Saving Buildings

 With the establishment of the Beijing office, we are concerned that the rapid urbanization process has broken down the boundaries between cities.It is not only the boundaries of the city, but also the appearance of the city. The large-scale demolition and construction have made the city the same. Not only has the city’s unique context been lost, but more importantly, the city residents’ sense of belonging has been lost.

Architecture, one of the important elements of the city, Although it includes many types, the meaning may be the same for each of us. It carries the emotions of each of us, and it builds the memories of each of us.

Have you had any of the following experiences? 

When you look through the photos, you no longer have the contact information of the giggling friend standing next to you. With anticipation, you return to the alley where you once chased and played together, only to find that it has long been turned into ruins and is waiting for construction. 

When you are frustrated at work, you get drunk and remember the heroic words you once said when you were in school. With expectation, you return to the pavilion on the top of the mountain where you once dreamed of the future with your classmates, only to find that it has long been fenced off and built into a private high-end villa. 

When you start a family and start a business, and want to relive your growth with your children, you return to the university campus where you once worked hard with great expectations, only to find that it has been transformed into residential apartments rising from the ground. 

When you receive the news that your father has passed away far away in your hometown, the scoldings, conversations, and companionships come to your mind. When you return to the familiar city, you find that it is no longer familiar to you. Your growth, your youth, and your past can only be found in memories, but there is less support. As time goes by, our memories will become hazy and eventually blurry.

This should not be the price of urban development. In 2014, we proposed the “SAVING BUILDINGS” plan, trying to save the cultural context that is being lost, reshape the appearance of the city, rebuild the sense of belonging of urban residents, so that emotions can be carried and memories can be supported.

Since the proposal of the "Saving Buildings" program, we have felt more and more that buildings have a deep impact on the environment, especially on the state of mind. This impact is like silent spring rain that quietly penetrates people's hearts and nourishes their state of mind and spirit.

Architectural remodeling, it is not only about remodeling the morphology of building itself and integrating it into the environment. It is also not only about using the building for its intended purpose and enhancing its economic value. Most importantly, it is about satisfying our retrospective sentiments and ultimately arriving at a realm of spiritual pleasure. This pleasure responds to people's lifestyles and fulfills their spiritual pursuits.

Architecture reconstruction, it begins with the idea of "for today's use." The revitalization of abandoned factories, old school buildings, and dilapidated structures is not just about retaining cold brick-and-mortar structures; it's about re-rooting them in the texture of the times. This allows them to breathe the breath of current life and become practical containers that effectively serve people. This practicality marks the beginning of architecture's life and the starting point for its value to be restored and sustained.

Architectural remodeling, its ultimate goal is to transcend practicality and become a source of emotional support and spiritual refuge—a heartfelt response to the desire for a fulfilling lifestyle and a meaningful spiritual life. It should soothe the heart, inspire, and evoke a sense of belonging. As Wright explains, architecture should grow like life and connect to people's inner worlds. When forgotten old buildings are given new life, when sunlight is carefully positioned to dance across the walls, and when people walk, pause, and reflect amid the interplay of old and new, architecture transcends cold walls and floors. It becomes a silent interlocutor, responding to our deep-seated pursuit of growth, peace, and belonging with its own unique language. Through this language, architecture will respond to our deepest search for growth, peace, and belonging and ultimately become a temple of spiritual resonance.

We select one or two projects from each year's program for our "Saving Buildings" initiative. As you can see, we don't pursue doctrine or emphasize style. When the old wall resonates with new life and memory and the future shake hands under the eaves, the building transcends physical barriers and becomes a place where the soul can stretch.

Architectural remodeling, its true meaning is to transform architecture into a container for life, a vessel for emotions, and a cradle for the spirit. When we encounter our past selves within a building, it has truly accomplished its mission. It becomes not only a shelter for the body but also a home for the soul.

In the grand narrative of "saving buildings," whether they are forgotten, abandoned factories; silent, old school buildings; or unfinished, rotting buildings, they will all end up in the indoor space between square inches. Here, the dialogue between people and space is direct and profound. The transformation is not just functional or aesthetic; it is a delicate infiltration of the mind that discovers and awakens sleeping emotional codes. This allows the space to become a unique field that carries an individual's life experience and spiritual echoes.

Interior remodeling, it does not require abstract ideas. Rebirthing a space means reorganizing it to respond to the needs and scale of the body. It means breaking free from the cramped, confined, depressing, and chaotic aspects of the original space. It means reorganizing the warp and woof of the space and finding a way to crack it open. The design of the moving lines guides the rhythm of footsteps and the natural transition between labor and rest. The introduction of light not only illuminates, but also allows the skin to perceive the warmth and coolness of morning and evening. The touch of materials—the warm log desktop, the coarse retained brick wall, and the smooth metal handrail—silently invites fingertip touch. In the subtle friction and temperature transfer, the space becomes an extension of the body's perception. This practicality, based on the body's needs and scale, is the basis for the space to obtain "body temperature" and the physical prerequisite for the mind to settle down.

Interior remodeling, it isn't about erasing the past; it's about making time visible. In pursuit of a "new look," we appreciate the "imperfections" that time has left behind. A deliberately preserved, unpainted, mottled wall with peeling paint layers like geological faults is a unique narrator of the space, silently recounting past noises and silences. An old, worn floor, smooth and warm from countless footsteps, carries the footprints of unseen people. Its subtle undulations and colors are abstract paintings drawn by time. The subtlety of remodeling lies in creating a "dialogue field" where the old and new coexist.

Interior remodeling, it is more important to break the spatial limitations imposed by the building and creating spaces through various design methods. This allows us to not only be in the space, but also in the flow of time and in the depths of our own selves, thereby creating the desired environmental atmosphere. A renovated interior, with its unique "touch marks" and "whispers," invites us to pause, perceive, and reflect. Ultimately, the renovated interior becomes a mirror that reflects our inner selves. It is a place where we can store our emotions and find true "home," where our souls can breathe and resonate. Here, we find not only a roof to shelter us from the rain but also a more genuine and peaceful self in the traces and breaths of the space.