Zhang Yan Cultural Museum
Zhang Yan Village is located in Chonggu Town, in the western suburbs of Shanghai. In recent decades, the demographics of the village have changed dramatically, with a rapidly declining young population, which has had as a result the deterioration of the original village. The town includes houses from the Qing Dynasty, of the Republic of China, and two- or three-story houses built after the founding of the People?s Republic of China. As part of a new sub-urban development policy, Zhang Yan Village, like many other villages and towns in China, has embraced renovation and revival.
Part of the exhibition 1. Image © Schran Images
?Preservation, Growth, and Expansion? is our strategy for the renovation and rehabilitation of Zhang Yan Village and other similar villages in China. It does not aim to dominate and reconstruct, nor to repair the old as old. Rather, it strives to follow the development and context of history, to put contemporary needs and consciousness into the village, to reorganize the layout, program the commercial ecology, and to create a dialogue between the new and the old. Preservation: Old buildings embody the history and culture of the ancient village. They must remain and be improved by means of reinforcement and preservation.
Western entrance square (night). Image © Schran Images
Growth: For the dilapidated buildings whose interior space is no longer available, ?cleaning up? the broken parts effectively retain the functional ones....