Architecture office Approach Design has transformed a former police station in Beijing into an office building enclosed by a steel framework that functions as a multipurpose urban park called TMT Folding Park.
The TMT Folding Park project was developed by Approach Design for local media company TMTPost, which took over the disused police station in the Chinese capital's Daxing district.
The previously neglected site was completely closed off to the local community but has been transformed so that it now engages with its surroundings and allows people to enter.
TMT Folding Park is an office building and public park that occupies a former police station
"This project is an exploration full of imagination and humanistic care under the background of urban renewal in China," explained Approach Design. "We hope that each renewal and transformation can not only bring new life to the old buildings themselves but also contribute to the daily life of the city and stimulate the vitality of the community," the studio said of the project.
The TMT Folding Park has been shortlisted in the rebirth project category at Dezeen Awards 2022.
The structure is comprised of a steel framework
In addition to revitalising the abandoned police station to create new office space, the perimeter of the corner site was transformed into a multi-level space for the community that extends along the two adjacent streets.
The architects described the design of the public areas as a "fo...