Wildness Promenade, an adaptive reuse project for the Wild Island Cultural & Life Community in the Chinese city of Huizhou, prompts a certain curiosity – its fragmented history weaved together with contemporaneity. The rugged elements of an abandoned winery that emanate a historical appeal are juxtaposed against minimal, unobtrusive additions in the regenerative project. Initially built in 1951, the 18 original buildings of the Dongjiang Wine Factory and its 'wild' landscape texture form the canvas for the project. “Inside, there are historical features of the winery such as chimney and water tower, as well as 18 buildings of different specifications from different eras, serving as a historical witness to the industrial civilisation of a generation in Huizhou,” the architecture firm BDSD Boundless Design tells STIR. Led by Chinese architects Lin Wenke and Sun Zhengyuan, the firm continues, “During the past dozen years of abandonment, everything here grew in a wild way. The old chimney, boiler, watermarks, moss, old walls, stone steps, trees, flowers and plants...nurtured by these natural assets, Wild Island is like a painting rich in content without the need for deliberate embellishment. The colours, light and shadows blend seamlessly and time itself creates an interesting charm."

Wildness Promenade engages the weathered textural quality of the existing buildings that evokes a passage of time. The public architecture intervention is the design studio’s third micro-renovation project in the Wild Island, with their first two projects being a bookstore and the renewal of the ‘Wild Oasis’ Public Garden. All three projects aimed at revitalising different sections of the Wild Island. Associating the Wildness Promenade with the previous projects, the approach becomes evident—using modern elements to highlight the wear and tear of the original constituents and making it accessible, instead of imposing them and overriding the inherent character of the space.

The architecture firm contextualises its approach in a conversation with STIR, “The Qiaodong Peninsula where Wild Island is located is exactly the place where the old urban area and the new urban area coexist. When strolling along Qiaodong Street, you can see ancient buildings, ancient city walls, old streets and old residential buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, as well as the remaining sites of the early industrial civilisation and so on. It can be seen that Wild Island is a cultural carrier that connects the past and the future. As an urban renewal and revitalisation project, it cannot be separated from the original historical context. It is necessary to appropriately preserve the original old buildings and then integrate some contemporary and youthful spatial expressions, allowing the stories of this space to continue to unfold and time to transition naturally here.”

Fallen into disuse and thus disrepair, the old factory buildings exuded a sense of imposing ruggedness and the independent structures lacked a systematic layout. The design firm’s approach aimed at integrating the architecture into a cohesive layout—equipping spaces with elements that allowed it to become a public space with commercial facilities. They elaborate, “To integrate the architecture with commercial spaces and create a sense of enjoyment in wandering, it's essential to bridge the fragmented feel of the existing site. On one hand, we must consider the original architectural conditions; on the other, we need to bridge the gap between the old buildings and new application scenarios. Preservation is the best design expression for the renovation of historical buildings.”

The architectural approach was to reorganise the circulation lines, connecting the spaces with lightweight sky bridges and stairs—to avoid unnecessary demolition and modification. Rather than restricting user movement to a limited capacity, the design aims to instil a sense of wandering and access in and around the facility. The Chinese architecture firm highlights the intricate process of functionally uniting the spaces, “To combine the buildings with commercial spaces and enable people to enjoy the pleasure of wandering, it is necessary to stitch up the sense of fragmentation of the existing site. During the stitching process, on the one hand, we need to take into account the original architectural conditions and on the other hand, we need to bridge the gap between the old buildings and the new application scenarios. We have to consider both the overall situation and grasp the details. We have expanded the single function of strolling along the circulation routes, optimised the accessibility of the second-floor space and achieved both the protection and innovation of the old buildings.” The skybridges provide visitors with a variety of vantage points to experience the precinct, while also augmenting the usable space and creating a network of paths that grant the place a sense of order.

The materiality of the intervention—mainly steel and concrete—exudes a sense of austerity to not portray an overbearing presence against the existing structures. Wild plants and stones are incorporated to expand upon the ambient appeal of the old trees, allowing nature to flourish in an industrial architecture setting—employing a rather unpretentious approach to evoking the aesthetics of ruin for the landscape design. BDSD Boundless Design further tells STIR, “We hope to showcase the charm of nature imperceptibly, minimising artificial traces as much as we can and creating a wild garden where plants can grow freely. The collision between the natural disorder and the delicate artificial geometry enhances the atmosphere of the old buildings, creating a tranquil, growing and carefree ambience. The time solidified by the industrial style is intertwined with the withering and flourishing of nature in the four seasons and the present and the future are gradually merging.”

The project’s highlight lies not in its innovation, but in its careful consideration. As construction continues at a neck-breaking speed, projects like these highlight a necessity of today—the architecture of repair. A thorough analysis of what we could preserve and how we could gently weave our needs around it. With an ever-warming planet, marginally reducing our construction and building on top of history appears to be a rather endurable approach, than always razing down and trying to start ‘afresh’.

Project Details

Name: Wildness Promenade
Location: Huizhou, China
Architect: BDSD Boundless Design
Year of Completion: 2024