The term ‘Old’ serves as both an adjective and a verb in this context. The “Old Church” project explores the construction of time itself. It is the first public building renovated and completed within the Jiulonghu community of Hana Ya, Guangzhou. Originally, this structure was a replica church located in the southeastern corner of the “European Town” theme park, facing the community’s main entrance and exit. Anaya envisions it as the community’s first spiritual symbol.
The building’s original design can be interpreted as a western mapping of the earth, with its construction dating back over a decade. A key challenge in the church’s renewal was reconciling the dissonance between the historical image it evokes and its relatively recent construction history. Therefore, the focus of the renovation was not on creating space, but on constructing time.
The design approach for the Old Church is not a conventional restoration, but rather an ‘aging’ transformation aimed at reviving the existing structure. Early in the design process, the team sought traces of time and history within the site. The peeling bricks and weathering marks left by the southern climate gradually revealed opportunities for a retrospective design approach, laying the groundwork for what they describe as “disassembly art” and “aging” strategies.
The reconstruction process involved careful and meticulous dismantling, treating the building as a relic. Decorative materials were carefully removed by hand from the building’s surface, and the reinforced concrete roof panels—products of modern construction techniques—were precisely cut and separated. This process restored the building to a more essential and grounded state, harmonizing it with its natural surroundings. Several banyan trees surrounding the church were preserved, maintaining the site’s organic character.
The façade’s exposed stone window frames and the raw texture of rock and soil, stripped of their veneer, narrate the passage of time. Materials removed during dismantling were collected and assembled into an “old garden” adjacent to the church, creating a contemporary natural site. Additionally, old building materials such as rubble and granite gravel were incorporated as aggregates into the new indoor and outdoor concrete flooring, giving new life to the historic elements.
To establish a spiritual connection between the space, nature, earth, and sky, a multi-cross steel and wood frame was integrated into the dismantled roof structure. This framework shapes the high-angle sunlight and shadows characteristic of the subtropical climate within the open church site. The resulting dappled light creates a sense of Lingnan cultural vitality. Through this intervention, the western-style site is localized and oriented towards Lingnan traditions, weaving together diverse spatial, temporal, and cultural narratives.
Visitors enter the garden of ruins outside the church, pass through the stripped walls, and step into the open interior—an exterior of another world. Looking up, they experience the southern sunlight and rain filtering through the crosswoven structure. Here, the Old Church is reborn.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Structural Schematic Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Source Planning Studio
Area: 353m²
Year: 2023
Photographer: Wu Siming
Design Team: He Jianxiang, Jiang Ying, Cai Xinqian, Li Ruibo, Luo Qiyao (Structure), Pang Yuran, Deng Yilin (Internship)
Curtain Wall Consultant: Shenzhen Tiansheng External Wall Technology Consulting Co., Ltd., Jianjun, Yang Xuming, Yang Xiaokang
Lighting Consultant: Shenzhen Handu Lighting Design Consultant Co., Ltd., Tian Huan, Hu Yankai, Tang Wei
MEP Consultant: Guangzhou Benchuang Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd., Tang Guanghua, Wen Dongjie, Luo Ziwu
Owner: China Travel Service · Anaya
Construction: Guangzhou Luban Construction Technology Group Co., Ltd.
Location: Guangzhou
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up