Reconstruction Of An Ancient House

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Mingxi Fan

RECONSTRUCTION OF AN ANCIENT HOUSE

PaM Design Office

INTERIOR DESIGNERS
PaM Design Office

WOODWORKER
Shuai Yang

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Haokun Han

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Qiangqiang Mi

GENERAL COORDINATOR
Runtian Che, Runtian Che

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Gong Zhang

DESIGN TEAM
Runtian Che, Qiangqiang Mi, Shengnan Zhang, Wei Shi, Junlong Chen

PHOTOGRAPHS
Mingxi Fan, Duoduo Mi

AREA
319 m²

YEAR
2020

LOCATION
Dali, China

CATEGORY
Renovation, Restaurant & Bar Interiors

"West or East" is a restaurant offering fine dining for travelers, with traditional Yunnan cuisine and new dishes inspired by travelingsand history. It is located in No.25 Guangwu Road, Dali Ancient City.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

The restaurant is based in a two-yard ancient house where the first yard is the outside one and the second yard is closely combined with original living space.

The site is in a dilapidated condition, of which the L-shaped two-level house is kept considering its historic value, while the rest collapsed part has been demolished.

The restaurant needs enough space for business, and this means new section must be added to the site.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Mingxi Fan
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

The relationship between the existing old section and the new addition has always been the key point of the reconstruction project.

We take it as the the existing “old shell” and the “new body”.

The “new body” is originated from the “old shell”, keeping the shadow of the ancient architect but wholly brand-new.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

The ancient architect reserved its speciaty besides necessary repair work.

The old section and the new addition each have two steps to connect the upper and lower levels.

The new architect has grown from the ancient one, as though piecing through it and reaching out to the first yard on the outside.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

Adding initiative to the original conservatives, it sheds spotlight on the restaurant's public nature. The new addition is also continuation of its new form.

The new addition adopted transparent spatial treatment, to distinguish it from depressing ancient architect.

As transformation of rafters, as shadows of the ancient architect, slats are also followings of roof mechanism of the ancient architect across hundreds of years. Face to face, the addition is like a child in front of and old.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Mingxi Fan
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

In view of the scale of the courtyard, the roof of new addition slants down to a side of it in this confined space.

To highlight the fact that new architect has grew from the old, the side of the roof of new addition connected with the old architect also slants down to the other side.

In order to provide a better dining environment, the ridge of the roof in the middle part is slightly lifted up.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi

Thus, it forms into the present roof shape and meanwhile affects the extended part of the new addition.

We wish the new addition could bring life to the ancient house. In a metaphor, they are two shapes of life.

One has witnessed hundreds of history while the other new-born one just experienced its first light of life. Look forward to their bounded and legend future.

Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi


Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi


Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
© Duoduo Mi


Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
2F plan
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
1F plan
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
site plan
Reconstruction Of An Ancient House
axonometric diagram GIF


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