Location: Changchun, Jilin Province, China.

Architect: East China Architectural Design & Research Institute.

The Changchun tractor factory was established by the Chinese government during the Second Five-Year Plan and became one of the most productive tractor factories in the country by the 1980s. However, with the decrease in demand for tractors, the factory was abandoned in 2002. After being left unused for over 15 years, the factory is now listed as a cultural relic of Changchun city and is in need of immediate preservation. The concept for the renovation of the factory is to transform it into the heart of the cultural and creative industry, taking advantage of the surrounding art industry. The workshops provide ample space for artists, and with cultural industry leading the renovation, commercial, leisure, and other programs will gather together to create a public center for neighboring residents. The renovation begins with the reconstruction of the factory’s structure, enhancing the central axis to emphasize the area’s spatial memory and historical meaning. A public square is added to the north end of the axis to create an open space for the public, and driveways are introduced to break the site into smaller blocks and establish efficient connections between the city and the site. A pedestrian system is also placed to run through all the workshops within the site. The entire factory is divided into three parts according to the distribution of programs: Culture, Studio and Leisure. The Culture part preserves the intact workshops and uses them as a museum to exhibit the history and future of the factory, with a theater implanted into the original structure to replace the broken part. The Studio part restores the workshops to contain offices and studios, and a new complex is established above blank ground. The Leisure part adapts the mostly ruined workshops as playgrounds and activity places, with hotels and retail streets introduced around the central square. Overall, the renovation of the Changchun tractor factory aims to preserve its historical significance while transforming it into a vibrant public center for cultural and creative industries, providing abundant activities for neighboring residents.

Photo credit: Liyuan ZHU, HAO Chu.