Located in Xuyi, Jiangsu, the project sits between the Huai River to the northwest and First Mountain to the southeast, adjacent to the First Mountain Historical District. The site contains three vacant courtyard houses and an abandoned water tower in the backyard. In the local culture, enjoying tea and watching Huangmei opera are popular pastimes.
The design merges the openness and fusion of traditional teahouse-style small theaters with the simplicity and lightness of Huangmei opera. This project aims not only to serve as a conventional theater but to create a small theater centered on the local Huangmei opera genre, combined with the appreciation of local Yushan tea. Additionally, it incorporates exhibitions and salon spaces dedicated to intangible cultural heritage, forming a unique “Huangmei Opera+” cultural center.
The theater’s modest scale reflects the natural mountain landscape, effectively fulfilling the functional needs of a small theater. The building engages in a dialogue with its surrounding landscape and neighborhood texture. The sense of scale within the large interior is softened by integrating a folding, undulating roof that echoes the continuous mountain scenery.
The project balances the dialogue between old and new, preserving the original buildings while moderately transforming and expanding the space. The original courtyard is repurposed as the audience hall, connecting the new and old structures. A hole is created in the courtyard wall to open the previously enclosed space, forming a continuous spatial sequence.
The original building’s entrance layout is preserved and used as the entrance to the performance hall, symbolizing the continuation of spatial identity through renovation. The audience hall features steel structures supporting the roof on both sides, with raised sections serving as skylights that provide lateral lighting and versatile use of the space. Interior textures of wood and brick add a unique sensory experience.
Adhering to low-carbon construction principles, the project emphasizes recycling materials from the original buildings. Roof trusses, watchboards, and old bricks are temporarily dismantled and reused during construction. This preservation of original materials creates distinctive patterns and textures throughout the building’s use.
The U-shaped equipment wall features a technologically integrated composite design that divides the commercial and theater spaces while serving as a structural support for the roof. HVAC systems, water, and electrical pipelines are embedded within the cavity of this wall. This design not only clarifies spatial functions and segments the interior and exterior but also consolidates equipment into a central, concealed location, enhancing the concept of integrated spatial and structural systems.
Project Drawings
△ Location Analysis Chart
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Sectional Perspective
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Detailed Drawing
△ Original Architectural Images
△ Original Architectural Images
△ Original Architectural Images
△ Original Architectural Images
△ Original Architectural Images
Project Information
Architect: School of Architecture, Southeast University
Area: 1972 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Time Difference Imaging
Lead Architect: Zhu Yuan
Design Team: Wang Zhenyi, Dai Weijing, Liu Wenjun, Fan Cheng
Landscape Design: Zhu Yuan, Wang Zhenyi, Dai Weijing
Structural Design: Jiangsu Chuang’an Structural Design Firm Co., Ltd. – Mao Haibin, Zhang Hao, Zhang Wenlong
Construction Party: Jiangsu Lanyan Construction Group Co., Ltd
Partner: Jiangsu Meicheng Architectural Planning and Design Co., Ltd
Principal: Xuyi State-Owned Joint Asset Management Group Co., Ltd
Location: Huai’an
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