Changchun Culture of Water Ecology Park / W&R GROUP

Curated by 韩爽 - HAN Shuang

Architects: W&R GROUP
Area: 50000 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs:Shuang Pan, Xiu Wang, Gang Deng
Architectural Design: W&R Group
Lead Architects: W&R Group

Text description provided by the architects. Changchun Culture & Ecology park, the former Changchun No. 1 Water Treatment Plant built during the Manchukuo Regime, is a design and operation project of urban regeneration related to the protection and transformation of industrial heritage, which has a history of water supply for eighty years in Changchun and rare ecological green space in urban hinterland with an area of 300,000 square meters.

Cultural Memory of Industrial Heritage
In terms of landscape design, we reproduce the cultural context and reuse the historical buildings to show our greatest respect to the historical and cultural heritage, transform and utilize the industrial heritage for water storage, respect the characteristics of the site and reduce secondary damage arising from the development through reproduction of cultural context and reuse of historical buildings.

We do not demolish or relocate the buildings in a barbaric way, but try our best to protect the original site and materials and the characteristics of the site, and reuse the materials on the heritage, so that the garden will also have historical traces in its regeneration.

Recovery of A Natural Green Lung in Changchun
The urban ecological green space with an area of 300,000 square meters is of ecological value and impact that can not be underestimated. It is necessary for designers to respect the ecosystem on the site so as to share the ecological resources in urban development.

The forest landscape corridor, which goes through the whole park, minimizes the damage to the original vegetation system while allowing people to feel comfortable in an aerobic walk. Based on the scientific and reasonable streamline plan, the park has retained several sedimentation and clean water tanks made of concrete, so as to preserve and strengthen the industrial characteristics of the site and minimize the damage to the primitive environment.

Renascence of Historical Buildings
Changchun Water Treatment Plant had more than 80 buildings, of which 18 were protected buildings during the Manchukuo Regime. Based on the principle of respecting the history of buildings, the old building communities are mainly restored to protect their original appearance and to ensure that the facade remains unchanged.

In accordance with the characteristics and importance of the original architectural space, some preserved buildings are repaired, decorated, transformed and expanded.

Activation of Citizens’Leisure Lifestyle
The only complete green lawn in the whole area is designed as an art plaza for all kinds of cultural events. It is surrounded by sedimentation tanks, the forest landscape corridor and the culture museum. The park will present you with various views wherever you go.

Changchun Culture & Ecology Park takes the ecological green space as its carrier, focuses on the activation and regeneration of green space, makes an organic integration of industrial heritage and natural landscape, and adds the elements of culture, art and fashion creativity to the park, highlights the interaction between human and nature, while promoting and changing the lifestyle, striving to set a new model for urban regeneration and industrial heritage protection in China and developing a regeneration model which is fully integrated with urban activities and upgrading of industrial structure.