chiasmus converts diesel engine factory into vast civic space in china

chiamus converts diesel engine factory into vast civic space in china
all images courtesy of chiasmus

beijing and seoul based practice chiasmus has converted a former 5,000 sq. meter diesel engine factory into the vanke 1948 club which includes an activity center of a 15,000 people housing community. the project focuses on preserving the existing spatial experience over the actual buildings. re-using the structural frame, the result is a scheme that remembers its industrial past through its scale, layout and materials. located in changchun, north east china, the city is known for its automotive industry and past. the factory plot itself sits adjacent to the east expressway where the scheme is visually prominent among a monoculture of new residential towers. the introduction of contrasting architectural group of buildings and functions, which are arranged around a pedestrian street thus creating a memorable civic space for locals.

the factory building represents the industrial heritage of changchun

developed by vanke in subsequent stages since 2011, each building was developed as an independent element. the materiality of the buildings, consisting of steel for the old factory, brick for the offices and plaster for the residential tower. a returning visual feature is the customized windows with high insulation glass that provide the buildings with a generous amount of daylight inside while deeper indoors intimate spaces allow for more privacy. this concept complements a variety of spatial qualities and creates a comfortable environment for work and living.

the converted scheme will become a civic space for citizens