Today, reusing and adapting existing spatial resources is regarded around the world as an important contribution to sustainable development, and new challenges are thus also emerging at the margins of classic building tasks due to the changing assessments regarding whether to preserve or demolish. Xu Tiantian’s projects in the quarries of Jinyun combine aspects of landscape planning, interior design, artistic installations, and social planning with an economic revitalization of the rural area. In this way, a ruined and exploited landscape becomes a sign of departure with which a new sustainable coexistence can be linked to a narrative about the history of the location.
Unconventional Spatial Resources in Jinyun County
Jinyun County in the southwest of Zhejiang Province is located only a few kilometers to the east of Songyang County, both of which are administered by the prefectural city of Lishui. In the northern part of Jinyun, the landscape is characterized by the meandering loops of the Hao River and by weathered, picturesque, ancient volcanic landscapes. The Xiandu Scenic Area is one of 280 tourist destinations rated 5A by the national administration and already attracts many tourists. Famous scholars have extolled the stunning scenery for its unique beauty since the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Today, Jinyun County has a population of over 467,000 in its eighteen towns.
