On May 29, 2020, the finals of the 2020 Beijing International Design Week China Design Challenge – Highlight Ten Articles Creative Park Urban Renewal Design Collection were successfully concluded. The event was hosted by Beijing Creative Highlight 55 Cultural Development Co., Ltd. and Beijing International Design Week Co., Ltd., and organized by the Beijing International Design Week Urban Renewal Research Center alongside Beijing Youming Cultural Development Co., Ltd.
Honors
The Kancho Innovation Research Institute was awarded first prize in this competition.
Challenge & Background
The competition tasked participants with renovating and upgrading the exterior facade of the Dongsi Ten Article Creative Park building—a notable landmark. Located in the heart of Beijing’s Dongcheng District, the site carries rich historical significance. Through this challenge, the organizers aimed to highlight the in-depth research and innovative thinking of design teams both domestically and internationally on the theme of “urban renewal.”
Design Brief
The renovation aims to elevate the building’s elegance while adhering to the following guidelines:
- Due to city center regulations, scaffolding should be avoided during renovation.
- The addition of metal mesh is discouraged.
- Concepts involving wrapping or adding an extra “skin” layer are not desired.
- No covering, doodling, or use of vivid colors to attract attention.
- Focus on meticulous detail and building integrity.
- Design an installation artwork for the third-floor Sky Garden.
- Assess and suggest improvements for the visual relationship between the north facade, parking lot, architecture, and landscape.
Insight & Strategy
Facade Renovation: Subtraction, Improvement, Concealment, and Addition
Analysis of existing building issues:
Features highlighted include fire ladder enclosure, facade preservation structure, porch decorative columns, and window edge strips.
Additional concerns involve roof aluminum panels, facade structural column protrusions, and guardrails.
Transformation Techniques
The eaves aluminum panels have been aligned with the building’s existing length and width for a harmonious appearance.
The side fire ladder enclosure has been dismantled, and the fire ladder’s lightweight structure reorganized.
The foundation of the external wall insulation has been reconstructed, increasing its thickness and aligning it with structural columns for improved coherence.
The roof garden fence has been redesigned to complement the overall aesthetic.
Polished aluminum panels have been added to the top facade, along with white glass curtain walls on select facades.
Here is a glimpse of the local effect after renovation.
City Garden
Communication & Attitude
Function & Organization
Parking / Transportation / Public – Open Spaces
+Social → +Garden
↑ ↓
+Display ← +Art
Existing public spaces and traffic flow challenges are depicted here.
An underground smart parking system has been proposed to alleviate parking issues.
Enhancements to public safety include opening parks to provide quiet spaces amidst urban noise.
Solution Presentation
Art Installation
Jiezi Mountain
Virtual Reality, Interaction, and Multidimensional Experience
Mustard Mustard Mustard Mustard – Seeing the Big from the Small
Postscript
Faced with the design requirements of this competition and the unique nature of the Highlight Cultural and Creative Park, we were challenged with designing within a very compact creative space. Urban renewal in Beijing’s historic core demands a cautious approach that respects the surrounding architectural context.
Kancho’s approach is to objectively acknowledge the building’s presence without overturning or denying it. Building on the traces of time, we infused subtle aesthetic qualities that resonate with the “present moment.” This transformation represents our contemporary interpretation of traditional culture, deliberately avoiding superficial cultural symbols to preserve genuine aesthetic experiences and strengthen their integration into the daily life of the building’s users.
From the perspective of architectural iconography, the expression is firm, confident, gentle, and understated, both for the city and its observers. This expression is temporal—not a definitive statement from on high—but rather a quiet anticipation of future historical moments, which remains the most intriguing and awaited aspect.
Project Information
Project Name: Extremely Restrained Design | Highlights of Kancho X
Project Location: Dongsi Shitiao, Beijing
Building Area: 8,400 square meters
Designer: Kancho Innovation Research Institute
Company Official Account: quantingdesign
Contact Email: __AI_S_SC0__
Project Design & Year of Completion: 2020
Creator: Shi Yingzhe
Design Team: Song Hong, Xu Ranming, Jia Xiaoliang, Zhang Ye
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