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Architects: Ao.ArchLab
- Area: 380 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Wen Studio
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Manufacturers: Nippon Paint
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Lead Architects: YANG Ao
Text description provided by the architects. Located in Moganshan Town, Zhejiang Province, the site consists of a historic Chinese residence and a courtyard. The residence is a typical five-bay Jiangnan dwelling with an elevated beam structure and double eaves. Before restoration, the building has fallen into disrepair due to long-time negligence. The client wants to convert this 100-year-old residence into a chic, commercial teahouse, while retaining the authentic vibe and craftsmanship of the historic building.
For historic preservation, we conducted a detailed survey and structural integrity test of the historic building. All the wooden beams and columns were preserved in-situ after insecticidal treatments, leaving the original structural system completely intact. Per our request, the replacement and restoration of damaged purlins, flooring, rammed earth façade, rooftiles were carried out with traditional building techniques and locally sourced, traditional materials. All the decorative components, include paintings on the wall, carving on the beams, window lattices, corbels were preserved as they showcase the vernacular building culture in Moganshan town.
For spatial quality enhancements, we conducted a ‘pruning’ of the historic building. We removed a portion of the building envelope (ground floor façades and a section of the roof) to introduce natural light and air much needed for contemporary commercial space. The exposed columns and overhanging eaves form two porches each facing the courtyard and a mini-Zen Garden (with the original stone wall) to the front and rear of the house. The partial removal of the front and rear facades also resulted in a north-south, through-ventilation corridor. And by removing a section of the second-floor slab, while extending the water feature from the courtyard to the interior, we created a scenic, double-height space under the large eaves. Consequently, the visual and psychological boundaries between indoor and outdoor became blurry and ambiguous, generating a novel and vibrant spatial experience.
For performance and functionality enhancements, we introduced two glass pavilions into the site. Within the historic structure, a double-layered, self-supporting glass structure was inserted into the old house, providing air-conditioned tea drinking spaces. The integration between old and new was seamless, because the new glass roof aligns with the historic roof, while the steel frame structure supporting the glass pavilion interlaces with the historic wooden beams and purlins. This way, the integrity and authenticity of the historic residence was well-preserved for the building’s historic wooden structural system was left completely intact. To the far end of the courtyard, we constructed a separate glass pavilion. Inside the stand-alone, steel-framed pavilion, we used bamboo-steel composite material to build a tea bar, restrooms, and a shading canopy. The arrangement of the composite bamboo louvers under the glass roof duplicates, by means of its rising curvilinear profile, that of the eaves of the historic dwellings across the courtyard.
Facing one another from across the courtyard in a head-to-head manner, the bold juxtaposition of the historic residence and its contemporary annex creates a sophisticated dialogue between the two. Inside the historic residence, glass pavilion no.1 serves thermal function as an inner liner. Outside the historic residence, glass pavilion no.2 serves visual function as an outer shell. The composite bamboo structure in the interior of glass pavilion no.2 is a revision, translation and quotation of the historic timber work in the exterior of glass pavilion no.1. The interplay of the modern and the historic hence generates a dynamic, engaging and thought-provoking spatial experience for the visitors.
