Shenzhen is one of the most rapidly growing megacities in the world, with a population that has soared from a few thousand in 1980 to 13 million today. The city’s booming economy continues to attract new inhabitants but available space for urban development is scarce. Planners usually opt to demolish the traditional villages that were swallowed up by the urban sprawl, but Jing Han and Yuxing Zhang see things differently: their project preserves Shajing Ancient Fair, the largest remaining historic district in Shenzhen. By restoring six sites along the small Longjin River, their intervention creates new spaces while giving traditional areas a new lease of life.

Project description by jury

Shajing Ancient Fair is the largest existing historical district in Shenzhen with a particularly rich architectural heritage. With 500,000 residents, the subdistrict is the most densely populated area of the city. Despite the significant sociological and aesthetic values embedded, many historical sites in this district are at risk of being demolished because of their advanced state of decay. The intervention on Shajing’s Longjin River district described by this proposal shows that an alternative to demolition exists – and resides in a careful combination of preservation and rejuvenation actions. 

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Ancient Rejuvenation in China automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Ancient Rejuvenation in China

The built environment has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and enabling the transition to a net zero and more inclusive future. The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction global winners showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture and materials innovation. In the 6th cycle, a Global Holcim Awards Bronze and two Global Commendations went to projects in the Asia Pacific region. The global prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy. The regional Holcim Awards Main category winners for Asia Pacific were recognized at the same event.

Innovation: Reviving Polluted Ancient River with Low-cost Measures

The Longjin River was once essential for trade and transportation. Later on, due to the decline of Shajing, the river channel was gradually filled in, narrowed and polluted, turning into a 2-meter wide odorous gutter. Architects adopt a low-cost rain and sewage diversion strategy to divide the channel into two layers. The lower layer is sewage, and the upper is rainwater. Thus, when there is no rainwater, the upper one can be filled by reclaiming filtered water from a nearby sewage plant.

River roads occupy river channels due to excessive traffic. So, architects narrowed the road appropriately, adjusted the route into a curved line and removed iron railings to release space and planted vegetation. Besides, the design provided overhanging flower pots, benches, and pavilions to revive the Longjin River.

• Making use of existing buildings and redesigning them in low-cost way for new functions, for example, strengthening existing construction of an old house to transform it into an exhibition hall, changing a fire station to a public stage, etc;
• Collecting waste wood and gray bricks from local building ruins and reusing them for interior decoration and ground paving;
• Using environmentally friendly carbon-fixing materials (bamboo-wood flooring) for bridges, seats, railings;
• Adopting passive instead of active air-conditioning system. For example, designing a semi-open structure for the public stage, which can maintain a comfortable thermal environment in hot climates;
• Encouraging local craftsmen to participate in constructing process to reduce unnecessary commutes and create jobs.