Wufeng Old Village

The village of Wufeng is located near the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province in China. This former small transit harbour is inhabited by migrants who arrived during the Qing Dynasty from three provinces of China; Hunan, Hubei and Guangdong. Therefore the site consists of a multitude of buildings from different origins, materials and styles. Facing isolation and attracted by the development of major cities, the young people of the village have been leaving their families to migrate to Chengdu or Chongqing, resulting in the village gradually dying out.

The project carried out by the workshop aims to rehabilitate the village’s main strongholds, to revitalize the local economy and to enrich the social structure. The rivers of Wufeng have great potential for landscaping and tourism. The workshop proposes to recreate the quays, small shops, a hotel constructed against the hill and the harbour esplanade which will include a theatre. The project will allow access by boat and will revive the poetic atmosphere of the place.

This project extends the existing relief schemes and brings water back to the centre of the village life. The architecture uses wood and local stone to emphasise the original architectural essence of the site in a contemporary style. We work with local artisans to set up new structural systems and contemporary details. In particular we have also worked with these artisans to create new ceramic pieces that do not exist in the traditional vocabulary.

The village as a whole is experiencing a positive transformation into a place of relaxation for the surrounding towns, with a population that still today is diversified.