The Hometown of Xu Wei is located in Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City. Xu Wei, a literary figure in the Ming Dynasty, was not only a writer but also excelled in painting, drama, and military strategy. His former residence, Qingteng Study, is located here. From Xu Wei’s former residence, the team embarked on a three-year exploration of urban renewal practice. The urban design is conducted in two phases. Qingteng 1.0（Phase I）, centered around the Green Vine Bookstore (former residence of Xu Wei), extends outward. The new construction and preservation projects within the area include the Xu Wei Art Gallery, Qingteng Square, Shaoxing Shiye Hall, Qingteng Study (Ming Dynasty), Zhang’s Manor (Qing Dynasty), Chen’s Manor (Qing Dynasty), Green Vine Academy, and community public spaces. Upon completion, the project significantly enhanced the living environment of the residents in this place, transforming it into yet another captivating cultural and tourist destination within the historic city of Shaoxing. In essence, this endeavor leaned more towards a relatively top-down approach, focused on the thoughtful spatial organization and environmental upliftment, surrounding the construction of key modern structures alongside the preservation of historical architectural gems. Hence, we launched the conceptual design of urban renewal for Qingteng 2.0（Phase II）.
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“You Jian Qing Teng” Urban Renewal Practice and Research in Xuwei’s Hometown , Shaoxing
Urban Design (Concept)
Firm
The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd.（UAD）
Architect/Designer
Huifeng Hu, Lanlan Jiang
Design Team
Sicheng Jiang, Yunqiang Chen, Pengfei Li, Qing Dong, Yingshuang He, Xiangzhen Gao, Chi Zhang, Shuye Yu, Chenfan Zhang, Tongfei Hua, Yangxue Liu, Chenxi Yue, Yao Peng
Location
Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province,
Country
China
Photographer/Copyright
©UAD
The research of Qingteng 2.0 underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement and comprehensive architectural evaluation. Encompassing an expanded research span of 13.4 hectares, the site spanned from Jiefang South Road in the east to Cangqiaozhi Street and (Fushan) Round-the-City River in the west, from Renmin West Road in the north to Luxun West Road in the south. In this phase of research, we delved into a profound and meticulous community survey, intricately examining the residents’ daily lives and material surroundings. Simultaneously, we took a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach, crafting tailored community development strategies on a household level. The “Rediscovering Qingteng” master plan endeavors to transcend the confines of mere material space renovation and the confines of a lackluster official cultural narrative. Instead, it strives to unearth forgotten fragments ingrained within the history-rich neighborhoods. By engaging at multiple scales, we seek to protect and rejuvenate the ancient city, turning history into a potent resource, breathing new life and creativity into the urban fabric. Through this research, our aspiration is to present the local government with valuable and practical guidelines for community renewal designs, while simultaneously painting a vivid and promising blueprint of a thriving future community, for the local residents and government officials to embrace.
Based on a series of research and analysis on historical context, interviews with local residents, and the current environment, we have identified several issues in the Hometown of Xu Wei, including the presence of dilapidated houses, high population density, outdated infrastructure, and a lack of adaptability to the increasingly intensified lifestyle in the contemporary era. To address these challenges, we have conducted targeted research and design studies on different plots and buildings, taking into account the local characteristics of water channels, streets, manor architectures, street block boundary structures, public spaces, and public activities. By embracing the “script” concept, we express spatial scenes that connect envisioned functions in the Hometown of Xu Wei with the behaviors and activities of the local community. This approach provides a glimpse of a potential future lifestyle in this place and becomes an important reference for the renewal of historic street blocks in ancient cities.