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Gu Wu Xuan Bookstore

Tsing-Tien Making

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01 Main image - Minjie Wang
05 - Minjie Wang
02 Before renovation - Tsing-Tien Making
01 Main image - Minjie Wang

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Colour
7.11
7.53
7.42
6.77
7.21
Andrea Zickhardt
Andrea Zickhardt Managing Director at Holzer Kobler Architekturen
5
7
6
7
6.25
Preeti Singh
Preeti Singh Brand Director at India Design ID
7.5
7.5
8
6
7.25
Anne-Laure Pingreoun
Anne-Laure Pingreoun Founder at Alter-Projects
Beautiful re-development of a liste...
7
8
8
7
7.5
Julia Chiaramonti
Julia Chiaramonti Founder at Julia Chiaramonti
8.79
8.29
9.06
6.93
8.27
Ronnie Belizaire
Ronnie Belizaire Studio Practice Leader and Principal at HKS Inc.
great adaptive reuse story and marr...
7
7
8
9
7.75
Liz Gallagher
Liz Gallagher Studio Director at March and White Design
Interesting how the use of color br...
8
7.5
8.5
6
7.5
Claude Saos
Claude Saos Head of interior architecture and design at LISAA Strasbourg
7
7
8
7
7.25
Tanya Suvannapong
Tanya Suvannapong Design Director at Gensler
7
7.5
7
7
7.13
Leendert Tange
Leendert Tange Creative Partner at Storeage-Group
6
7.5
6
6
6.38
Peter Pan
Peter Pan Founder and CEO at Noa Galaxy
6
7
6
6
6.25
Judy Dowle
Judy Dowle Associate Design Director at Studio XAG
7
7.5
7.5
6
7
Ismael Abedin Ingelmo
Ismael Abedin Ingelmo Founder and Director at DXMID
7.27
7.62
6.84
6.84
7.14
Quan Huang
Quan Huang Chief Designer at WJID
8
8
7
7
7.5
Servaas Vehmeijer
Servaas Vehmeijer Partner and Managing Director at The Invisible Party
8
8
8
7
7.75
Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
GRAND JURY VOTES
Shortlisted - Best Use of Colour
7.67
7.82
7.65
7.06
7.55
Orlando Marques
Orlando Marques Founder and Director at OMstudio Lighting
7.11
7.53
7.42
6.77
7.21
Pepa Casado D'Amato
Pepa Casado D'Amato Trend Researcher at Futurea
7.11
7.53
7.42
6.77
7.21
Nazanin Naeini
Nazanin Naeini Exhibition Designer at Guggenheim Museum
In this project, the green hues acc...
8
8
8
7
7.75
Yan Zhang
Yan Zhang Cofounder at say architects
7.11
7.53
7.42
6.77
7.21
Søren Pihlmann
Søren Pihlmann Founder at pihlmann architects
9
8.5
8
8
8.38
Client
Gu Wu Xuan Books Publishing
Floor area
1800 ㎡
Completion
2023
Social Media
Instagram

2023, the Former Residence of Zhang Taiyan was planned to turn from a government office into a dual-functioning space encompassing a bookstore and museum.

Innovation:
1. In addressing the circulation and spatial relationships within the over 90-year-old protected cultural heritage site, the design team decided to selectively open parts of it for public use. This requires planning circulation patterns that better align with the intended public functions.

2. With reference to the characteristics of Suzhou gardens, known for their shifting scenery and varying elevations, the design seeks to create a diverse experience within extremely limited space. The creation of folded spaces is intended to enhance the integration of "greenery" and "garden" elements, fostering the concept of a vertical garden - to serve citizens of different age groups and incorporate reading into daily life.

3. Considering the constraints of the existing site conditions, different materials and colors are strategically employed to enhance the overall tour experience while maintaining the cohesive aesthetic of the entire venue.

Creativity:
Connect the rooms through a viewing corridor. Divide the rooms into two. North serves as B.O.H while the south as public. This resolves both circulation and lighting issues. Creation of folded spaces: before, each room was challenging to distinguish. The only clue was the locations of the trees outside. “Vertical Courtyard” was drafted to draw the “garden” into the space “Ambiguous Landscape”:the existing garden was straightforward. The transformation introduces a layer of ambiguity. Through the creation of a new layer over the current space, the design allows people to perceive a vision in every corner while preserving the integrity of the original elevation and structure.

Functionality:
In addition to the publicly accessible areas, the bookstore requires designated back-of-house spaces. The design divides the originally deep, narrow, and disjointed layout into two distinct sections. Utilizing the first and second columns on the north side as a boundary, the space is vertically segmented into the northern and southern halves. The space to the south of this boundary serves as a public area for visitors, while the northern section is dedicated to back-of-house activities. Additionally, service counters are placed in the recesses formed by door frames and columns to maximize the functional utility. This ensures a clear separation between the visitor circulation and the back-of-house circulation.

Sustainability:
As a historical listed building, the renovation emphasizes reversibility. It allows: construction speed; quality control; cost efficiency; environmental and safety; transportation efficiency. It provides community gathering space; promotes cultural diversity. It promotes dialogue and understanding to enhance the social cohesion and tolerance within the community. This fosters a sense of ownership for the community and city.