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PAO and Liu Kecheng revitalize old porcelain factory in China with new ‘plugin’ architecture

2024-09-19T12:29:00-04:00

A team led by Liu Kecheng Design Studio and the People’s Architecture Office (PAO) has completed a regeneration and redesign of an old porcelain factory in the Imperial Kiln Historic District of Jingdezhen, China. Using what PAO calls a ‘Plugin Architecture’ approach, the project saw the placing of architectural insertions within and adjacent to existing building, giving new use to the site while respecting historic elements.

Image credit: PAO

Image credit: Zhuyumeng

The porcelain factory speaks to the wider history of Jingdezhen, whose porcelain production stretches back over 1000 years and earned it the title of China’s ‘Porcelain Capital.’ To reactivate the factory, PAO and Liu Kecheng designed a modern structure to form a focal point of the site. Topped by a double-pitched roof, the three-story glass building houses exhibition spaces and a cafe.

Image credit: Zhuyumeng

Image credit: PAO

“The transparency of the glass enclosure introduces a sense of openness, contrasting with the sol...

PAO creates Beijing public restroom from single meandering wall

2023-06-30T11:19:00-04:00

People’s Architecture Office (PAO) has completed a public restroom in Beijing shaped by a single meandering wall. Named Amoeba Public Restroom, the project is located in Manshan Park, a popular destination in Mentougou, Beijing known for its markets, exhibitions, and music performances.

Image credit: People's Architecture Office

“Amoeba Public Restroom is an all-gender facility that is designed to [be] welcoming for all people,” the team explains. “The design features a single meandering wall, which creates distinct individual stalls while maintaining an open and interconnected interior. Conical spaces form light wells that draw natural light into each stall. The resulting spaces bring a sacred beauty to the most profane of activities.”

Image credit: People's Architecture Office

Each stall within the scheme has a unique shape and size. Stall doors do not seal above or below to create a continuity of sp...

PAO completes office headquarters with a running track and suspended vegetation

2018-10-23T16:09:00-04:00

People's Architecture Office has applied their unique approach to accessible and affordable design to the new office headquarters for the Leping Foundation. Known for creating modular buildings with portable, detachable parts, the Beijing-based studio has completed a flexible office design promoting social well-being for the equally impressive and socially conscious non-profit.

Photo courtesy of People’s Architecture Office, Jing Weiqi.

One of the largest funders of social entrepreneurs in China, the organization offers job training for migrant workers, supports agricultural research, is working to improve preschool education, and provides micro-financing. As for the ideal office space, the Foundation's CEO Jaff Shen says "the most important thing is to create an environment that encourages innovation in a perceptible way, where highly motivated individuals can take part in forming an environment that fosters creativity."

Ho...