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Lin’an used to be the capital of Wuyue Kindom, which ruled south-eastern of ancient China 1100 years ago. The first king of Wuyue Kingdom built “Pure land temple” on the site of his own house. With the great achievements of archaeological discovery, the government decided to establish an archaeological park. New construction has been restricted to a very limited area, taking into account the protective nature of the site.The project follows the principle of respecting the existing and using various strategies to integrate different parts of the site. The basic idea of the park is to overcome these disadvantages through the design of key nodes and the overall landscape design, turning this abandoned place to be a very friendly public green space which connects the history of the city.
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SITE WEST: The project began with a newly excavated archaeological site, a small archaeological museum is built on the site to preserve and display the site proper. Correspondingly more areas will be landscaped to address the relationship between the site and the surrounding landscape environment. SITE EAST: In 1957, Qianjia Reservoir was established and the levee was built. It was used to store water for irrigation downstream farm. Over time, the village downstream was transformed into a city, and the reservoir's role as a water storage facility disappeared, leaving it as a flood control facility. SITE NORTH: Like all modern cities in China, Lin’an has gone through a rapid urban development. A freeway was built and separates the site from the city.
The water and the wetland The total catchment area of the mountains on both sides of the reservoir is about 310,000 m², and the reservoir is capable of collecting and storing 20,000 cubic meters of rainwater on a daily basis, which is of indispensable importance for the city's flood control. At the same time, as an urban wetland, the reservoir plays an indispensable role in the ecological diversity of local flora and fauna. We introduced the water system on the east side of the levee into the plunge pool on the west side, which enlarged the water area and at the same time created a small wetland environment on the west side through internal circulation. We preserved the root system of the original aquatic vegetation,providing a better living environment for wild animals.
The project for the construction of the archaeological park intends to transform this abandoned urban site into a civic public space with the city's historical memory and nature, integrating all the different conditions of the site. We built two pedestrian tunnels beneath the freeways . One is connected to Lin’an Museum and the other is connected to an archaeological ruins. By building these two tunnels, the accessibility to the site increases. The main focus of this project is to redesign the Levee so that, while retaining its flood control function, it can effectively transform this forgotten reservoir into a place of activity for the citizens, and at the same time make the Levee a key link between the archaeological site and nature. The new levee serves both sides: on the west side it creates a backdrop for the step farm landscape concept, the building volumes are resolved in the terraced landscape and integrated with the Chinese traditional garden of the museum. On the east side it creates a grand staircase facing the water, which combined with the cafe and the bookstore inside the levee, and becomes an interesting water-friendly resting space. Meanwhile the staircase acts as a gauge of the reservoir's changing water level, providing space for water-friendly activities at different water levels. The new levee divides the site into two distinctively different sides meanwhile binds them. Now people and wild animals can both enjoy this peaceful historical land in the city.
The construction of the Archaeological Park not only strengthens the protection of the cultural heritage of the Wuyue Kindom, but also improves the public life of the citizens. We have successfully transformed this important cultural heritage into a living educational resource, providing opportunities for the public and tourists to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the WuYue.
Founded in 2012, Office Off Course is currently based in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Boston. The core design team covers architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and other professions, who previously had professional experience in many world-renowned architecture offices in the US, Netherland, Japan, Mexico and Spain. The office is engaged in variety of projects in China, Japan, and US, including museum, private residence, office building, historical renovation, school, etc.
Collaborating with MIT and the China Academy of Art as academic platforms, Office Off Course explores and extends the core value of architecture in both globalization and localization. Their projects bridges history, nature and space, discussing typologies of architecture and landscape in different contexts, to expand the unknowable boundaries beyond limits. Office collaborates with multidisciplinary at the beginning of each project through systematic integration offering innovative design solutions.
