Reuse of existing buildings not only saves waste, it provides a means to preserve historic buildings and reuse them for modern purposes. This former military factory in China even preserves the 1945 propaganda signs on the walls.
Superimpose has saved a historic factory in Changzhi, China , from demolition by renovating it into a exhibition centre for the city. The Hong-Kong-based architecture studio convinced the owner to turn the derelict industrial building into the Changzhi City Expo, which contains an exhibition space, government meeting centre, offices and an auditorium. The owner of the property, who bought the derelict factory at auction in 2011, initially wanted to demolish the building. One of a cluster of fifteen, the factory was built in 1945 and used to manufacture bearings for war machinery during the Chinese Communist Revolution. Superimpose convinced the owner, and the local government, to consider refurbishing the building rather than bulldozing it to make way for a brand new structure. The studio cited other examples of historic buildings in China that have been adapted to create arts venues such as the 798 Art Zone, which was created in a decommissioned military factory in Beijing. "[We] started with a vision to challenge urbanisation in the fastest growing country in the world," the architects said in a statement. "The project is a benchmark for similar cities in China, which are undertaking prompt urban planning decisions with cultural heritage." With […]
