Cotton Park Changzhou community project, China building images, Chinese design architecture photos
Cotton Park in Changzhou
12 May 2024
Architect: AIM Architecture
Location: Changzhou, Shanghai, south east China
Photos © Dirk Weiblen
Cotton Park, China
Regenerating Industrial Heritage for Mixed-Use Community Spaces
Changzhou, an ancient city with a history of more than 3,000 years, has reached over One Trillion in GDP since 2023. It has transformed into a captivating destination, embracing a more intimate city experience and prioritizing quality over quantity. This community project by Cotton Park is the regeneration of 4 oil tanks – a vision that aligns with our own aspiration to bring urban spaces to life.
Our goal was to breathe new life into the city and foster community engagement by establishing a place where people could gather. Simultaneously, we aimed to create a versatile place capable of hosting various cultural events and gatherings, enriching the local experience.
The four tanks possess a distinctive quality due to their initial purpose, primarily designed to facilitate industrial processes rather than being centered around the human scale.
During our first site visit, a ray of sunlight gracefully descended from the top of the silos, casting a flawless ellipse of light on the stained walls. At that moment we realized that the essence of the project lays in preserving the tank walls and harnessing the ethereal lighting from above.
This influenced our decision to preserve the existing architecture as much as possible, driven by both sustainability concerns and a respect for the historical heritage of the local industry.
We chose to connect the four silos’ by carving a direct path through their center, curating a captivating journey and enabling visitors to traverse all four tanks with their own distinct program and along the way indulge in a diverse array of experiences.
Placing a glass house in two of the silos enables visitors to experience the silo’s powerful internal character while creating a comfortable and controllable interior climate.
The opening on the top of the silos creates natural air convection between the silos and the glass house, avoiding internal overheating problems that occur in the summer. Strategically integrating the heating and cooling infrastructure into the floors allows us to keep these industrial “churches” free from visible technology.
One silo is hardly touched and ‘un-programmed’. Letting the light, height, and its original power to do its wonder, making it a pure extension of the park for people to enjoy.
Next to the steel of the silos, we introduced one other material, inspired by the canal. This material pays homage to the steel barges that transport red bricks, supporting China’s burgeoning developments. Here, these bricks are employed in a straightforward stack, giving rise to a distinct inner realm within the restaurant silo. Adjacent to the curved inner walls, they form pathways for visitors to traverse, providing guidance and grounding the site within its surroundings.
Cutting the skin of the silo provided us with material to cover the walkway, reducing the need for new materials. This connection links tanks with the park, where a circular climbing structure and park-facing terraces enhance community engagement and attraction.
Cotton Park, Changzhou, China – Building Information
Design: AIM Architecture – schlaich bergermann and partners
Client: Changzhou Cotton Space Retail Co., Ltd.
Location: Cotton Park, Oil Tank Park, Changzhou
GFA: 1,500 sqm
Design Stage: March 2022 – June 2022
Completion: September 2023
Design Scope: Interior design
Design Principals: Wendy Saunders, Vincent de Graaf
Team Leader: Chris Cheng
Design Team: Emilio Wang Chen, Jin Kang, Jo Jiao, Laile Li, Luqian Lin, Zheng Wei
Visualization: Steve Do, Yan Jiao
FF&E Team: Lili Cheng, Weisha Dai
General Contractor: Shanghai Dong Yuan Construction & Renovation Co., Ltd.
Structure Consultant: Bespoke
Climate Consultant: Paul de Vreede
Display Supplier: Yangyu Architectural Construction Co., Ltd.
Lighting Supplier: Shanghai Lemida Lighting Design & Engineering Co., Ltd.
Main Materials: Red brick terrazzo (Shanghai Dianyue Construction Materials Limited), Red clay brick, Stucco, Glass curtain wall, Acoustic panel
Translation: Zheng Wei
Pictures © Dirk Weiblen
Cotton Park, Changzhou, China images / information received 120524
gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners · Architects
Location: Changzhou, People’s Republic of China
Architecture in China
Contemporary Architecture in China
China Architecture Designs – chronological list
A recent Chinese building design by gmp · von Gerkan, Marg and Partners · Architects on e-architect:
Hangzhou South Railway Station, eastern China
Southern Chinese Architecture – Selection
Housing Post-covid Competition, Xiong’an New City, Hebei province
Design: Guallart Architects, Barcelona
image courtesy of architects
Housing Post-covid Competition
Industrial Service Centre in Jinwan Aviation City, Zhuhai
Architects: 10 DESIGN
image courtesy of architects office
Industrial Service Centre in Jinwan Aviation City
Jilin Financial Centre Commercial Complex, Jilin Province
Architects: Aedas
Jilin Financial Centre Commercial Complex Building
Comments / photos for the Cotton Park, Changzhou, China design by AIM Architecture in China page welcome
