Industrial Heritage and Urban Memory
The development of Xizi Smart Industrial Park began with the relocation of Hangzhou’s urban industry. Since 2008, the “Hangzhou Boiler Factory,” a key industrial cluster in the northern part of Hangzhou city, moved from its nearly 60-year-old urban site to the suburban area of Dingqiao. As the city rapidly expanded, farmland and factory zones in Dingqiao gradually gave way to large residential developments, creating a stronger community atmosphere. The extensive land occupied by Dingqiao Hangguo Factory no longer met the area’s development or residents’ living needs.
Starting in 2015, new development plans were launched for the Hangguo Dingqiao factory and its surrounding 21.5 hectares. The goal was a dual transformation in both space and industry: the boiler factory’s production line relocated again to Chongxian, leaving the old factory building as an “industrial relic.” This former factory and its land were reimagined as a “smart industrial park,” becoming a vital part of Dingqiao Smart Town. Goa Elephant Design has been responsible for three phases of this transformation.
△ Industrial Memory (Part 1): Hangguodong New Road Factory Area 1958-2013 △ Project Base (Part 2): Hangguodingqiao Factory Area 2008-2019
The design scope includes renovating the old factory building in Hangguodingqiao and developing new construction on the adjacent land. Architects faced two key challenges: first, to avoid the homogenization and suburban sprawl typical of large industrial parks, instead fostering a spatial “urbanization” experience; second, to create a renovation strategy that increases land value while preserving the industrial heritage.
Master Plan: Creating a Diverse, Integrated Community
How can industrial parks on the city’s outskirts embrace “urbanization”? Historically, industrial spaces were fully integrated with cities, often following a “courtyard” model combining work and living spaces, providing amenities for factory workers and nearby residents. This model of industrial-city integration continues to offer valuable insights.
Reflecting on this, the architects set a goal for the overall plan: to go beyond simply housing industry, and instead integrate multiple functions to create a comprehensive community. The focus lies on diverse functions, appropriate scale, and moderate density.
△ Construction Progress
The 21.5-hectare site is being developed in three phases, featuring a rich mix of functions. Phase I, located north of the old factory building, includes an intelligent manufacturing center, R&D center, creative offices, and an art center. Phase II focuses on renovating the old factory building to house a warehouse-style supermarket, centralized commercial spaces, and parking facilities. Phase III, to the west, involves building pilot workshops and other facilities for a multi-functional era.
△ Conceptual Layout of the Park
The square in front of the art center acts as the park’s core, with an L-shaped public axis defining its structure. The horizontal axis runs through a public street to the park’s eastern entrance, while the vertical axis leads south into the centralized commercial area within the old factory building, connecting to the southern commercial plaza. This fully accessible L-shaped axis invites local residents and serves as the main route for commercial and public activities, linking new developments with the factory site and bridging the industrial park with the city.
This framework integrates the 21.5-hectare park seamlessly into the urban fabric, forming a cohesive and interactive whole.
Factory Renovation: Functional Transformation and Revitalization
The renovation of the old Hangguo factory building is a central element of the park’s development. Covering approximately 42,000 square meters, the portal steel structure factory was abandoned after nearly a decade of disuse. Although the building’s structure lacks notable historical value, the industrial legacy of “Hangguo” remains significant.
The architects proposed two strategies: first, to introduce commercial uses and essential supporting facilities within the old factory to boost land value and serve the local community; second, to transform the building’s scale while preserving its industrial character, creating an appealing commercial environment.
The design retains the existing steel structure and column spans, focusing on functional replacements and façade reconstruction. New functions include a Sam’s Club (~20,000 sqm), centralized commercial space (~30,000 sqm), and a parking structure (~27,000 sqm). The old color steel plate roof was replaced with a reddish-brown metal roof featuring a serrated skylight system with 12-meter modules, created through a “cutting and folding” technique. The folded façade introduces a dynamic rhythm, breaking the monotonous and elongated street-facing elevations.
The building’s main pedestrian entrance features cantilevered metal folding panels that serve as a distinctive canopy, contrasting with the square commercial volumes. All design elements strictly respect the original footprint’s length, width, and height constraints, preserving the factory’s original silhouette.
The centralized commercial area draws inspiration from airport terminal layouts, with a large continuous roof covering the lower level and staggered commercial volumes above, blending modern retail vibes with industrial spatial characteristics.
R&D Park: An Organic Industrial Garden
Many industrial parks suffer from “suburbanization,” characterized by uniform buildings, disproportionate scale, and cold atmospheres. In contrast, the Xizi Smart Industrial Park project aims for a more organic approach in public space design, architectural forms, and landscape hierarchy, exploring a renewed “urbanity” within industrial spaces.
Within the park, buildings and gardens intertwine. Clusters of gardens resemble cells of varying sizes, connected by pathways acting as capillaries. Garden sizes follow a basic 50-meter square module, while shapes—square, oval, L-shaped—create diverse courtyard atmospheres. Pedestrian pathways are layered, with a 15-meter-wide street, a 4-meter main park road, and 2-meter garden paths, all separated from vehicle traffic. Covered corridors and canopies on the building’s second floor provide sheltered communal spaces.
The high-rise building along the street houses the R&D center and intelligent manufacturing facilities. Within the park’s interior, a standalone five-story R&D headquarters and a lower creative office create a varied spatial hierarchy.
The architectural design embraces “unity in diversity,” with each building group distinct yet cohesive. Buildings flanking the L-shaped public axis use warm brown materials to enhance the public space ambiance. The art center features a reddish-brown perforated aluminum façade matching the factory’s, with a diamond-shaped wrapping that draws visual focus.
The standalone R&D headquarters facade utilizes a reddish-brown integrated panel system. This material is lightweight, flexible, and low-maintenance, ideal for R&D needs while offering a brick-like texture and warmth.
Clusters of taller buildings accommodate large-scale R&D and intelligent manufacturing activities. To counter the typical coldness of industrial architecture, facades vary rather than follow a uniform standard. From sharp vertical lines to dynamic horizontal rhythms, these façades help orient visitors and give the park a distinct identity.
Facade details draw on construction techniques from other building types, emphasizing a human-scaled design. Within broad façade divisions, secondary and tertiary layers formed by fine metal components add depth. Functional elements like rain shelters become expressive features, enhancing the buildings’ character.
Embedding Willow Trees in the Shade: New Stories for Old Factory Areas
On this former industrial land, architects collaborate closely with developers and government agencies to balance economic development, cultural heritage preservation, and public interest, creating a truly integrated community. As urbanization continues to deepen, the story of this area’s development is still unfolding.
Project Information
Location: Hangzhou
Design and Completion: 2015–2021
Building Area: 310,000 square meters
Image Credit: Goa Elephant Design, shiromio studio
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