zhaochen wang + ran she: celebration of wuhan from dispersion to aggregation

‘celebration of wuhan from dispersion to aggregation’ by zhaochen wang + ran she, wuhan, china all images courtesy of zhaochen wang + ran she function zoning map

chinese designers zhaochen wang + ran she have developed a proposal for wuhan which regarded as one of the three ‘fire stoves’ or the hottest cities in the country. wuhan has established an urban planning program (2000-2020) based on the principles of severance and zoning systems. due to the lag of new urbanism theory in practice, it currently costs more to rigidly erase the made-up principles and rapidly turn into new theories. using one of wuhan’s folk-customs called ‘bamboo bed array’ a new system can be developed and integrated into the city.

due to the hotness in wuhan, all citizens carry bamboo beds outside to enjoy the cool atmosphere. people with their bamboo-beds gather in arrays all around the city, from the roadsides to the roofs. these objects take on all kinds of functions, such as sleeping, playing, eating, reading, chatting and so on. 

bamboo bed array

the philosophy is conquering the unyielding with the yielding. to change the rigid transformation of the urban planning, the new ‘bamboo bed’ are functional boxes, bammixes, which are diffused to different zones which satisfies complementary functions all around the city. these spaces inject functions into parts to fit the mixed demands of the city. in this way, each zone can establish new functions which they once lacked, enhancing the quality of life, and reach the purpose of max-mix.

function to form

city functions have been divided into four sections: residential, recreational, commercial and industrial. by inputting artificial space which inherits local cultural and complementary functions of that area, this method is produce in an efficient way to solve the unyielding zoning problem in modern china. these bammixes are made of bamboos which is indigenous and sustainable. reminding citizens of their folk-custom, they can also be transported to several places for celebrations. each object carries the imprinted activities of different zones, so the aggregation represents true local culture and celebration of city wuhan.

function to form

construction

plan and elevation

from dispersation to aggregation

bridge park

lake park

inside view

pedestrian commercial

daily aggregation spot

Lolkout Architecture _ Zhaochen Wang Ran She

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