Garden Reorganization

The site is located in the historical preservation area of the Garden District in Harbin, which was once a residential area. The design uses deconstruction and collage to reinterpret history, abstracts the original planning with constructivism, and builds a comprehensive space for business and community that revives vitality.

The site is located in the historical preservation area of the Garden District in the old town of Harbin, a city in northeastern China. This was once a residential area for senior officials working in the Middle East Railway Bureau. However today, this area has been abandoned. There are only old eucalyptus and a few houses that are in poor condition. The original residents have already moved out. The original planning of the area, including the garden division of each household, can hardly be seen. The design uses deconstruction and collage to reinterpret history, abstracts the original regional planning with constructivism, and builds a comprehensive space for business and community service that revives regional vitality. Space echoes the original planning and old architecture to create a space and time staggered sense. Due to changes in users and functions, the original planning can no longer fully meet the development needs. The planning of the site is characterized by house along the street, while garden located behind the house. The area of the house is much smaller than the garden. Therefore, the site is surrounded by houses and the centre is a large area of greenery. The design reconstructs the garden to make it coherent in function and circulation, but it also has a sense of belonging in the spatial experience. This sense comes from the original planning and existing old buildings. The change in floor height is based on the terrain. The positions of squares and large spaces is based on trees and lifestyle of the original residents. The design of the interior space division is based on the old building structure and internal wall divisions. Space is book-centred, with “video + coffee + catering + boutique + culture creativity + community” and other facilities. Space reconstructs the garden, hoping to reproduce the living conditions in the garden, that is, a social life style with a sense of domain and scene.