wave-shaped roof by MARS studio adds vitality to beijing's warehouse area

MARS studio imagines a creative industry space in a former warehouse area of tongzhou, in beijing. the architects seek to preserve the form, structure and mechanism of the actual factory building on the site and to refurbish the original façade materials. in the open area outside the building, the studio introduces a flexible ‘ribbon’ structure, flowing into the distance, like the shape of water ripples.

all images courtesy of  MARS studio

located in the sub-center of tongzhou, the pre-existing building had been abandoned for many years, before MARS studio’s renovation. the former large and numerous granaries there, have entirely disappeared; to the north is a horseshoe-shaped warehouse building, and to the south are side-by-side dilapidated factories. with the new intervention, the architects has planned the site as an artistic urban public space combining office and business use.

here, this undulated structure starts from the courtyard of the horseshoe-shaped warehouse building on the north side. it slowly extends, connects the square, and then links the gap between the factories on the south side. the corrugated skeleton’s interior features petal-like secondary structural modules.

in an attempt to add different softness of light and shadow on the construction, the architects use membrane materials with alternative transparent properties that filter the rays. the ‘ribbons’ extend to the south and connect the public areas on both sides, creating a new commercial street space. modern materials such as glass curtain walls and stainless steel clothe the façade. at the same time, retail brands are introduced into the interior, providing a new-life-character to the previously decaying street.

in the daytime, under the sun’s irradiation, the dynamic light and shadow that projected by the ribbon ripples in the surrounding, flows slowly. at night, the corrugated light strip on the ground, along with the light reflected from the metal structure on top, presents the vitality of the new public space for the site and its surroundings.

project info:

name: tongzhou warehouse renovation

architect: MARS Studio

lead architect: ma ning, chen fei 

project team: wangying, ruijing sun, jiezhong yu, dongyuan guo 

location: beijing, china

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edited by: christina petridou | designboom