Regeneration of Yumin Village / Ingameoffice
- Area:
10000 m²
Year:
2020
-
Lead Architect:
Zhiyang Zhang
Text description provided by the architects. Yumin Village, one of the earliest “ten-thousand yuan households” villages in Shenzhen, played a significant role in the city’s reform and opening up. In 2019, as part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen’s reform and opening up, the Luohu District sought to contribute to the occasion by showcasing projects that highlight the achievements of this transformative era. Our team was given the opportunity to undertake the renovation and optimization of Yumin Village.
Site Analysis & Project Background – Yumin Village, located in Nanhudao Street, Luohu District, Shenzhen, is adjacent to the bustling Binhai Avenue. After a thorough understanding of the background and current situation of Yumin Village, and considering the residents’ lives and needs, our aim is to improve their livelihood issues through simple and effective design strategies. The design objective is to preserve the historical essence of Yumin Village while adding contemporary elements in a light and unobtrusive manner, providing residents with an ideal living and recreational space while preserving its original characteristics and texture.
Three renovation sections – The first section focuses on the optimization of the Yumin Village Entrance Park, which serves as a transitional public space between Yumin Village and the city, acting as the gateway to the village. / The second section includes the Cultural Corridor, Village History Museum, and Central Plaza, which form the public area of the village. / The last section is the Community Service Complex located behind the Yumin Village community, adjacent to the Shenzhen River. Our design approach for the renovation of Yumin Village revolves around the project’s unique historical, environmental, and cultural context, aiming to create a naturally evolving “new community”.
Soft Intervention – We humbly seek to enhance the site by minimizing demolitions and additions, optimizing ground and paving treatments, and improving the functionality of the space. Using lightweight landscape techniques, we provide shading and create a pleasant environment. We place great value on preserving “old elements” and integrating existing architectural structures with new designs, resulting in a community that is environmentally friendly.
The village entrance park – The village entrance park is situated in a triangular area that serves as a transition between Yumin Village’s main entrance and the urban interface. It is located near a major city thoroughfare but is distant from the central area of the neighborhood. The original village entrance park consisted of flat ground and a few tree planters, with significant level differences between the park surface and the surrounding pedestrian pathways, causing inconvenience for pedestrians. The park area was cluttered with various facilities placed haphazardly, resulting in minimal resident engagement and a general sense of dissatisfaction with the space. The renovation primarily focuses on repairing and updating the site’s damaged buildings and landscapes while preserving their original state. To maintain the park’s greenery and historical atmosphere, we surveyed and measured dozens of trees within the park. Despite pressures, we insisted on preserving the prominent trees at the entrance, restoring and retaining the original elements of the living environment instead of clearing the site completely. Through thoughtful planning, all existing trees were successfully preserved, seamlessly integrating the park into its surrounding greenery. The new design concept takes inspiration from “Turtle Back Stone” by reflecting it in the curved design. The use of gentle curves and transitions creates an ideal environment for people to pause, relax, and enjoy. The tree pits are designed with curves, introducing varying changes through slopes. The newly added park landscape has become a distinctive feature of Yumin Village, with the clever use of ribbon-like mirrored stainless steel installations. This material reflects the surrounding green environment, allowing for the replication and presentation of natural elements in the surroundings. By incorporating gentle slopes and curved designs, the park ground seamlessly connects with the pedestrian pathways, eliminating the height difference with the vehicular lanes. This creates an accessible environment and establishes a soft and harmonious landscape park.
Historical Sense – Respecting the rich history of over 40 years, we have designed the community space as an open exhibition platform to showcase the historical traces of Yumin Village. Through our design, residents, and visitors can gain a better understanding of the village’s history and immerse themselves in its cultural atmosphere.
Historical Corridor – The Historical Corridor serves as a window for showcasing the history and culture of Yumin Village to urban visitors, undergoing several enhancements and renovations. In the design process, we respect the existing history and view the renovation as the accumulation of tree rings, rather than a complete upheaval. While emphasizing the improvement of the environment, we ensure its continuity and inheritance. Due to the separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the main roads of Yumin Village, additional spaces have been created. In these spaces, we have specifically designed convenient fitness areas, providing the community residents with new recreational venues.
The Village History Museum – The Village History Museum, connected to the Historical Corridor, showcases the rich heritage and culture of Yumin Village. It highlights the village’s cultural and historical significance, ensuring the continuity of its elements. To emphasize the significance of the prominent tree in front of the Village History Museum, we employed a clever design approach. By creating concentric ripples through the paving, we visually draw attention to the tree and guide people to gather around this focal point.
Community Sharing & Contemporaneity – Community Sharing: To ensure the design meets the residents’ needs, a satisfaction survey was conducted, with over 400 questionnaires distributed. The design prioritizes the quality of public spaces, activating scarce communal areas and providing highly functional and well-designed spaces. Contemporaneity: By employing techniques that align with contemporary aesthetics and functionality, the renovation and new designs hold significance as representatives of the current era. Weather-resistant steel panels and woodgrain materials are extensively used in landscape and interior renovations, striking a balance between contrasting materials and adding a touch of modernity to the community environment.
Central Plaza – The Central Plaza, located in the densely populated area of the village center, is a bustling hub for community activities. While preserving the existing functions of the cultural square, we have added additional facilities for people to rest and relax. We’ve added flowerbed benches around the Central Plaza, providing resting areas for people. Outdoor furniture has been placed on the grand steps to facilitate outdoor activities. We have also updated unsightly or inconvenient facilities, such as installing anti-fall rain shelters on the overhead structure and stainless steel railings around the plaza. These improvements have significantly enhanced the comfort and usability of the Central Plaza. The central plaza’s main stage underwent a redesign, combining a distinctive appearance with improved usability. The renovation seamlessly blends old and new elements, injecting renewed vitality into the central plaza.
The Party and Community Service Complex – The Party and Community Service Complex is located on the ground and first floors of the Prosperous Plaza, with a relatively simple layout and functions prior to the renovation. In the design, we integrated these four functional spaces into one complex, including the Party and Community Service Center, Community Library, Health and Wellness Center, and Elderly Care Center. Through this integrated design, we provide the community with comprehensive and convenient services. In the facade renovation design, we utilized three suspended boxes as decorative elements to add vibrancy and alleviate the seriousness of the original Party and Community Service Center’s appearance. This design strategy creates a multi-layered facade. The Party and Community Service Center underwent a transformation with the introduction of the “Citizen Café” concept, aiming to create a friendly and open environment. The interior space was reconfigured, removing partitions and doors, to enhance openness. The ground floor serves as the main hall, while the mezzanine level accommodates versatile areas like an art studio, dance studio, and reading space. Open 24/7, the center provides a different impression to the community residents, transforming it into an institution that truly serves the community and abandons the sense of alienation from the past. To be an institution that serves the people of the community. Taking into consideration the distinct resident structure of Yumin Village, our design focuses on catering to the specific needs of the elderly and children. We have developed easily accessible community service spaces and facilities, ensuring convenience and enhancing their well-being. The Health Center, located on the second floor of the Community Service Complex, underwent a renovation that preserved the original canopy to minimize material waste while providing shading for the health area and terrace. Improved airflow in the medication area and the extensive use of wood and greenery in the interior design create a relaxing atmosphere that harmonizes indoor and outdoor spaces. Elderly Care Center: On the other side of the second floor is the Elderly Care Center, equipped with medical rooms for daytime care, a rest area, a game area, and a dining hall. The center is connected to the medical room, creating an integrated space where medical staff can provide timely assistance and advice. Located on the southern side of the building, the medical room features a balcony that offers views of the Shenzhen River, providing a relaxing environment for users.
Community library – The library within the complex is located on the first and second floors of the Party and Community Service Center. It is designed as a separate space. Prior to the renovation, the community only had a simple reading room that did not provide a conducive and comfortable learning environment. Through research and discussions with the residents, we have designed multiple zones within the library. To meet the needs of Yumin Village as a political and cultural community, we have incorporated a stepped auditorium at the entrance of the complex, providing a venue for lectures and sharing sessions for visitors. Due to the significant proportion of children in the community, we have dedicated the western side of the library’s first floor specifically for children’s reading. Special attention has been given to designing dimensions, fixtures, and furniture suitable for children. As a result, the library has been honored with the title of Shenzhen Child-Friendly Library. The second floor of the library features study areas, reading zones, and an audiobook section, providing users with diverse and enriching learning and reading experiences.