Project Notes
Group Project
Design(60%) & Drawing(40%) & Modeling(40%)
8 weeks/2016
Benjamin Krüger
This project is aimed at reconstructing contemporary urban tissue by the interpretation of original waterside village and modern restoration. Manage to explore another possibility for urbanization, by means of creating the characteristic connections between public space and water area.
Type
My Work
Timeline
Tutor
Problem Focus
Background
Mutual Relationship
Jiangxin Island is in Yangzi River, which winds though Nanjing. The main town of Nanjing city lies to the east of it, and to the west are new districts.


History
In historial vicissitude, Jiangxin Island has gone through remarkable changes from depopulated zone to agricultural land, from traditional waterside villages to modern upscale residential district.

Basics of the Island
Its original water cultural connotation and unique village texture has faded away along with the process of modernization construction. The island is losing its natural texture in favor of more artificial traces.

Historical Scenes


More village fairs took place in traditional Chinese village. The condition of the people was one of local self-sufficiency and houses were tend to be low and next to each other, leading to intimate relationships. Acquaintance society created more interaction and communicaton between people.
Traditional Chinese Village
Recent Traditional Village
Recent traditional villages function as agricultural products bases affiliated to cities. Compared to the modern cities, they were backward and lack of transportation. The ignorant and uninformed situation impedes development, but also contributes to the reservation of original culture and customs.


Past Nanjing
Confucius Temple, East Zhonghua Gate are typical neighbourhood of traditional Nanjing. Sences of old Nanjing in momery has been partly recorded and vividly demostrated there, making them famous tourist attractions up to now.
Current Nanjing
With the tremendous growth of population indensity, traditional villages disappeared in favor of the expansion of majestic mansions and skyscrappers. The City of Nanjing has been losing its characters gradually and going to be a menber of stereotyped full-developed modern city.
Design Concept
Functions Based on Different Building Density
Interaction with water area to create distinct public space

Based on the research on texture of original villages, distribution of water area, form of architecure and model of residencial, in addition to, consideration of diversification and integration for futural development, I divided the site into four areas of different buliding density. Water area plays an essicial role to reinterpretation the site. Each area can be activated by distinct combination and interaction between water area and public space.

Generation Process
Function Division
Building intensity serves functionTwo or three story buildings are served as matrix.
Traditional courtyard space and texture of village are constructed vertically in high-density area.
Then shift and stuck minimal elements to develop distinct forms of architecture satisfying diverse functions, demonstrating the image that villages integrate into novel city. Meanwhile, create abundant communication space and landscape space.
Background

Plans
Research buildings are connected by water and gardens, providing abundant outdoor entertainment area.
The workshop area creatively utilize the texture of traditional waterside village- building along the river,
ensuring the both communication and privacy.
There are green land and foot planking outside the dike, near Yangzi River, offering buffer area for flood.
Water system is also induced into super high-rise buildings to create hanging gardens with scattered platforms.

Final Design
Visions of the Future — Contradicts and Integration
The integration of tradition village and high-density city can develop a brand-new model for commercial center, research center and so on.
It's not impossible to realize a new possibility of the coexistence of both via an innovative urban design method.

Reflection and Prospect — New Possibility for Urbanization
What is the future of urbanization? It still a meaningful problem worth reflection and exploration.
Nevertheless, now we know that counter-urbanization does not deserve to be called the only effective answer. Integration of village and city can also provide an outstanding solution to improve current situation.
While other options are available, we should persist the exploration.

Urban Environment Sensing
Data Visualization
Other Works
Rendering & Photographing