Dalian 37 Xiang

  • Prize
    Winner in Architectural Design - Restoration and Renovation
  • Company/Firm
    United Units Architects
  • Lead Designer
    Yongzheng Li, Qizhi Li
  • Design Team
    Liang Deng, Wenbo He, Teng Jiang, Xinghua Ma, Hongbo Fang, Yanfeng Lyu, Huanyu Chen, Jiaxin Zhang
  • Architect
    United Units Architects
  • Interior Designer
    United Units Architects
  • Photographer Credit
    Weiqi Jin
  • Location
    Dalian . Liaoning . China
  • Client
    Dalian 37 Xiang Cultural Tourism Science and Technology Industrial Park
  • Project Date
    09/2022
  • Project Link

Transformed from an abandoned factory, Dalian 37 Xiang is located halfway up the mountain side with a main aspect towards the harbor in the north of the city. The design is inspired by the geographical features of Dalian's iconic mountains and adjacent seas, creating a new architectural image that echoes the spirit of the city, establishing a contrast between the old and the new through delicate and light interventions. The design objective was to renew this old factory into a regional landmark of the city, accommodate multiple business types, and finally make it an open and dynamic city node.

The main building was originally a cuboid industrial factory building with a regular 6m x 9m structural grid, presenting a typical uninspiring example of an industrial building. By reorganizing the structural order contained in the original building, we established a new facade system superimposed on the old order. This derivative relationship between the old and the new not only fits the new curtain wall system to the old structural order, but also implies the continuity and destiny of the building within an historical dimension.