ZHANGYAN, SHANGHAI

The project is located in a village called Zhangyan of Chonggu Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai, China, a dying ancient village which is gradually fading away as time goes by. However, the rural vitalization policy has made this forgotten village take on a completely new look through design within two years.
By following the concept of“localism”, the design team strived to preserve the historical context of the site and recreate the historical memory of the site, and sought a balance between the renovation and innovation of old buildings, instead of simply removing the marks of the past. We identified valuable parts from the complicated conditions of the site in Zhangyan Village, and handled all elements carefully, from whether to restore the style of rivers, streets and lanes, to if a tree or a well should be kept. In the design, we reconstructed the relationship between men as well as men and nature, and reproduced the grand view of this water town.