local employment initiative.

Check to see more at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/876788/hastings-pier-drmm

Nantes, France

The Alstom Warehouses Requalification Project Full of Creativity

Located in the “Ile de Nantes” a site undergoing industrial transformation, the Alstom Warehouses requalification project marks a new step towards the objective of urban rehabilitation. In over 20 years, the available 26,000㎡of the existing old Alstom warehouses will be restructured and converted into a multipurpose Creation district comprising: the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Higher School of Fine Arts (ENSBAN), the Nantes University, an office property complex for creative startups and a business accelerator, artists’ workshops, a creative Third-Place project, and a catering facility.

Check to see more at: 

https://www.archdaily.com/915442/alstom-warehouses-nantes-metropole-higher-school-of-fine-arts-franklin-azzi-architecture