reviving the Jiangnan district embroidered garment factory

 

minax architects brought new vitality to jiangnan district embroidered garment factory, china, setting a floating cloud corridor between the original hard and solemn building volumes. maintaining the city’s memory yet adapting to the new development needs of the times, changshu jiangnan group — in collaboration with the architects — started the transformation and renovation on the factory’s existing basis to awaken its life and value. the project comprises four multistory buildings, covering an area of 10000 square meters and a total construction area of 9726 square meters.

 

a cloud-like platform hovered above the factory, is integrated with the architecture, filling the gap, and allowing people to embark on a journey in time and space after breaking away from the shackles of the ground. the architects utilized the metaphor of a ‘cloud’ as the modeling element and created a unique walking experience.floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
all images courtesy of wu qingshan

 

 

respecting the history and current situation of the site

 

after careful on-site investigation and analysis, minax architects (see more here) demolished and rebuilt only one brick building that was seriously damaged and had become a dangerous structure. the rest of the production workshop, office building, and restaurants have been partially reinforced to retain their original structure. the architects’ main focus of this transformation and improvement, was to implant new using functions to the old building, creating new dynamic scenarios and images. 

 

floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
wandering around the buildings along the winding and undulation of the cloud corridor

 

‘cloud’ as an abstract expression 

 

therefore, innovative elements were added in the process of renovation to realize a sustainable organic change, leaving alive some traces of the past. the architects transformed the original single experience into a composite perception with memory. 

 

on the one hand, in the process of intervention, this new element maintains the memory of the place. on the other hand, it brings a brand-new impact on the original order to send an echo to deal with the current life, which can make the project show the thickness of time on a longer time axis. ‘cloud’ itself is an abstract language, but it is the part that can best describe the artistic conception in chinese traditional landscape painting; it seems to cover things, but it can stimulate everyone’s personal experience and imagination, and become the most interesting part of the painting.

floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
cloud corridor flyover

 

in the process of use, the rich and individual life imprints brought by different users can enable the building to serve people for a long time, coexist with the times and society. jiangnan embroidery garment factory has become a previous production site, not just the current cultural and creative park, but also a time slice of the current era and come for the future. the remaining buildings and the newly built cloud corridor are still incomplete. it is a complete picture only when figures flash through the cloud corridor and leave laughter and joy on the site. 

floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
the elegance and freedom of the cloud makes the original building truly interact with people

floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
rainbow among clouds

floating cloud corridor hovers above minax's factory renovation in china
the cloud corridor surrounds the old building

 

 

1/6
new and old poetic combination
new and old poetic combination
the cloud corridor outlines a new sky
the cloud corridor outlines a new sky
connection and reconstruction
connection and reconstruction
juxtaposition of old and new
juxtaposition of old and new
night view
night view
before reconstruction
before reconstruction

project info:

 

name: transformation of jiangnan district embroidered garment factory
architects: minax architects

lead architect: lu zhigang

design team: huang congyi, liu zhirui, zhao ruixue, liu chang

construction: suzhou ansheng construction design consulting co., ltd.

client: jiangsu jiangnan trading group co., ltd 

location: changshu, china

area: 9726 sqm (10,4689.8 sqft)

year: 2021

photography: wu qinshan, lu zhigang

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina petridou | designboom