272 Gallery Multifunctional Space

Press Kit

Unique Properties

An experimental renovation practice, "272 Gallery" is a renewal of architectural space which transforms the original residence into three basic functions of medieval furniture display, art gallery and private gathering, so as to inject art and cultural elements into the old community. To touch the memory of the city, making people aware of the charm of the blocks. The city and architecture are closely connected through a pleasant environment, diversified cultural and artistic activities.

Dimensions & Packaging

As the structural form of the original building limits the possibility of space reconstruction, while the third floor serves as a venue for furniture display and regular art exhibition, in order to meet the mobility between spaces and is conducive to exhibition and sightseeing, we demolish all the doors of the original house to form the experience of space integration. Due to the elimination of the door element, the relationship between rooms becomes equal, so as to meet the flexibility of carrying all kinds of art exhibitions.

Tags

gallery, interior design, architecture, renovation, structure design

Production Technology

In the use of materials, we continue the principle of minimization. In addition to the unpainted pine and glass brick walls on the third floor, the external guardrails of the stairs and the courtyard are all made of iron. Due to the heavy feeling and the property of easy oxidation of iron, it matches the character of space and strengthens the atmosphere of space. For cost consideration, we chose to retain the original cast-in-place terrazzo floor and wall mechanism, wooden handrails of stairs, balancing the relationship between the old and the new.

Design Challenge

How is the environment be used in the renovation of new buildings? In order to achieve a kind of "minimum" intervention, we try to have the consultation dialogue with space. Where should be demolished, repaired or added? All the demolished parts will be truthfully reflected in the new environment, and on the contrary, the new parts will overlap with the original traces, which is a game process between the new and the old, so as to establish a new spatial order.

Project Duration

The project started in October 2019 and finished in April 2020 and is located in No.27-2 Chuihong Rd. Chuihong community of the center of Chancheng district, Foshan City, Guangdong, China

Operation Flow

Benefit from the big trees planted in the community, the height of the tree crown has reached three or four stories, which provides an intoxicating green vision and shelter for the whole site, and also brings a quiet atmosphere. Facing the rare scenery of the city center, we have carefully designed the windows in different directions and positions. Looking from the interior to the exterior, it seems that the windows themselves have disappeared, in order to perfectly present the pure green.

Research

The project is located in Foshan, China, a historical city with rich cultural heritage. Taking the renewal of the old city as the research goal, using the limited budget, we attempted to do multi-point partial renewal and transformation of the old buildings in the aging community. The existing unused or semi abandoned space is transformed into art galleries, design studios, bookstores, etc. These activates the overall community atmosphere, so as to bring culture and business back to people's daily life. It has been widely influenced by the local society and changed the diversified mode of life of local people.

Inspiration

The city expansion accelerates along with the constant development of information. At the same time, a fierce renewal inside the city which is like a surging whirlpool is absorbing all kinds of resources radially from the center to the surrounding. In the situation of increasingly scarce resources, the re-use of the "old part" of the city is coming up as a new solution. We always feel that the environment is shaped by people, but also shape the people there.

Image Credits

Image #1, Image#2, Image#3, Image#4, Image #5: Photographer Chao Zhang, 2021

Colors of 272 Gallery Multifunctional Space