Renovation: The Latest Architecture and News

Half a century after the new suburban tract home was the dream of many a young American family, refurbished properties are gaining in popularity. This trend extends beyond North America, with exciting renovations of existing structures popping up all over the world, from Belgium to Kenya to China. The attraction to this typology likely lies in its multiplicity; renovations are both new and old, historic and forward-looking, generative and sustainable. 

Nowhere is this trend more visible and popular than in housing, where the transformation is often led by the owners themselves. Loosely grouped under terms like “fixer-upper” and “adaptive reuse,” these projects begin with just the structural skeletons and the building’s history. At the personal scale, renovation/refurbishment is an opportunity to bring a part of yourself to your home - but do these small projects together have the potential to turn around a housing crisis?

MVRDV has released details of their proposed renovation of a 19th-century listed building on Slodowa Island in Wroclaw, Poland. The “Concordia Hub” will see the retention of the existing façade, with the addition of a contemporary rear extension to “create a focal point” for the general public and visitors.

The site’s former use as a German artillery base in 1945 means almost all of the island’s structures were destroyed in the closing months of World War II. The Concordia Hub scheme seeks to preserve one of the only surviving heritage structures on the island, while transitioning the building into the modern age.

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+ 22

• Architects

  Yu Yang · CAFA

• Location

  CAFA, Beijing, China

• Category

  Renovation

• Architect in Charge

  Yu Yang · CAFA

• Interior Designer

  Yu Yang · CAFA

• Landscape Designer

  Xiaolei Hou · CAFA

• Area

  1000.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Weiqi Jin

+ 25

• Architects

  China Architecture Design & Research Group

• Location

  Wu Jia Cun Lu, Beijing Shi, China

• Category

  Renovation

• Architectural Group

  U11

• Lead Architects

  Lei Xu

• Design Team

  Hua Zhang, Xing Jin, Hang Yu

• Architecture Construction Drawing Designer

  Hua Zhang, Xing Jin

• Area

  3817.0 m2

• Project Year

  2015

• Photographs

  Guangyuan Zhang

+ 22

• Architects

  Mix Architecture

• Location

  Gao Guang Lu, Qingpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China

• Category

  Offices Interiors

• Design Team

  Suning Zhou, Ziye Wu, tao Tang, Junpeng Mao

• Construction team

  Nantong Jielida construction services co., LTD.

• Manuscript writer

  Suning Zhou

• Area

  1700.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Bowen Hou

+ 30

• Architects

  United Design U10 Atelier

• Location

  Chaoyang, China

• Category

  hospital

• Lead Architect

  Haiwei Yu

• Design Team

  Yuming Zhang, Tianyou Pan, Qing Feng

• Client

  Beijing University of Technology

• Area

  3800.0 m2

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Guangyuan Zhang, Daqian Yin

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• Architects

  FESCH Beijing

• Location

  Beijing, China

• Category

  Renovation

• Lead Architects

  Daisuke Matsumoto

• Area

  36.7 m2

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Misae Hiromatsu, Beijing Ruijing Photo: Yuming Song, Daisuke Matsumoto

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• Architects

  URBANUS

• Location

  Nantou Old Town, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

• Category

  Buildings

• Urban Design Stage - Lead Architect

  Yan Meng

• Urban Design Stage - Project Manager

  Yilin Lin

• Urban Design Stage - Design Team

  Congyi Li, Kan Liu, Xuejuan Zhang, Wendy Wu | Yanfeng Wang | (Internship) Lin Tian, Na Zheng, Yifan Wang, Siying Han

• Site Area

  282,637 ㎡

• Floor Area

  34,070 ㎡

• Landscape Area

  65,788 ㎡

• Façade Renovation Area

  25,700 ㎡

• Client

  Nanshan District Government, Shenzhen Design Union

• Project Year

  2016

• Photographs

  Qingshan Wu, Chao Zhang, Yan Meng, UABB

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• Interiors Designers

  Wutopia Lab

• Location

  Wentong Building A, Kunming Road 739, Shanghai, China

• Category

  Renovation

• Lead Architects

  Yu Ting

• Project Architect

  Shuojiong Zhang

• Design Consultant

  ArchUnits

• Lighting Consultant

  Chloe Zhang

• Client

  Go High Fund

• Area

  10372.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  CreatAR Images

New images have been released of the $925million (£700million) redevelopment of west London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre, designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC Architecture. The project will see an extensive renovation of the existing exhibition halls, and the addition of creative offices, studios, and co-working space.

The 130-year-old center will be transformed into a creative hub with 2.5 acres of public space, intended to “support ambitious enhancement to focus on creative industries, entrepreneurship, and new green space for community and visitors.”

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• Interiors Designers

  VARY DESIGN

• Location

  Zhongshan Cultural Industry Park on Zhongshan 4th Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China

• Category

  Offices Interiors

• Lead Architect

  Fan Qi, Dingliang Yang

• Design Team

  Zhixing Cai, Yinan Jiang

• Area

  650.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  ARCHEXIST

+ 31

• Architects

  Stefano Boeri Architetti China

• Location

  Jing’an District, Shanghai, China

• Category

  Office buildings

• Lead Architects

  Stefano Boeri, Yibo Xu

• Project Architect

  Pietro Chiodi

• Design Coordinator

  Yifan Xu

• Design Team

  Yitao Huang, Zhiyang Huang, Wenhai Zhu

• Client

  Green Capital Group

• Area

  4062.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Paolo Roselli

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• Architects

  Atelier TAO+C

• Location

  Shanghai, China

• Category

  Houses Interiors

• Design Team

  Tao Liu, Chunyan Cai, Weilu Wang, Shengding Liu, Lihui Han, Qianjuan Wang

• Area

  190.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Shengliang Su

+ 32

• Architects

  hyperSity

• Location

  Xicheng, China

• Category

  Houses Interiors

• Lead Architect

  Yang Shi, Shaojun Li

• Design Team

  Manyu Yin, Ling Yang, Gaoliang Zhang

• Client

  Dashilar Transboundary Center

• Area

  150.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018

Stefano Boeri Architetti has released images of their proposed renovation of Matera Central Station in Southern Italy. Matera Central FAL railway station will be structurally altered through an “aesthetic and functional redevelopment together with technological upgrading of the railway itself.”

The proposal seeks to alter the existing hierarchy of space in the city by making the transport hub a genuine and significant urban landmark, rather than simply an infrastructural node. The scheme is therefore designed to incorporate a recognizable, pedestrianized public square, forming connections with the nearby historic city center.

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London-based AL_A has been appointed for their first Scottish commission: the $55million (£42million) transformation of the Paisley Museum. The brief calls for the revitalization of the home of Paisley’s textile heritage, natural history and art and science collections.

The museum’s transformation is a flagship project for a $135million (£100million) investment in cultural venues by the council governing the city of Paisley, in preparation for a UK City of Culture 2021 bid legacy.

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• Architects

  Atelier Xiang

• Location

  Heng Tong Guo Ji Chuang Xin Yuan, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China

• Category

  Renovation

• Lead Architects

  Kai Xiang

• Design Team

  Amy Wang, Zhang Yanfeng, Jax Lanzo, Zhang Haibin

• Client

  BOE

• Area

  1700.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Pengfei Wang