The project proposes a vibrant activity centre for the elderly and children in cicheng, a run-down Chinese ancient town, which experienced a loss of working-age population as a result of the rapid urbanization in China, where the left-behind children and living-alone elderly people became its main resident. The architecture stands as a center to reinvigorate the ghost town, where people gather and socialize. Furthermore, it also aims to create a comparison with the existing buildings to arouse the awareness of preserving historical architecture, considering many of them are demolished or in an abandoned situation at present.
The design process starts with a questionnaire survey in person with the local residents. By summarizing the collected data, the programmes assigned in the architecture are based on the activities on their daily basis. The design focuses on providing an improving condition for the same activities, rather than stripping the users from their former daily routine.
Taking the traditional Chinese winding corridor existed in the town plaza, where elderlies play poker and chess, as the archetype of the design prototype, the architecture presents a modern interpretation of this type. Through typology studies, the design attempts to translate the key characters of the winding corridor to a vivid contemporary structure, in terms of its transparency and fluidity.
Inspired by various great works, for instance, Here by Richard McGuire, Building Stories and Rusty Brown by Chris Ware and the wordless pantomime comicArzach by Moebius, etc, the drawing is an examination on the potential of presenting all the details and thoughts on one single piece, as the tangled and knotted experience we feel in the real life.
The graphic narratives discuss the story behind a family in this ancient town, from its past to the future, explore the subtle emotions beneath the surface, in the form of the comic strips. Instead of imposing a singular storytelling structure, this work allows the viewer to build their own reading order to form a unique experience and understanding to the design.