Archinect - News

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...

Snøhetta to redevelop site of the second-largest waterfall in the US

2023-08-16T11:27:00-04:00

Snøhetta has unveiled a master plan to revitalize Willamette Falls in Oregon City. The second largest waterfall in the United States by volume, the site has been obscured by infrastructure for over a century, with Snøhetta’s plan centered on making the area more publicly accessible.

Image credit: Snøhetta

The master plan includes a riverwalk that begins at the entrance of Oregon City’s historic downtown and culminates at the waterfall’s peak. Imagined as a sequence of "islands" crafted from basalt, steel, wood, and concrete, the riverwalk is designed to be an immersive experience where visitors can witness the power of the falls up close while also feeling the mist and appreciating the landscape's changing tones.

Image credit: Snøhetta

By encompassing the city’s historic downtown, the project hopes to revitalize Main Street, which once served as a major avenue but today dead-ends at the entrance to the waterfall site. Under Snøhetta’s plans, the street will become the gateway for the ...

Luxury retreat, spa with a view, meeting room in the sky — this former coal crane has it all

2017-12-07T18:55:00-05:00

Ever wanted to spend a night in an industrial relic while not missing out on luxurious amenities? Then THE KRANE, a converted coal crane in Copenhagen's Nordhavn, is just your kind of thing.

The multi-tiered structure sports a reception area on the ground floor (a designated concierge car meets guests at the airport), a meeting room with incredible views of the water called the GLASS BOX on the first floor, a cantilevered spa and a terrace on the second floor, and a private retreat for two on top called the KRANE ROOM with a small lounge and terrace.

The project was conceived and designed by owner Klaus Kastbjerg (a driving force behind a number of Copenhagen waterfront revitalization projects, like the impressive THE SILO transformation with COBE) and architect/builder Mads Møller from Arcgency.

Scroll on for many more stunning photographs by Rasmus Hjortshøj and a project description we've received from the designers.

A former silo in Copenhagen transformed into a stunning residential complex

2017-06-28T12:49:00-04:00

Located in Copenhagen’s redeveloped North Harbor (Nordhavn), “The Silo” is, as its name suggests, a former grain silo. Fifty years after its original construction, the structure has been revamped by COBE. Now, the 17-storey silo is a residential apartment building, replete with 38 unique units, which range in size from 106 square meters to 401. The upper and lower levels both have spaces for ‘public’ functions, such as dining and events.

Credit: Rasmus Hjortshõj

A tale of two parks: debate rages over a new plan for a "Maker Park" in Brooklyn

2016-05-31T17:39:00-04:00

The original plan [for a new park in Brooklyn] would tear down the graveyard of rusting oil refineries that sit on the site, which stretches from Greenpoint to Williamsburg along the East River, and return the reedy riverbank to something closer to nature. The new idea, called Maker Park, would keep the refineries and turn them into a sort of industrial theme park — “a beautiful and otherworldly industrial topography,” according to the website of its advocates.

The plot of land in question is along the Bushwick Inlet in Brooklyn.

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