YFS has transformed and renewed an abandoned granary building complex into vibrant public open spaces in the old town of Nanyang, China.

This project is situated in the old town of Nanyang, where the regional building density is extremely high, with scarce public open spaces.

The site, covering an area of 2,135 square metres, is an abandoned public granary building complex from the early years of China's planned economy period.

Comprising eight buildings, the site's original spatial composition has been preserved by redesigning, renovating, and reusing the existing structures.

Selective removal of existing walls has broken down the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, creating a cohesive spatial system throughout the whole area and offering ample flexibility for various activities to occur.

"The client aimed to transform this abandoned public granary building complex into something that could enhance the public living quality of the area and bring joy and happiness to the community, though having adequate open spaces seemed like an overly extravagant expectation for the old town with extremely high building density," said YFS.

This project has been shortlisted in the rebirth project category of Dezeen Awards China 2024.

Studio: YFS
Project: Nanyang Old Town Public Space Renewal