ZXD Architects' performance site is located in the surroundings of Jiang's Hakka Houses, a traditional architectural complex in Changshou Village located in a mountainous area of Pingshan in the northeast of Shenzhen. Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this 8,000 square-meter complex features a typical Cantonese residential layout, nestled against a mountain and embracing a pond.
As time went by, the urban structure deteriorated, as did the pond which was privatized as a fish farm, substantially altering its form and structure.
Zhu Xiaodi proposed to build a large woven rope net structure over the pond. The installation is integrated into a wide plaza that becomes a new public space in the village. The rope net, with a spacing of 120 mm, is made of ultra-low ductility material with a tensile strength of up to 90 KN, it can support various activities such as walking, standing, sitting or lying down.
To optimize the structure of the rope net and reduce costs, seven circular concrete supports were designed inside the pond, shortening the span of the net. Additional steel supports around these concrete structures balance the horizontal tension exerted by the net on the edges of the pond.
"Soft Square" in Changshou by ZXD Architects. Photograph by Zhang Chao.
"Soft Square" in Changshou by ZXD Architects. Photograph by Zhu Xiaodi.
Project description by ZXD Architects
I. Preface
China's rural revitalization initiative emphasizes leveraging urban resources to support rural development. A key strategy involves developing tourism to attract capital and industries, foster cultural engagement, promote population retention, and facilitate the settlement of new residents in rural areas.
Integrating cultural projects into rural settings is a new attempt in this regard. In Changshou Village, located in the Pingshan District of Shenzhen, the esteemed Chinese performing art studio, Longma Studio, has embarked on an experimental endeavor to establish a theater commune. This commune is intended to serve as a hub for regular rural art performances, encompassing the entire process from creation and rehearsal to staging dramas. To support this endeavor and accommodate the increasing number of audiences and tourists, architect Zhu Xiaodi was commissioned to steer the village's overall planning and the design of key areas.
II. Site Overview
Changshou Village is situated in a hilly area of Pingshan in northeast Shenzhen. The performance venue is positioned in Jiang's Hakka Houses, a traditional architectural complex in the village. Built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, this 8,000-square-meter compound features a typical Cantonese residential layout, nestled against a mountain and embracing a pond. While parts of the houses remain intact, others have been demolished.
The aerial views of Changshou Village reveal its spatial fabric shaped by agricultural roots, showing independent house systems of each household, narrow roads, and a lack of open public spaces. Over the decades, the originally cramped village entrance, streets, lanes, and ponds have lost their charm of gathering people due to the impact of the market economy.
The pond in front of the Hakka houses was leased as a private fish pond. Its natural shoreline was replaced by stone and concrete, and stainless steel railings were installed along its periphery to protect pedestrians and vehicles' safety, fundamentally changing the pond's appearance and role in the village. These alterations clashed with the rural settings and disrupted the natural landscape, causing a sense of alienation in the rural public space.
Longma Studio's performances are expected to significantly impact Changshou Village, Pingshan District, and even broader Shenzhen, potentially evolving into a major cultural event that ignites local interest in drama and rural cultural life. Meanwhile, this will bring an anticipated influx of tourists, posing challenges to the already cramped public spaces in Changshou Village. How to accommodate these visitors while mitigating potential conflicts between local villagers and tourists has become an urgent concern.
In the past, ponds played a vital role in traditional villages in the hilly regions of Southern China. They served as sources of drinking water, washing, and fire prevention. Additionally, they provided landscape and Feng Shui benefits and were essential public spaces and emotional bonds within the village. However, due to urbanized lifestyles, ponds have become isolated "fish ponds," with rigid boundaries cutting off visual and physical access to water, limiting public availability and interaction.
Merely restoring the pond's original shoreline is neither feasible nor practically meaningful. Removing the railings would compromise the safety of villagers and tourists. Additionally, the increasing number of visitors necessitates more public spaces, not only to accommodate their interest in drama but also to allow them to experience and immerse in rural life.
In August 2023, architect Zhu Xiaodi and his team visited the site and proposed a space improvement plan based on their investigation and analysis of the pond. This scheme received strong support from the Pingshan Government and Longma Studio.
