Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

PINGYAO DIESEL ENGINE FACTORY RENOVATION

Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Yirui Lian

PHOTOGRAPHS
Shengliang Su

CLIENT
Committee on housing and urban-rural development, Pingyao

AREA
4375 m²

DESIGN TEAM
Xiaoyu Wang, Sijia Liu

DESIGN TEAM
Fei Ren, Xiaomei Xu, Lei Liu, Hong Chen, Zetong Jiao, Meng Chen, Dan Li, Brain Wong, Yu Zhou, Yuxia Guo, Jing Tan,

LOCATION
Jinzhong, China

YEAR
2017

CATEGORY
Theater, Renovation

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

Text description provided by architect.

Pingyao is a 2700-year old national historical city in China, as well as a world heritage site. Pingyao International Film Festival is one of the five official international film festivals.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

Although the ancient city of Pingyao has been well known before this project, it has also long remained standstill with its old urban fabric, facilities and spaces that has started to encumber its development and the life of local inhabitants.

The first Pingyao International Film Festival was held in the original diesel engine factory of Pingyao, most buildings of which were built in the ’70s with an industrial feature that is subtly less brutal than most industrial sites.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

As usual, this film festival requires large-scale public spaces, which were met by renovating four existing plants.

Except for some necessary new constructions to accommodate more programs, the renovation design maintains the original historical presence of the plants with a restrained touch on façade openings.

Constructions in Pingyao should comply with heritage protection codes, such as regulations on building height, volume, and roof form, etc.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

The renovation design prioritizes the historic preservation, following the original factory campus fabric, absorbing the inherent architectural elements from the factory, being conservative about introducing any new style except form some dramatic emphasis at limited locations, which responds to its program as a film festival, thus creating a combination of history and modern that blurs the sense of time belonging.

The new 500-seat cinema hall continued the sloped roof as the surrounding factory buildings.

The main material throughout the campus is grey brick, highlighted by limited red brick with special brick laying manners that differs from the existing buildings.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

The combination of bricks and steel requires simple structure that allowed the construction to be completed within 4 months at a low cost.

Although it’s strongly required by the film festival sponsor, building a 15-meter high IMAX hall is over the height control of Pingyao. Instead, an outdoor film theatre that takes advantage of the topography is built, around which the stage, bleachers, and circulations are efficiently organized, and large trees are preserved to create multi-function spaces that would accommodate different activities.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

The old city walls and gate towers are set at the background of the scenes that take the historical perception into the visual experience of the audience.

After the international film festival, the buildings would be reused as a film culture plaza and cinema open to the public.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su

Having witnessed its transformation from an old factory to a contemporary international film palace, it’s realized that the factories that ceased to serve the city could continue to play new roles in cultural industry.

Instead of just being static antiques for reminiscence, the industrial heritage sites could be brought back to the public life of the city as stimulations.

Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
© Shengliang Su


Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
1st floor plan
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
Site plan


Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
VIP lounge - lobby - training center section
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
Training center - VIP lounge elevation
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
500-seat cinema hall south elevation
Pingyao Diesel Engine Factory Renovation
500-seat cinema hall south elevation wall section