Retrofitted from a grain processing plant and barn built in 1956, Nianhuacang is a cultural and creative park designed to facilitate the development of the tourist and real estate megaproject, Da Nianhuawan in Yixing, China.
On the west bank of the third largest Lake in China, Taihu, the 3 billion USD megaproject will become a modern community with three functional areas, wellness tourism, health services and retirement residences by 2027. Nianhuacang is home to many cultural and creative companies working for the Da Nianhuawan project and the conference center of the megaproject developer.
To rejuvenate the compound of 20 historical masonry buildings, the architect maintained the original industrial architectural style and layout, repaired the façade of the buildings, and reconstructed the interiors according to their redesignated functions. Buildings from different zones are now connected through a network of iron and wooden corridors. In addition, the architect created a quiet and natural environment by redesigning the landscape with a new pond in the center of the courtyard. The pond is surrounded by a few houses and a couple of protected trees of the same age as the compound.
The lighting designer adopted a variety of outdoor lighting approaches to highlight the architectural features and landscape. 4000K cool white light washes the grey tiles on the roof, while 3000K warm light grazes the facade of red bricks and brown stones. The contrast between light and shadow, and warm and cold emphasizes the building profile and architectural details. Lighting accentuates the wooden columns and ceilings of the corridors and provides a wayfinding function in the evening. The trees around the pond are illuminated by a system of well-controlled upward floodlights while the pond itself remains dark. Consequently, the pond creates a reflection of the conference center and the trees, rendering a sense of peace and tranquility during the nighttime.
To protect the ecological environment, the designer adopts a series of glare control methods and a simple lighting control system to manage the lighting mode upon the time and needs.
