Dalian 37 Xiang Cultural and Creative Park
Dalian is a coastal city known both for its openness and its industrial heritage. It plays a vital role in Northeast China’s economic landscape, balancing external openness with the comprehensive revitalization of its old industrial base. With a rich industrial legacy, the challenge lies in avoiding widespread demolition and instead repurposing old industrial parks through thoughtful preservation and adaptive reuse. The Dalian 37 Xiang Cultural and Creative Park is a pioneering urban renewal project born out of this context.
01 History: Memories of Old Industry from the 1970s
△ Current state of the project
Located at No. 37 Changhong Street in Xigang District, Dalian 37 Xiang Cultural and Creative Park occupies an abandoned factory site originally constructed in the 1970s. Over the decades, it housed the Dalian Old Wireless Power Plant, Liaowu Second Factory, Yunhua Technology, among others. Spanning approximately six acres on a terraced hillside with slope protection, the site stands midway up a mountain overlooking the harbor to the north. It carries the weight of 50 years of history and embodies the legacy of Dalian’s once-thriving planned economy era.
02 New Vision: A Model for Industrial Heritage Renewal in Dalian
The architectural design draws inspiration from Dalian’s iconic landscape of mountains and sea, crafting a modern, minimalist cultural and creative park that reflects these natural features. This project aims to set a benchmark for urban renewal efforts across Dalian.
△ Aerial view of the project
Situated with Martyrs Mountain at its back and facing Dalian Bay to the north, the site enjoys a prime location adjacent to the Dalian Municipal People’s Government. Approaching via the street path, the building’s northeast corner rises prominently on the hillside, reminiscent of the Parthenon perched on Athens’ Acropolis, boasting a strong architectural presence.
The building’s northeast corner stands tall against the slope protection.
03 Transformation Strategy: Creating a Landmark with Diverse Functions and a Human-Centered Environment
The renovation strategy carefully balances rational planning with emotional engagement, grounded in a thorough understanding of the site’s current conditions. UUA Architects envisioned a vibrant cultural and creative park that transforms the old buildings into city landmarks, multifunctional hubs, cultural platforms, and lively urban nodes accessible to the public.
△ A: Preserve the original industrial plant’s framework and window openings while removing outdated exterior decorations and doors.
△ B: Replace doors and windows with systems that meet both aesthetic and energy efficiency standards.
△ C: Introduce a new modular system that controls the layout of wavy perforated aluminum curtain walls, creating a dynamic architectural expression combining order and variation.
△ D: Add three outdoor emergency staircases to meet evacuation requirements under the new functional layout.
△ E: The addition of parking structures, rooftop gardens, and landscaped park areas enhances the comfort and appeal of the park.
Architectural Landmark: Storytelling Through Empathic Symbolism
Extraction and Interpretation of Architectural Language
Dalian’s unique geography—defined by mountains, hills, peninsulas, and the ocean—has shaped its identity as a city of mountains and seas. This natural landscape inspired the renovation’s architectural language. Building on the existing volume, UUA abstracted forms of waves and sails to create a rational yet expressive design that resonates deeply with the urban spirit. This approach fosters emotional connections between the building and its visitors, giving the architecture a new visual narrative.
Landmark architectural image
Imagery inspired by waves and sails
Moreover, by exploring the inherent order of the original building structure, UUA developed a new modular grid for the facade that overlays the existing rhythm. This relationship between old and new respects the original construction while symbolizing the building’s evolution through time.
Modular curtain wall system
The building is enveloped in white perforated aluminum panels arranged in clusters that rise and vary in density, evoking the movement of waves or the layering of sails. On the raised panels, striped gradient-colored glazed glass adds delicate layering. At the building’s southeast corner, two directional “wave” forms intersect, creating the visual and architectural focal point.
△ Southeast corner high point
Composite Business Formats: Spatial Reconfiguration for Diverse Uses
Integrating multiple business formats is essential to sustaining the park’s vitality. Each format targets different user groups, and through coordinated resource allocation and shared spaces, they support and enhance each other.
Dalian 37 Xiang Cultural and Creative Park combines traditional offices, co-working spaces, dining, reading areas, art education studios, fashion studios, and more. The design balances distinct functional zones with seamless connections, creating an open, transparent environment flooded with natural light and offering outdoor views.
△ Business distribution map of the project
Indoor spaces include a book bar, fashion studio, and clubhouse.
Additional indoor spaces: co-creation offices, shared meeting rooms, and office corridors.
Humanizing the Space: Creating Inviting Places to Stay
The park’s landscaping is divided into three main areas: the south courtyard, the north courtyard, and the rooftop garden. These zones are interconnected through outdoor corridors and stairways, enhancing accessibility and flow.
The South Courtyard, surrounded by the building complex, serves as the park’s main transportation hub.
The North Courtyard offers a more private space nestled between the main building and slope protection.
The rooftop garden features a sports field and an outdoor leisure barbecue area, offering panoramic views of the harbor to the north.
04 Details and Materials
Typical wall detail node – 1
Typical wall detail node – 2
Typical wall detail node – 3
05 Summary and Outlook
Dalian 37 Phase is an urban renewal project characterized by warmth, depth, and meticulous attention to detail.
It embodies 50 years of history and reflects the challenges faced in transforming Dalian from an industrial city into a cultural hub.
The project explores new possibilities for revitalizing the old city and reactivating the local community through careful intervention.
It bridges the spirit of old and new Dalian, celebrating a diverse, inclusive fusion of mountains and seas.
Project Information
Architecture & Interior Design: UUA Architects
Design Team: Li Yongzheng, Li Qizhi, Deng Liang, Jiang Teng, He Wenbo, Lv Yanfeng, Fang Hongbo, Zhang Jiaxin, Chen Huanyu
Location: Dalian City, Liaoning Province
Project Scale: 5,300 square meters
Owner: Dalian Thirty Seven Xiang Cultural and Tourism Technology Industrial Park (Group) Co., Ltd.
Collaborators: Dalian Songyan Architectural Design Institute Co., Ltd.
Curtain Wall Engineering: Shanghai Huayi Curtain Wall System Engineering Co., Ltd.
Lighting Engineering: Dalian Street Lamp Design and Installation Engineering Co., Ltd.
Design Period: December 2020 – March 2021
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