On October 20, 2018, the 25th Contemporary Chinese Architectural Forum (CCAF) was held in Suzhou. Wang Yan, Principal of GOA, delivered a keynote speech as a specially invited guest. He talked about GOA’s continuous efforts in the field of urban revival and regeneration. Using three projects, including Fengying·Stone Art Museum, Shanghai Chimney Café and Cricket Cafe, as examples, he discussed the concept of “Subtle Reforge” proposed by GOA for urban space renewal.



Wang Yan, Principal of GOA, delivers a speech at the CCAF

The Contemporary Chinese Architectural Forum (CCAF) was founded in 1984. Now, it’s in its 24th year. Through more than 30 years of operation and practice, it gathers more than 200 top architects and architecture theorists in China to make positive contributions to the development of architectural projects in China. Academicians from Chinese Academy of Engineering and distinguished architects, including Zhang Jinqiu, Zhong Xunzheng, Ma Guoxin, Qi Kang, He Jingtang, Peng Yigang, Wang Xiaodong, Cheng Taining, Meng Jianmin, Cui Kai, He Yuru, Zhou Fangzhong, Liu Keliang, and Shi Kuang, are outstanding members of the forum.



Part of Speakers at 2018 CCAF

The theme of the forum was “Creation and Re-Creation”. Wang Yan, Principal of GOA, was invited to deliver a keynote speech entitled “Subtle Reforge”. He also discussed topics, including shaping of public constructions, reconstruction of rural spaces, development of eco-friendly architecture, and environmental improvement, with Athushi Kitagawara, professor at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and member of the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA), and more than 20 leading architects and theorists in China, including Wu Shuoxian and Liu Weiqing, academicians from Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhong Dekun, Tang Ye, Wang Hui, Zhang Ming, Zhang Yingpeng, Wei Chunyu, Wu Yongfa, Huang Lin, Hu Zhe, Zhou Ling, Jiang Haidong, Liu Yuyang, Zhu Xiaofeng, Fu Xiao, Lin Qiuda, Yang Hai, and Xu Maoyan.

For nearly two decades, GOA has been engaging in a wide range of urban renewal and regeneration projects with a positive attitude. GOA advocates approaching design projects from the perspectives of cities, development and purpose, and injecting vigor and value into urban areas with flexible solutions.



▲Renovation of Ruikangli, Hailun Road, Shanghai



▲Shining City Li Xing



▲PINS DELA BRUME

In projects such as Renovation of Ruikangli (Hailun Road, Shanghai), Shining City Li Xing and PINS DELA BRUME, GOA experimented with new techniques, new materials and innovations of traditional materials to explore new possibilities of space renewal. Besides, its small-sized urban space renewal projects, such as Resilient Hills and Waters, and City Bubbles, highlight the representation and promotion of urban spirits in temporary constructions.



▲Resilient Hills and Waters



▲City Bubbles

Subtle Reforge

After a long period of rapid urbanization, new projects are confronted with rigorous constraints from the existing urban environment. Among them, Fengying·Stone Art Museum, Shanghai Chimney Café and Cricket Cafe are three representative projects. In designing them, GOA emphasized the important role of the renewal strategy called “Subtle Reforge”.

Fengying·Stone Art Museum
Fengying·Stone Art Museum is located inside Fujian Chongwu Fengying Sculpture Enterprise Park. As onsite construction could cause noise and dusts, and part of the old building at the site was required to be kept, the architects chose a minimalist design approach while enriching the internal dimensions. Through a simple shape and a well-designed internal courtyard, an elegant and serene exhibition space is thus created.

Shanghai Chimney Café

For the project of Shanghai Chimney Café, the biggest challenge was the limited space. The architects were asked to renovate a narrow space on the first floor of SPSI Art Museum. The narrowest part of the site was only 5 meters wide, and it’s impossible to create a café directly facing the street.

GOA’s architects extracted elements from traditional garden layouts, and created a narrow and long construction by making use of winding paths and metal mirror materials, demonstrating their respect for the existing space while ingeniously adding modern elements.

Cricket Café

The third project, “Cricket Cafe”, is part of Village Vision, a future rural development model experiment program. It’s located at Xia Mutang Village, Jiangxi Province, with aim to transform a private house built with wood and mud into a community service space. The challenges included the existing old construction, local building capabilities and limited funding.

Insufficient lighting is the major problem of traditional private houses. As it’s impossible to make large windows on walls made of sun-dried mud bricks, GOA’s design team came up with the creative idea of inserting bricks made of solid and transparent resin into the existing walls. In this way, evenly distributed natural lighting is achieved at a minimal cost.

Mimicking amber, the architects even embedded “insects” into resin bricks, thus creating an interesting interaction between new and old materials, and between man and construction with a small idea. The concept of “Subtle Reforge” helps to retain the traditional shape and rustic color of an old building, and ensure a sustained emotional connection of the building with local people, forming a spiritual atmosphere compatible with modern life.