Century-old buildings are repaired as old as old, integrated into the river scenery, the people linger here; the "most beautiful gas station" is rejuvenated and has become a net red punch card; "urban scraps" are cleverly used to add fun to the life and leisure of riverside residents... The riverfront space of the Huangpu section of Suzhou Creek has a more pleasant scale, more diversified functions, more prominent cultural context, and more livable ecology. A century-old historical building gorgeously turns to No. 76 South Suzhou Road, and a historical old building stands tall. On one side of the old building is Suzhou Creek, on the other side of the street is the same retro atmosphere of the Bund source historical building, not far away is the Waibaidu Bridge... Many tourists from the Bund source, will be attracted by this charming old building, take photos, and then read the architectural history story standing on the nameplate; there are many people sitting on the outside of the building, blowing the river breeze, drinking coffee, so comfortable.
This is a new shared space after the landscape transformation of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou Creek: more than 100 years ago, it was the Shanghai Rowing Club, a clubhouse for dignitaries to participate in rowing activities; more than 100 years later, it is a riverfront leisure space that everyone can walk into at any time.
The excellent historical buildings along the river are valuable resources of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou River, and in the landscape transformation of the public space of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou Creek, the Huangpu District carefully screens and carefully plans to repair these buildings as old as old and regain their glory. The former Shanghai Rowing Club is one of them.
The original Shanghai Rowing Club was built in 1903 and consists of three parts: the east side of the boathouse, the central clubhouse, and the west side of the swimming pool, with red brick walls and retro carved patterns... The original building is very distinctive and was once used as a swimming pool in Huangpu District. Unfortunately, over time, the building has been demolished and altered many times. In the early 1990s, some of the buildings were demolished due to municipal construction needs. The main body of the original building was restored by experts in 2010 according to the original appearance of the building, but the buildings on both sides have been completely unrecognizable. When the Huangpu District Construction Management Committee was renovated, it established the transformation goals and directions - while restoring the original appearance of the building to a certain extent, it restored the spatial structure and morphological characteristics of the building in a special way, and "awakened" the former imprint of the site.
On the west side, the door head is preserved, but the overall building does not exist, in this Suzhou Creek public space landscape improvement project, according to the location of the remaining door head combined with outdoor landscape, historical pictures, etc., the use of steel structure frame to build an abstract structural framework, reproducing the original building's sense of frame. The ground lawn was uprooted, the swimming pool space was restored and restored to ensure its sense of history, forming a sunken open public space that is both stylish and historical. When the vines climb over the frame structure, a space full of ecological greenery will be formed, and under the space is a restored swimming pool, where people can walk down the steps to enter the pool and enjoy the wonderful feeling of being at the "bottom of the pool"... On the east side, the location of the former shipyard turned into a small square, and 8 groups of steel structure light stands were set up around the square, forming a "light array square". Like the west side, the combination of light stands restores the historical space of the boathouse, and the citizens look up at the light stands in the square, and the "appearance" of the Shanghai Rowing Club jumps out of sight. After the renovation and opening of the original Shanghai Rowing Club, it has also become a venue for many public fashion events. The pool space has held activities such as creative markets, and tourists are endless, and in the future, it can be shared by the people as an exhibition hall, café, stage, catwalk, etc. The "most beautiful" space blooms to utilize and transform existing facilities and carriers, giving new forms and functions, and is also a way for designers to expand public spaces in the Huangpu section of Suzhou Creek. Sinopec No. 1 gas station is located on the suzhou river and was built in 1948. The original gas station was just ordinary and unremarkable. With the landscape transformation of the Huangpu section of Suzhou Creek, Sinopec No. 1 gas station has been transformed into "the most beautiful gas station by the Suzhou River", where young couples take wedding photos, and white-collar workers move the office morning meeting here to hold.
The transformed Sinopec No. 1 gas station, with its back to the side of Suzhou Creek, retains the original refueling function, but the architectural shape has changed greatly: the clear water concrete is poured into an "origami" shape, light and simple. Many people drove to refuel, looking at it from a distance, thinking that it was a new modern art building on the banks of the Suzhou River. Wang Xunan, designer of the original design studio of Tongji University Architectural Design And Research Institute (Group) Co., Ltd., said that the gas station was named "Suhe Fold" because of the architectural shape of origami, and the idea of origami came from the imagination of the waves on The Suzhou Creek.
The other side of Sinopec No. 1 gas station, facing Suzhou Creek, is a good view. Supermarkets and cafes have been created here. Also in the shape of "origami", the supermarket on the first floor and the café on the second floor use a large glass window design to see the scenery; the café on the second floor also creates a prominent large terrace, which is the best viewing position. When the reporter interviewed, the large terrace was full of people, and it was said that many consumers came early to occupy the seats. Wang Xunan told reporters that March and April are the most beautiful time here, because a super large cherry tree is planted in front of the large terrace, and March and April are when the cherry blossoms bloom. Sitting on the terrace, drinking coffee while admiring the Suzhou River, the flowers in front of you are full of flowers... Next to the "most beautiful gas station on the Suzhou River", there is a "cherry blossom valley" - named because of the many cherry blossoms planted. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, it is a pink ocean, and the petals fall to the ground, which is very romantic. A staggered open space in which people can walk up and down, or sit in it and rest. Because it is very quiet, it is especially liked by white-collar workers, and many white-collar workers like to bring computers to work here in the afternoon.
Who would have thought that such a space would be a "Road Shift Room" for sanitation workers to store sanitation tools. The designers re-planned the place, retaining the structural framework of the original building, but opening all the partition walls so that it was no longer a closed building. The use of light steel structure and concrete to create a lower rest area, the upper steel structure veranda, coupled with cherry blossom trees and other green plants, make this place "fun". The function of the Daoban room is cleverly hidden in a small room on the lower floor, which is not easy to find. Further east, there is a light architectural space, Suhe Station, located at the intersection of South Suzhou Road and Zhapu Road Bridge. The original building was two houses side by side, connected by a temporary trellis in the middle, and there were pump houses and their supporting small substations, garbage compression stations, public toilets and so on on the east and west sides. After the transformation, some of the original functional facilities have been "hidden" to retain, the entire building has become a concrete color, a design-like space, here also has the best view of the river, is now a leisure station and street party building service center, the people can walk in at any time. The "beauty" of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou Creek is slowly being discovered. The landscape transformation of the Huangpu section of Suzhou Creek is further extending to the hinterland, and the 135 plots along the river have recently completed the old transformation, and huangpu district will take out this plot to link up with the Suzhou Creek to create a historical and shareable public space. Not letting go of a piece of "city scraps" at nightfall, on the shore of the Huangpu section of suzhou creek near Wenzhou Road, a square, similar to a "Rubik's Cube" building emitted a faint yellow glow... This is another popular attraction in the landscape transformation of the Huangpu section of Suzhou Creek - Hydrological Station.
The hydrological station is an important public facility along the Suzhou River, but the shape of the building is relatively old and monotonous, which does not match the scenery of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou Creek after the landscape improvement. The District Construction Management Committee has transformed the place, and the outer wall is wrapped in a circle of aluminum mesh, forming a modern cube with relatively soft and warm golden lights built in. During the day, it is a boxy box that looks refreshing; at night, after the lights are on, it looks like a big golden lantern...
Unlike the huangpu river public space, the public space along the Suzhou Creek is limited, and the public space landscape transformation of the Huangpu section of the Suzhou River is to "do the dojo in the shell of the snail", and the designer does not let go of a little space along the river to create a space within reach for the people. Originally, on both sides of the hydrological station, there were several simple fitness facilities and some greenery; after the transformation, the green landscape has been greatly improved, and the fitness facilities have all been replaced. Behind the hydrological station are two communities along the river, but there is no public space in the community, and now the hydrological station and its surroundings have become the "private gardens" of the residents of the two communities. When the reporter interviewed, it was the afternoon, the sun was just right, a mother came to the small garden with the baby, the mother was working out on the fitness equipment, and the baby was lying in the stroller, staring at the hydrological station...
On the side of the hydrological station facing the Suzhou Creek, the designers created two water platforms, which are now the favorite spaces of the surrounding residents. The two platforms are like Mickey Mouse's ears, round shape, stretching out to the surface of Suzhou River, people standing on the water platform, at the foot of the Suzhou River, the scenery in front of them is infinite. The platform is very cleverly designed. Wang Xunan told reporters that the two platforms do not occupy the space of the Suzhou River, and are located on the equipment platform used for observation and recording of the hydrological station, and are designed along the outline of the original anti-collision pier.
Some urban scraps have also been utilized. Outside the outer wall of a small district along the Huangpu section of the Suzhou Creek, there was originally a wall protruding from the street, and another wall recessed into the community formed a "triangle". In the past, this place was a "blank space", but this time the designer designed flower stands, seats, and vines, and it became a pocket garden.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Tang Ye Text Editor: Tang Ye
Source: Author: Tang Ye