The New Longfu Cultural Center is located on the rooftop of the Longfu Building in Beijing’s historical core, just 1 kilometer from the Forbidden City. The Longfu Building, constructed in the 1980s, stands on the site of the Longfu Temple, a renowned commercial hub during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As a significant department store, the Longfu Building was surrounded by Siheyuan ( Four-Cornered Cortyard) and was a prominent landmark in the heart of Beijing’s inner city. However, a devastating fire in the 1990s destroyed this once-thriving structure. Since then, the Longfu Temple commercial area gradually declined with changes in modern lifestyles, unable to recapture its former glory and slowly faded from the daily life of Beijing’s residents.
Design Strategy
Since history cannot be rewritten, it is better to rebuild thoroughly. We retained only the framework of the original building, reconstructing the exterior facade, roof, and courtyards. The Longfu Building has both its past glory and its regrets.
Flexible Open Spaces and Contemporary Minimalist Design
The architects’ initial intention was to recreate the Longfu Temple on the rooftop of the Longfu Building. To adapt the Longfu Cultural Center for its role as a public cultural facility, we abandoned the approach of rebuilding a royal garden on the roof. Instead, we opted for the most open spatial layout possible, reserving flexible spaces for diverse activities. We incorporated asymmetrical layouts to introduce landscapes into the traditionally symmetrical architectural layout, creating a modern courtyard with sparse pines and bamboos, thin water surfaces, lawns, and flower boxes, challenging the limitations of the building’s structure.
Tribute to Traditional Culture and Construction Techniques
In our contemporary minimalist design, we used traditional building materials to preserve history. For the corridors on both sides of the main hall and the ventilation shaft screens at the ends of the corridors, we chose traditional craftsmanship-fired grey bricks, combined with parametric design to create unique flowing water-like textures on the surfaces. At night, the lights shining through the wind holes resemble the flickering moonlight in a well. Similarly, marbles and granites with patterns akin to Chinese ink paintings were integrated into contemporary geometric forms, adding organic textures.
Yin-Yang Balance
Balancing yin and yang is harmony. The introduction of water balances the temple’s grand “yang” in terms of feng shui, and we hope water can protect this building that once suffered a great fire. In the central courtyard, there is a skylight that runs through the office atrium of the entire building. We designed the skylight as a mirrored water platform. Sunlight pours through the thin water surface into the atrium, filling the office space with dynamic, shimmering water light effects. The reflection of the main hall also appears on the water surface. At night, the lights in the atrium illuminate the water platform, making it shine brightly.
Overlooking the City’s History and Future
To showcase the unique view from this prominent inner-city location, we opened the enclosing red walls of the temple and established observation decks at the best vantage points on the east and west sides. At sunset, looking out from the observation decks on the red walls, one side reveals densely packed grey-tiled residences, while the other side reflects the golden glow on the glass curtain walls of the towering CBD office buildings at the horizon, blending the history and future of Beijing.
Integrating Historical Sites into Contemporary Urban Cultural Life
Since the district’s renovation began in 2015, the Longfu Temple area has introduced cultural, commercial, artistic, and event-driven pioneering enterprises, injecting new vitality into the protected courtyard area and making it one of the most vibrant cultural communities in Beijing. The flexible spaces and highly recognizable design have made Longfu Cultural Center one of the hottest venues for cultural and artistic events in Beijing.
The Longfu Temple, weathered through the ages, has been revitalized by the skilled hands of modern craftsmen. We attempted to open it up and reshape it, yet we worried about its relevance. Now, it reemerges in a new form, more splendid than before. Standing within it, we realize it is not us who are guarding it, but it who is guarding us. The Longfu Cultural Center measures the passage of time and civilization in its own way and remains intrinsically linked to the lifeblood of this city.
New Longfu Cultural Center
Design Company: Wscape Landscape Design (Beijing) Co., Ltd.,
Designer Credit: Wa Guo. Yunjia Wang, Jingyi Zhang, Qian Ju,
Client: Beijing Xinlongfu Cultural Investment Co., Ltd.
Interior Design: W-studio, Beijing
Contractor: Beijing Sanyuan Landscaping Engineering Co., Ltd.
Photo Credits: View Architect