Green Infrastructure 2014 Group B - Case Study 3

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The Eastern Suburb Industrail Memory

Name	The Eastern Suburb Industrail Memory
Country	China
City	Chengdu
Authors	Yuxin WU


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Rationale: Why is this case interesting?

This area is situated in the eastern of the city Chengdu, it has a rich cultural connotation and special industrial history connecting with the city,the years of half a century ago.In the beginning of 1950s, Chengdu became one of the most important electronic industrial base in China, after 1960s many national factories were founded in this area and produced many components of the television, radio, and some part of the military machine. From 90s the new electronic products and IT industry were developing so fast,therefore the factories reduced to manufacture of products, until 2010s all of the factories were disused. We can also find a railway in this area, because at that time people transported the completed product to all the country by train,and the departure was the department of the factory. There is a river through this area, and also have a small wetland by the side of the river. Surrounding this area,many residents who worked in these factories before live there,and also there are some institutional establishment, school and transportation.

Author's perspective

Green infrastructure

I’m so interested in this area,because it’s a valuable place to create a green infrastructure and it has many individual element, which can man integrate and connect with each other by corridor and buffer.As we know,there are old disused buildings ,a river, some small wetland and some vacant place where it had factories before and removed already. I’d like to make a planning to create a new environment for the residents, it will be a great green infrastructure in the future. either the people or the animals will get the benefit from this area.It’s a public space, and constitute of the area include the aspects of ecology, reuse,economy,education and so on.

Landscape and urban context of the case

Biogeography This case is situated in the city of eastern suburbs Chengdu,the dominating terrain of this case is plains. Because the whole city is located at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and sits on the Chengdu Plain and has an elevation ranging from 450 meters to 720 meters. Since ancient times, this city has been known as "the Abundant Land" owing to its fertile soil, favorable climate, and novel Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The urban area, features a few rivers, three of them being the Jin, Fu, and Sha Rivers. The river “Sha” flow through the area of the case.

Climate Chengdu has four distinct seasons, with moderate rainfall concentrated mainly in the warmer months, and relieved from both sweltering summers and freezing winters. Rainfall is common year-round but is the greatest in July and August, with very little of it in the cooler months. Chengdu also has one of the lowest annual sunshine totals nationally, and most days are cloudy and overcast even if without rain. This is especially so in the winter months, when it is typically interminably grey and dreary, compounding the poor air quality.

Cultural Features

we call it cultural, however, in my opinion this word when I used it in this city,it sounds like life style. It is a positive city,and the residents know what is the life. They know how to enjoy and share the life. The life style is always slowly and comfortable.

daily life
the life style of the residents

<Traditional tea houses>

Traditional tea houses in Chengdu usually feature bamboo chairs and wooden tables and offer jasmine, green tea and biluochun tea.Modern tea houses can be spotted on almost every city corner. The price for tea varies from 5 RMB(0.7€) to several hundred. Besides tea and snacks, almost all tea houses offer Majiang sets, tables, and sometimes separate majiang rooms. Most locals go to tea houses to play majiang with friends. Some luxury tea houses in Chengdu also offer live entertainment such as Sichuan opera shows.

<Theatre>

The regional opera is very popular in the city. the traditional performance named Chuanju, this is an ancient form of comedic drama involving dancing,singing,poetry and miming. The first detailed recorded opera was staged in the royal court of Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdom Period(Chengdu was the center of the Shu kingdom at that period). And face-changing masks and fire breathing remain hallmarks of the Sichuan Opera.

<Majiang>

Majiang has been an essential part of most local people's life. Almost every household in Chengdu has at least one set of majiang. People play majiang at home or in tea houses. On sunny days, the residents like to play majiang on the sidewalks, especially in the area nearby the Fu River. Most people play with money to make the game more exciting. Mahjong is the most popular entertainment choice among locals for several reasons. The main reason is that friends and families chat over mahjong tables, making majiang an important social vehicle.

<Food>

Sichuan's Food
the typical food in this region

Sichuan Food is very popular in China, even in the world. It's almost a food culture in this region.Traditional Sichuan Food is very spicy. In every street you can find large or small restaurant, people love eating chill and sometimes they're willing to wait for a long time to have a dinner. Chinese hot pot is typical food here,it was cooked with plenty of chill and sichuan pepper.There are so many fans for it.

overall character

The holistic area belongs industrial zone. Nowadays,half of the factories in this area were removed, rest of them were disused. Some residential building have been constructed nearby. The city become as large as before. there are four ring roads in this city, currently this area is located by the second ring road. Compare with the scale of Chengdu, the site of this case is not far from the center of city. People like living in inner city, it will cost small time on the way to their business.

History and Dynamics

Chengdu was inhabited over four thousand years ago and was an important center of a unique ancient culture.It is the only major city in China to have remained in the same location with the same name after more than 2000 years. In this case, I'd like to show some contemporary era of this city, the site of the case reflect the period of 1950s -2010s. I've narrated above.

Illustrations: maps; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Illustrations
Locate of the eastern suburbs memory in Chengdu
The airscape of this case
The rivers in this area
Map of Chengdu showing infrastructures and land use, made by the CIA in 1989. It's about half of the city's size (as of 2012).
the second ring road, this road is main road beside the case.
A symbol of this industrial area.1950s it was a important transportation, currently it's a memory of the city.
The architecture of the factory
The architecture of the factory
The river which is flowing through this area
Some of the local plants. Bamboo、Ginko、lotus and hibiscus.
Some of the local creature

Analytical drawings

Please use analytical drawing for visualising the conflicts/potentials of your site

Analytical Drawings
Land use
surrounding
The rate of green
analysis of the road

Green Infrastructure benefits for this site

Look again at the multiple benefits of green infrastructure - what could be achieved in your site and which are most relevant?

As we know, it has some of vacancy place, disused factories, some residential buildings and a small green land by river in this site.how to reuse the old architecture of the factories, how to combine and integrate the individual element. In this case, it will be achieved as a public space and benefit for the residents,the creature and the ecological environment. And it also will improve the economy of the city.

Potential for multifunctionality

Green infrastructure has typically multiple functions. What could be achieved for your site in this respect?

The aspect of social

<Reuse> One of the oldest city of China, Chengdu is full of particular culture by herself. The old factories are in good condition to be use as a cultural center. In special industrial period of Chengdu should not be forget in the future, it should be a place of preserving the industrial memory. Not only the older, but also the new generation can learn more about the city of Chengdu and the eastern suburbs industrial history. Some part of the old factory can redecoration to a theater, communication space,cineme and Gallery exhibition. Some of it can redecoration to tea houses and local restaurants,that’s a part of the life of the residents,and it brings and rises the economy.

The aspect of ecology

<Greenbelt> Connecting the dispersed green land to form a greenbelt of the area. Add the green wall and green way to prevent and control the noise and the clean the air pollution. Building a wandering way in the greenbelt,people can do some sports too. It will be a place where can make a healthy life for the residents.

The aspect of hydrology

<Water management> The Sha river is the main river in the city, the land of the surrounding river is a perfect habitant for the creature. From the ecological point of view, keep the river out of pollution, and enhance the rate of the green to is the right direct to approach the sustainable.

Projective drawings

How would you like this case to change in the near future? (in 1-2 years)
- I hope in the first 1-2 years,the green wall can be built,it can make the air clearer and reduce the noise, and I hope some of the planning of the factories can be redecoration and reused as the communication center. The residents will own a public place to do something with their family and friends or can make new friends in some events .Planting more plants in this area, especially nearby the river.'

And how could it look like in 10-15 years?
- In 10-15 years, the condition of the environment of the greenbelt will be reinforced,it can also improve the habitat of the creature and increase more species and ensuring the diverse of the species by the river. This area will be the part of the life of the residents, they will go to this area in daily life. '

Projective Drawings
Land use in the future
The rate of the greenland in the future
The sections of the Sha river in the future
outside of the communication center
Greenbelt by river

Summary and conclusion

It's very interesting, when we reuse some old thing. Time flies, everything will be change, but the architecture will remember the history. If we don't destroy them, we will remind the special and important period of the city generation by generation.

Image Gallery

Please add further images/photos here

Image Gallery
$Gallery\ Show$

Gallery\ Show
$Concert\Workshop\Cinema$

Concert\Workshop\Cinema
Redecoration of the disused factories
$Concert\walking road$

Concert\walking road
$Event\Cafe\Old structure$

Event\Cafe\Old structure
$Theater\Tea house\communication center$

Theater\Tea house\communication center
Greenbelt