Hybrid Courtyard, Beijing

About

Located in the core of Beijing’s old town, the building is part of an urban operation that aims to improve life quality through the renovation of several courtyard-buildings of the traditional zayuan type, formed by an irregular open space and a cluster of additions. Through its hybrid status, the zayuan fosters a sense of belonging to a neighborhood, and this capacity to link architecture to the idea of a community is precisely what the project has sought to revive, with most of the interfaces designed to be implemented in a rotational manner in order to create many and varied possibilities of space use: exhibitions, cultural events, and academic seminars as well as offices, a café, and living space. The original building’s pitched roof was restored, as was the house’s traditional form around the courtyard. Low-quality additions made over the years were replaced by lighter, less bulky pavilions. The overall layout presents three courtyards: one large, two small. The use of prefab laminated bamboo minimized disturbances during construction. The intervention was thought out with the idea of juxtaposing old and new in all areas: construction, structure, and space.

Sources

• Arquitectura Viva