New Life in the Water Park

The water treatment plant in Changchun, China has existed since the early 1930s. Architects transformed the facility into a local recreation center.

The Japanese occupation of Manchuria in the early 1930s is not an easy chapter in Chinese history. The water treatment plant in Changchun, in the Chinese province of Jilin, is an architectural heritage site. After more than 80 years of continuous operation, a new processing plant was put into operation in 2015, and it was decided to redesign the existing structure to make it accessible to the public as a recreational area.

The redesign of the "Changchun Nanling Water Cultural Park" began in October 2017. Architects faced the task of designing a 270,000 m² area for new use. "The first project of revitalization in Nanling Park will be the protection of ecological and green resources, the preservation of historical and cultural monuments, shaping urban vitality through functional substitutes and industrial integration, and combining the beauty of architecture, culture, and ecology," the architects stated regarding the project.

Of the 80 existing buildings, 15 historic buildings from the Manchu era were preserved, while more than 30 had to be demolished due to poor structural integrity, including later extensions built without permits. The architects managed to retain some extensions that are essential for operational and repair purposes. In addition to the existing buildings, the designers proposed a triangular visitor center, with an 8-meter-high peak sloping to the sides, blending into the landscape. "We chose the previous concrete elements in their basic color, which seem simple and natural and harmoniously fit the environment," the architects said.

The designers also proposed a building next to the rain garden. The new building is located on the southern side of the rainwater harvesting system and combines two motifs in its design that derive from the surrounding landscape. The southern side is clad with a wooden facade. In addition, a pentagonal structure was created. The facade was developed by W&R Design. "The facade of the building consists of a collage of concrete elements with various textures that reflect the historical and original appearance and colors of the rain garden, creating an impression of strength and inconsistency."

This impression is created by four structures: Via Appia, Steinwald, Niger, and Naab. Via Appia features natural stones of various sizes, while Steinwald presents a stone structure with natural bumps. On the other hand, Niger brings a structure of wood with a fine grain to the facade, and Naab is a fantasy structure with grooves. RECKLI polyurethane matrices were used in the formwork to create a unique architectural exposed concrete. The four structures give the new building a look that meets the architects’ requirements: to integrate new buildings into their historical environment and create tension in time and space. The Nanling Water Park has begun a new life cycle.

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Project: Nanling Culture of Water Park,
Location: Changchun, China
Architect: W&R Micron Architecture Office
Designer: Xu Jinwei
Design Team: Zhang Shuai, Fang Yanrong, Ye Tian Cao XU
Copyright: W&R DESIGN