F.O.G. architecture restores timber structure of conserved historical building in beijing

Renovation Design of Traditional Chinese Quadrangle House

Design practice F.O.G. Architecture takes over the renovative plan of a 280-year-old historical building in Beijing balancing the intervening process between conservation and development. ToSummer’s new flagship store in China is situated within a 500 sqm quadrangle courtyard built during the Mid-Qing dynasty. The restoration preserves the authenticity and integrity of the initial construction and architectural heritage adhering to most of the original appearance while rearranging the layout to form an open plan. Old and new components coexist harmonically in tribute to traditional and current methods and design visually narrating the brand’s identity throughout the space.

The restoration breaks down the original layout system into a series of interconnected functional zones following both an epistemic and a sensory approach. ‘Colors, materiality, soundscapes, and other spatial components impact the interior design affecting the user’s subjective experiences’, shares the team. The plantation is, also, preserved and enhanced throughout the site. To highlight the presence of a hundred-year-old tree standing in the back garden, the staircase is repositioned to revolve around the green element, while more shrubs and pines are distributed in the second courtyard. 

all images by InSpace Architectural Photography

restoration exposes timber roof trusses, columns, and beams

The design team at F.O.G. Architecture repairs the roof trusses that bear the ceiling loads and enlarge the operative room between the crown and the supporting structures. The triangle-shaped timber trusses that used to be coated in layers of decorating materials, as well as beams and columns, dispose of the visual blockages to recover and expose the original wooden structure. The resolved skeleton and the pillar system serve as the centerpiece of the retail store defining its outline and forming rhythmic shadow patterns.

The rooftop is originally made up of gray brick tiles that are kept uniform and get layered in the same density and wavy formation. The crown cover conjoins with the ground level through vertical glass surfaces. The re-organizing of the structure and introduction of new functions break down the conventional secluded Siheyuan layout. The renovation decomposes the enclosing character assembling a flat open space. The yards, rooftops, and columns are the main features of the design, with all the store’s display areas distributed on the ground level unfolding around the main courtyard.

internal walls are replaced by glass partitions

second courtyard

first courtyard

exposed timber columns

rooftop

storefront

1/5

light & shadow

third courtyard

third courtyard

tosummer & fang ao brands

roof truss before renovation

project info:

name: ToSummer Guozijian Flagship store

designer: F.O.G. Architecture | @fogarchitecture

design team: Zou Dejing, Wu Leilei, Wang Shengqi, Tang Mo, Lei Ronghua, Jiang Lu, Huang Yingzi, Zhuang Shaokai, Sun Yuan, Zhang Xinyue, Chen Yixuan, Zheng Yining, Tao Xinwei, Cao Xiaomao, Hou Shaokai, Xiong Aijie, Khoon Choi, Zhan Di, Zheng Yu
location: Beijing, China

photography: InSpace Architectural Photography

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom