China is undergoing a vast urbanisation process, from being a predominantly rural society to having an estimated one billion Chinese people living in cities by 2050.
This transformation left hundreds of thousands of villages abandoned. These villages have generations of cultural and monumental value but are lacking future significance. To address this challenge, NEXT architects, together with IVEM, Smartland, Total Design, and local and Dutch artists, were asked by the Government of Jinxi to develop a strategy for one of its 102 abandoned villages, Dafang.

NEXT designed an interactive and creative environment for Chinese and Dutch artists to work and exhibit together.

This project has been longlisted in the rebirth project category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

Architect: Next Architects
Project: Creative Village Dafang