Revive the Ruins - Somekh Building Renovation
Somekh Building is located in the historical and cultural area of the Bund. It is one of the most important works of the renowned Atkinson & Dallas Co. Ltd in Modern Shanghai(1920s). Based on a historical research, site conditions and functional requirements, corresponding design strategies have been developed. It is believed that the renovation of historic buildings is by no means a simple replication, nor is it a neglect or rough interference with history.
Instead, it presents a clear and identifiable balance between preservation and renewal, repair and deconstruction, memory and the present. Unlike the other adaptive reuse projects, a renovation to heritage building not only about repairing and presenting the authentic look of history, but also careful and precise intervention, creating new space which should follow the historic clue at the same time meet current functional requirement.
In this case, design practice from SHISUO shows how newly-created space can be blended in with the historical context in a subtle way.