Demolition improves old neighborhood
Yi Simei, a 24-year-old architect with Shanghai Construction Design & Research Institute Co, reviews her design for the 40-meter-long backstreet at 244 Wujin Road.
An ongoing campaign to demolish illegally built structures has given old neighborhoods additional public space for subtle renovations to improve living conditions.
A row of century-old apartment buildings at 244 Wujin Road in Hongkou District will soon receive a major facelift after more than 150 square meters of illegal buildings were torn down.
Cracked walls will become a culture wall to showcase the city's unique haipai, or Shanghai-style, culture and be adorned with plants and residents' old photos. The appearance of the buildings alongside will be restored in the same style as the main historical apartment buildings.
Reading corners, shared laundry racks as well as parking spaces for bicycles and a charging station for electric bikes have been designed after requests from residents.
The 40-meter-long backstreet once had over a dozen illegal houses, built by some tenants to make up for cramped living space. The Sichuan Road N. Subdistrict demolished them last year and invited young architects to come up with ideas for the freed-up space.
Yi Simei, a 24-year-old architect with the Shanghai Construction Design & Research Institute Co, dedicated most of her work and leisure time on her first project after graduating from Hunan University of Science and Technology last year.
Yi visited resident representatives many times and adjusted her winning design at least five times to make it more practical.
She says she is obsessed with the city's unique architecture, especially its historical residences.
"Though the historical buildings look fabulous on the outside, the inside living condition is poor," she says. "The residents deserve a beautiful and practicable public activity center."
The brick-and-wood apartment buildings on Wujin Road were built around the 1920s by Japanese businessmen. They were listed as the city's heritage structures in 1999.
The 40-meter backstreet at 244 Wujin Road is currently occupied by parked vehicles, e-bikes and clothes hanging out to dry.
The brick-and-wood apartment buildings were built around the 1920s by Japanese businessmen. They later became dormitories of the Shanghai Silk Import and Export Co and were dispatched to the company staff.
The four-story buildings feature wooden stairs, triangular stone gates, arched windows and delicate pillars. The buildings were listed as the city's heritage structures in 1999 and have been well-preserved.
About 15 households live in each of the buildings, while a row of attached houses, originally built to accommodate maids and drivers, have been mostly rented.
Many restaurants and street shops operate on the ground floors, and the attached houses serve as kitchens or storerooms.
"The backstreet was once too dirty and smelly that we would rather make a detour than walk through it," said 66-year-old Wu Yuxian, who was born in an apartment on the second floor of one of the buildings.
Wu retained most of the original decorations of his apartment, such as the wooden doors and floors that he said never had any quality problems since they were installed about a century ago.
The building is beside the popular commercial street Sichuan Road N. There were once several cinemas and cultural facilities near the community such as the Liberty, Victory and Public theaters, according to Wu.
"Nowadays, we do need some exercise facilities as well as public space to talk with old neighbors, many of whom were lifelong colleagues at the silk company," he said.
Wu's neighbor Gu Deshen, who was also born in the same building, said the demolition campaign had largely improved the environment of the neighborhood.
"We hope the century-old building can also receive a renovation after the facelift of its backstreet," Gu said.
The sitting room of Wu Yuxian's apartment at 244 Wujin Road. Wu retained most of the original decorations of his apartment, such as the wooden doors and floors.
The bedroom of Wu's apartment
According to young architect Yi's plans, the 4.5-meter-wide street is about to become a "community living room." Chairs and tables will be provided for neighbors to chat, along with a stone path for foot massage. Several traditional-style fan-shaped windows on the wall will provide better ventilation. Sound-control lamps and surveillance cameras will be installed.
Yi also designed several flower boxes at the entrance of the street to prevent vehicles from parking in the already narrow public space.
The renovations will start at the end of the month. Yi said she will visit regularly to see her design realized and the living conditions of the residents improved.
"That is the ultimate purpose for such micro-revamping campaigns," she said.
The subdistrict said more such subtle renovations will be carried out at its old residential communities with the cooperation of young designers with the hope that their innovative and fresh ideas will improve living conditions while better retaining the historical ambiance.
Three old apartment buildings on historic Duolun Road, for instance, which is several blocks from the Wujin Road community, will be renovated to add to the ambiance of the heritage-listed area. Two six-story and a five-story residential blocks in the 201 Duolun Road community will have their appearance refurbished, public facilities renovated and environment improved, according to the subdistrict.
A shower cubicle was installed in Wu Yuxian's apartment at 244 Wujin Road.
