To Summer’s new flagship store in Beijing is located at 23 Guozijian St. At the sight of this 280-year-old architecture, we began by asking ourselves to find a balance between conservation and development.

Innovation:
This Siheyuan is rare in that it has never had a spirit screen, and the gate is relatively wide open (One explanation is that it used to be a house and had this layout for the convenience of serving customers). To build on this unique feature, we made the storefront glass windows so that passersby can observe the courtyards inside. The rooftop was originally made up of layers of grey brick tiles. From afar, they looked like waves rushing in and out on the shore. To keep it uniform, we used tiles of the same making and layered them by the same density. We also replaced the broken parts of the “yuanyang tiles.” 

Meanwhile, the pavilion on the second floor was remodelled into a lounge bridge on which people can view the roof. The roof and the bridge are connected by the glass. When sunlight shines on the roof edge and through the glass, a wavy shadow is left on the ground, marking a more subtle expression of the water element in this oriental courtyard.

Creativity:
Trying to recover the beauty of the original architecture, we removed these decorations along with some of the walls to get rid of any visual blockages and expose the wooden structure as much as possible. The same method was applied to the beams and columns. Essentially, we “skimmed” the building to expose its “skele-ton.” The resultant “column field” became the visual centre of gravity of the space as well as what defines its outline.

Functionality:
After washing their hands by the entry, one may explore the product display areas occupying the first and second courtyards and the third courtyard designated to To Summer’s new child brand, Fang Ao. The bridge connecting the second and third courtyards is essentially the traffic center. Symbolically, it represents graduating from the past to the present. All display areas on the ground level wrap around the first courtyard like rings, forming no strict limitation to the traffic flow.

Sustainability:
Old Water Well & Rain Chain: When renovating the floor, the construction team excavated a hundred-year-old well in the first courtyard, which was later confirmed to be the only sweet water well on Guozijian St. We kept the well despite the fact that it had already dried up because the brickwork was so neatly done and well preserved. We also hung a rain chain from the roof to right above the well to emphasize its function; symbolically, it speaks to our wish to rejuvenate the Siheyuan. Another challenge had to do with the building’s old and new functionalities – more specifically, how to transform this venerable courtyard which has stood for nearly 300 years as a private residence into a commercial space that is neighbourly, communal, and all-inclusive.