Hangzhou Xiaohe Park / Kengo Kuma & Associates

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Text description provided by the architects.Located on the riverbank of world heritage the Grand Canal, Xiaohe Park took over the abandoned industrial site of an oil factory and transformed into a multi-use open park for the public.We have preserved 4 historical warehouses and 7 oil tanks and renovated them into a theater, event space, shops, and vertical connections. In preserving the warehouse building we will use Corten steel to match exposed concrete and red bricks, thus preserving the unique industrial identity of the site. A large, circular, sunken garden brings sunlight and greenery to the newly built retail area underneath the park.We conceived this park to be a new local hub for both cultural and historical legacy while gently merging into the vibrant urban life inHangzhou. In respect of the historical value of the site we minimized our intervention by creating a delicate, web-like ETFE canopy over the site connecting all the buildings and stretching out to invite visitors from all directions. The ETFE canopy with customized dot print pattern can filter the sunlight as tree leaves and provide soft, translucent shade.