Interest in the traditional hutong neighborhoods in Beijing, built up by the so-called. “Houses with courtyards” appeared in the minds of Chinese architects back in the late 1980s, when it became clear that these historic districts, for the most part, are living their last years. At the same time, the first attempts were made to transform such structures into modern residential complexes while preserving all the properties of an architectural monument.
But such projects turned out to be unprofitable for developers: firstly, the restoration itself was expensive, and secondly, developers lost income on preserving one- or two-story buildings where a skyscraper could be built.
Therefore, such projects are all the more valuable now, when the pace of construction in the Chinese capital has increased many times over. One of these rare examples is the new home of the famous artist Sai Guo-Qian, which was originally the residence of a merchant. The architects have completely preserved the composition of the building stretched from the street to the depths of the quarter, where individual buildings are located around a sequence of several courtyards.
Initially, the house was decorated in a very restrained manner, so the reconstruction only emphasized the almost complete absence of carving and gilding using glass, aluminum panels, dark and light wood, porous screens, open brickwork. Trees growing in the courtyards have been complemented by new landscaping of these spaces.
The project makes the most of the abundance of daylight and air - the virtue of the layout centered around the "atriums". The atmosphere of tranquility and contemplation created in the house continues the tradition of the Chinese dwelling, designed to become the owner of a refuge in the midst of the bustle of the city.
