Brickyard Retreat Renovation – Beijing, China
Title
Brickyard Retreat Renovation – Beijing, China
Website
Designed by
llLab.
Image Credit
© Arch-Exist Photography
Project Description
Brief Background of the Brickyard Retreat
The history of the Brickyard Retreat can be traced back to an independent tile firing workshop, known as the glazed tile factory. Located at the foot of the Great Wall at Mutianyu, Beigou village, Huairou District, Beijing, the glazed tile factory had been decommissioned due to a reduction in market demand. The vacant tile factory building took on a new life in 2010 as a tile factory Hotel; the building was renamed, "The Brickyard Retreat". Owned by local villagers that love architecture and Chinese culture, the factory building took on a hospitality role under their care.
On September 1, 2020, the building transitioned again. The owner of the nearby "San Sa Village" acquired "The Brickyard Retreat" and llLab. was honored to be invited to participate in the next step of cultural development for the Beigou village.
The Structure of Cultural Life in Beigou Village
Beigou village is famous for its geographic feature and proximity to the Great Wall of Mutianyu. In 2018, "The Brickyard Retreat" in Beigou village became one of the first Chinese rural heritage hotels jointly selected by the State Administration of cultural relics of China and the China Association for the protection of ancient sites. So far, it is still the only Heritage Hotel in Beijing to receive this award.
A renewed interest in cultural tourism has prompted more than 100 villagers of Beigou Village to create and operate different types of B & B business opportunities. At the same time, with the completion of "San Sa Village", Beigou village has gradually formed its own tourist infrastructure, which has brought a great variety of travel accommodation experiences for tourists. This hospitality development has generated multiple job opportunities for local villagers and continuous to support social development for the community. The combination of rural revitalization and cultural preservation presents a promising strategy for a sustainable and ecologically informed development.
Target and Strategy of the Brickyard Retreat Renovation
The Brickyard Retreat is an example of a new trajectory of urban renewal in this region. A trajectory of carefully considered architectural interventions that are necessary and unavoidable in order to protect and support a thriving cultural heritage.
The architectural intervention in The Brickyard Retreat is structured around three main architectural elements: Glazed Tile, Old Kiln and Red Brick. These elements are of particular significance as they reflect the cultural heritage of the factory, the architectural history of the space and the local culture of the village itself. The intervention leverages these elements to articulate program spaces, landscape features and a mutual respect to the site.
