MVRDV envisions the future of the hutong at beijing design week 2015

MVRDV envisions the future of the hutong during beijing design week 2015
(above) the vertical projects
all images courtesy of MVRDV

during beijing design week 2015, designers, architects and innovators from across the world have come together to research and reflect upon the city’s current living standards. within ‘the nurturing house’ — the netherlands participation in BJDW sited in the dashilar hutong district — dutch studio MVRDV has presented ‘the next hutong research’, marking the culmination of their experimentation and investigation into a proposed solution for densely-populated city life.

the parking projects

‘in this urban age, how can we be healthy and happy in our cities? and how should we nurture our cities, with clean air, water, energy, and food, so that they in turn nurture our lives?’

building upon this brief, MVRDV has formed a conceptual masterplan that outlines a model for the future development of the xianyukou hutong in central beijing. located next to beijing’s tiananmen square, the district’s progress has been delayed in comparison to surrounding sites, creating an enormous potential for the area. the studies envision a sustainable economy housed within the existing urban structure, in an aim to both respect and build upon daily life in the historic village. the several spatial tests that have been conceived each explore a specific economic, social or aesthetic potential, and provide an alternative to the hutong redevelopments that have taken place over the last few decades.

the infill projects

the alterations and interventions conceived by MVRDV propose strategies for the further use of the hutong by evolving and adapting the area to both current and future needs. ‘can we imagine combining the qualities of these individual, extreme hypotheses so as to create a hutong that is at once historic, dense, green, mixed and individual?’ the practice ponder. ‘in this era of globalization and urban development, what will be the next hutong?’

the identity projects

for beijing design week 2015, the project is exhibited as a film and a large format book. the exhibition epitomizes innovation in imagining a better urban future, while simultaneously  demonstrating the pragmatic, open-minded and conceptual spirit and strengths of dutch design.

the dig projects

the water projects

the interpretation projects

the edge projects

the green projects

the arcade projects

the infill projects

the preservation projects

the facility projects

the sustainable projects

mixed hutong community

project info:

location: beijing
year: 2014
client: beijing oriental culture assets operation corporation, beijing center for the arts
program: 3.400 m2  hutong area regeneration
budget: undisclosed

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