2015 Beijing Studio--Pan Jia Yuan Antique Market

Panjiayuan market is situated between the second and third ring road in the center of Beijing. Panjiayuan originially began as a ghost market whereby aristocrats would sell of their prized family heirlooms to make money. These activities often occurred during the early hours of the morning before the sun rose as to avoid being seen conducting this activity which could someone to “lose face”. The shadows of the tricycles and vendors under bridges conducting their activities resulted in the coining of Panjiayuan as a ghost market. In 1995, Panjiayuan officially became the market that it is today, as the government provided it with the site. This site was originally a brick factory which manufactured the grey brick commonly used in the construction of traditional hutongs. Being respectful to the Chinese sensational attachment to Shan Shui (meaning mountain and water), represented by picturesque mountains, greenery, water, and the irregular, rough, and human-scale environment they construct, our schematic concept of the market is related to the idea of a valley. Additionally, looking at the name of Panjiayuan Antiques Market, “Jia” means home, family, and community, our plan is aimed at bringing back the community into the market and bringing back the market into the community. Hence, our proposal is called Panjiagu--Pan’s Community Valley. Drawing from our experiences and observations during our site visits to the market, we developed a series of concept drivers to address six key issues with the current market, namely: the isolation from the surrounding community, transit concerns, lack of community space, impervious cover, scale, and authenticity. Instructors: Junfeng Jiao, Wilfried Wang, Gabriel Diaz Montemayor Students: Brooks Cavender, Nathalie Kip, Zhongliang Liang

RESULT
1. This studio won 2015 UTSOA Design Excellence Award. 
2. Design outcomes were also included in the Tsinghua School of Architecture 70th Anniversary Book Series.