atelier FCJZ restores 'forbidden city college' to display historic relics in chongqing

atelier FCJZ has restored and renovated a series of historical buildings on the banks of the yangtze river in chongqing, china. originally built in 1891, the site formerly belonged to anderson & co., a swedish trading house, and has been altered significantly over the last century. in total, the complex comprised eight buildings in varying stages of disrepair. according to local preservation laws, these buildings are classified in three categories: four to be restored according to the original structure, materials, and construction methods (building no. 2, 3, 4, and 5); one to be renovated (building 1); and three to be rebuilt with respect to the historic context (building 6, 7, and 8).

all images by DID-STUDIO

atelier FCJZ’s challenge for the ‘forbidden city college’ was to balance the existing architecture with modern-day requirements. the old buildings employed a diverse range of materials and construction methods, including timer and brick structures, solid clay brick, hollow clay brick, and rammed earth walls. the complex also featured wooden window frames, clay-tiled roofs, and stone foundations. the architects sought to keep a similarly diverse materiality for the site’s new elements.

for the restored buildings (no. 2, 3, 4, and 5), the architects repaired the brick walls and tile roofs and rebuilt the rammed earth walls with contemporary technology. for the renovated building (no. 1), the team restored the tile roof, kept the hollow brick walls and brick columns, and opened the elevation that faces the square and main entrance with glazed doors. for the rebuilt structures (no. 6, 7, and 8), slate was used for the roofs, while glass curtain walls offer an increased sense of openness.

from a structural standpoint, FCJZ introduced laminated timber braced trusses where necessary in the existing buildings, while steel frames have been used for the new structures. the buildings have large eaves, which shelter semi-outdoor spaces for a variety of activities. the renovated complex will be used to store and display historic relics, accommodating exhibitions, lectures, educational facilities, a design store, and workshops. meanwhile, the restored traditional architecture will be treated as art work in its own right. see other projects by atelier FCJZ on designboom here.

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project info:

name: forbidden city college, chongqing (anderson & co. renovation)
location: nanbin road, nanan district, chongqing, china
architect: atelier FCJZ
principal architect: yung ho chang, lijia lu
project team: he zelin, yu yue, long bin, pan chenchao
collaboration: brother cooperation group
client: sunac china
building area: ≈2,700 sqm
building height: 13.7m
structure and material: plywood truss, steel curved beam column
design period: 2016-2018
completion: 2020