ENVELOPE OR CORE
- Project: Workers' Cultural Palace Extension
- Site: Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Personal Research
- Individual Work
THE IMMIGRATION OF STALINIST ARCHITECTURE
When talking about Chinese architecture in the 1950s and 1960s, the huge influence of the Soviet Union can by no means be underestimated at that time. As early as 1925, the Soviet leader Stalin proposed a new proposition that "the content is the proletariat and the form is national" for the first time. In 1952, Soviet experts began to introduce and transmit the theory of Soviet architecture to Chinese architects. In the second year, China began to imitate the Soviet Union and began its first five-year plan. In order to strengthen ideological control, the government raised the demand of studying the Soviet Union to a political height, requiring designers to learn socialist design ideas from Soviet experts and design drawings. Since then, a large number of Stalinist architecture have emerged in China, and special architecture type which has special era characteristics such as the Workers' Culture Palace have also been born.
The Plan of Kiev's Reconstruction
Changchun Cultural Palace,1958
ENVELOPE OR CORE
In the era of planned economy, the Workers' Cultural Palace enriched the working class's spare time with its advanced and rich cultural and sports activities, thus becoming the most dynamic and attractive place. With the advent of China's market economy, the original mode of operation of the Workers' Cultural Palace is difficult to adapt under the new economic system. The Workers' Cultural Palace is freed from the past forms of service, thus losing its original appeal and vitality. According to statistics, there are 37,463 workers' cultural palaces and clubs in China. Faced with these large number of workers' cultural palaces in the city center, how to protect, renovate this type of building has become a problem which worth considering.
The Changchun Workers' Culture Palace, a typical Stalin-style building, is located in the center of Changchun City and is now very depressed. It has been proposed to completely tear down this building that has existed for more than 60 years, because it was born in the era of planned economy, and it has neither the value of art preservation nor the ability to adapt to today's functional needs, but has the building that is not satisfied with the above two to be torn down? They all represent an era, an era that can cause reflection and contemplation. Is this not important for the protection of historical buildings? As Koolhaas mentioned in the ”Preservation is overtaking us“, facing the dilapidated display space in the Winter Palace, “perhaps dilapidation itself was a very significant part of Russia’s history. it was perhaps important to preserve its rawness and dilapidation.” This also applies to these workers' cultural palaces. They may not have artistic value, but when you stand in front of their colonnade, "That gives it a very fortunate thing where in these hallowed spaces you still feel the spirit of significant events—whether it was the revolution or incarceration or bombing." Therefore, it seems that it is to preserve such an old façade and an envelope (Envelope) with rich era features. In fact, it is creating a historical core space (Core) that can be felt and conceived.
STALIN STREET
Stalin Street is the central axis of Changchun’s urban space, and its road pattern adopts a combination of square grid, round square and radial type. The current block has completely continued the urban historical space pattern, and the pattern of streets and lanes is clear and complete. According to the topography of Changchun City's “three ups and three downs”, there were several squares built in the “up” and parks built in the “down” area. There are many historical buildings with good quality and unique features remained in the neighborhood, which support the skeleton of the modern city.
PATTERN
Changchun was once occupied by the Japanese aggressors and seen as the capital of the pseudo-Manchurian state. Japan regards it as an experimental place. The “Changchun” plan learns from the structural layouts of the world's existing successful precedents such as Washington and Canberra. They all use a similar spatial pattern: diagonal radial avenues, city squares, urban central axis and magnificent buildings.
PEOPLE'S SQUARE
Changchun People’s Square, a typical European
neoclassical circular plaza surrounded by six
government buildings
THE GENERATOR OF CULTURE
“Architecture is saved from obsolescence and appears contemporary as it is framed and re-framed by preservation as culturally significant.” - Jorge Otero-Pailos, 2004 The transformation and renewal of the Workers' Cultural Palace should be in the context of preserving the original historical spirit, to continue the public cultural space that used to belong to the working class and now belongs to all citizens, and ultimately created a generator of culture.
Timeline of workers' cultural palace in China
Timeline of workers' cultural palace in China
People's Square Axonometric
GROUND FLOOR
The space shaped by the arch and thick walls continue the history of old cultural palace
Past and present collide in this space
SECOND FLOOR
Freely arranged columns act as suspension for the structure, blurring the boundaries of the space
Different circular elements in space have become the core for people to get together
ROOF FLOOR
The roof track hovered over the envelope, creating an outdoor space for the public
The truss structure allows the stadium to float above the colonnade, allowing people to see the city view
That gives it a very fortunate thing where in these hallowed spaces you still feel the spirit of significant
events—whether it was the revolution or incarceration or bombing ——Rem Koolhaas
The transformation and renewal of the Workers' Cultural Palace should be in the context of preserving the original historical spirit, to continue the public cultural space that used to belong to the working class and now belongs to all citizens, and ultimately created a generator of culture