3andwich Design 三文建筑

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Exterior view of “Lotus Chamber”. Image © Meng Zhou

SHANGPING VILLAGE REGENERATION - TAI FU TAI MANSION AREA

3andwich Design / He Wei Studio

ARCHITECTS
3andwich Design / He Wei Studio

CLIENT
People’s Government of Xiyuan Township

LIGHTING DESIGN
Zhang Xin Studio, Tsinghua University School of Architecture

INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION DRAWING
Hongshang Design

MANUFACTURERS
Magis Me Too, TAO, Ziinlife 吱音

LIGHTING DESIGN TEAM
Xin Zhang, Xiaowei Han, Xuanyu Zhou, Bentian Niu

PHOTOGRAPHS
Meng Zhou

AREA
233 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Sanming, China

CATEGORY
Renovation

INTRO

Selected as one of the “historical and cultural villages” in Fujian Province, Shangping Villagehas been sustained by its agricultural tradition and Hakkaculture.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Exterior view of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Exterior view of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou

In Shangping, most of the villagers have the surname of Yang, who are the descendants of Captain Yang Zhen from Han Dynasty.

Shangping Village has a complete rural feng shui pattern where two streams run around the village and gather at Shuikou area (the water gap, village entrance).

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The wooden canopies applied as a bamboo shoot squeezing space and a pavilion. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The wooden canopies applied as a bamboo shoot squeezing space and a pavilion. Image © Meng Zhou

There are many provincial-level cultural heritages such as the Tai Fu Tai Mansion, the Yang’s Ancestral Temple, Shezumiao Shrine, Zhaogongmiao Temple, etc. According to the legend, the great scholar Zhu Xi used to give lectures in Shangping and to leave with treasured calligraphy.

Therefore, Shangping has a reputation for "literary village surrounded by water ". By October 2017, the Shuikou Area has been completed; Two month later in December, Yang’s School Area and Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area have finished renovation works.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The wooden canopies applied as a bamboo shoot squeezing space and a pavilion . Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Brick bed area of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou

The last design area of the Shang Ping Village Regeneration is somewhere hidden inside the village. It locates on the east stream.

According to the legend, a giant house named ‘Tai Fu Tai Mansion’ at here was built by a famous government officer after retirement. The gate tower is well preserved but the main building was destroyed by a fire many years ago, which is quite regretful.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Interior view of ‘Orchard Conference’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Bar area of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou

The original cultural elements and landscape like pond, ancient wells, bamboo shoots squeeze, gateway and the ancient stage ruins are utilized by designers for the regeneration. Some unused structures such as pigsty and shed are obviouson site, which is remained to be major landscape elements.

Actually, these existing structures become great resources for new types of business as well as village revival. Special location and culture of Tai Fu Tai mansion make it a great attraction for tourists. However, lack of public realms like restaurants and visitors’ center impact the tourism industry and local economy.

The design team renovated unused spaces by plugging in new programs, transforming pervious production spaces into cultural/commercial use.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The stone walls of the original pigsty were maintained of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Coffee table area of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Lotus Chamber -- a teahouse transformed from a old utility room. Image © Meng Zhou

A series of cultural products and activities attached to these spaces also have a strong appeal to travelers. It makes more sense to combine cultural industry and spatial design together for rural renovation.

1. ‘PIGSTY BISTRO’ AND ‘ORCHARD CONFERENCE ROOM’

From a deserted pigsty to a bar: ‘Pigsty Bistro’ is a major new building in this area.

The exterior of the building is not aggressive by keeping previous materials: rubbles and wooden roof. The floor plan is divided into four part for raising pigs. Each square is infilled with new bar, coffee table and Kang table (a heatable brick bed).

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Together with the Pigsty Bistro, Orchard Conference provides services for all users. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The color-variable LED lights were installed in the floor of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
The color-variable LED lights were installed in the floor of ‘Pigsty Bistro’. Image © Meng Zhou

The design would like to create a cosy and dramatic atmosphere by placing colorful floral pillows, Kang table, pigsty feeding,rebar decorated floor and color variable LED lights, etc. Some of these ‘Exotic’ stuffs makes it more interesting for visiting, especially for youngsters.

A small meeting room next to ‘Pigsty Bistro’ has tilted roof, with a full-height glass window facing to Tai Fu Tai Mansion and its stage.It’s called ‘Orchard Conference’ . Together with the Pigsty Bistro, Orchard Conference provide services for all users.

2. LOTUS CHAMBER

Lotus Chamber is a teahouse transformed from a old utility room. It represents ‘Being Incorruptness’ for having the same pronunciation with integrity in Chinese.This building is the most obvious one by the pond next to Tai Fu Tai Mansion.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Interior view of ‘Orchard Conference’. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Night view. Image © Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Exterior view of “Lotus Chamber”. Image © Meng Zhou

The design kept old rubble wall and only fixed non-recyclable wood structure on the upper level, then making it a teahouse by water. Users can walk through a glass door, stand on the platform and enjoy spaces over the pond with lotus, referring back to the name ‘Lotus Chamber’.

3. PAVILION AND BAMBOO SHOOTS SQUEEZE

Between Tai Fu Tai Mansion, Bistro and conference room, structures for bamboo shoot s squeeze (for making dried bamboo shoot) were kept and renovated to become a great installation. One of it could still be used for producing dried bamboo shoots.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
© Meng Zhou
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Plan of Orchard Conference and Wood Canopies

When Qingming Festival comes each year, visitors could also experience making bamboo squeeze by themselves, which becomes a great interaction on site. Another one is renovated to be a pavilion. Whenever there are show playing underneath, audience could see through windows nearby.

4. CULTURAL PRODUCTS

As what have been done for other spots, design team also developed a series of cultural product for Tai Fu Tai Mansion.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Plan of Lotus Chamber
Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Plan of Pigsty bistro

Besides the package design for Shang Ping lotus nuts and dried bamboo shoots, products with the theme of ‘pig’ for ‘Pigsty Bistro’ are also well designed. Pig represents affluence in China and also means lucky in western culture.

In Chinese character, ‘family’ is composed with a ‘roof’ and a ‘pig’, which means praying underneath the roof makes a family complete. Using pig as the prototype of cultural products like scarves, coasters and post cards is to maintain the original taste of the rural buildings, thus making it an interesting project.

Shangping Village Regeneration – Tai Fu Tai Mansion Area
Site plan of Tai Fu Tai Area

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