“Regret and rebirth are only one step away.” These words perfectly capture the essence of the Beijing Longfu Cultural Center. This repurposed 600-year-old temple complex now serves as an event space and cultural center. It stands as a testament to Beijing’s rich history.
The Longfu Temple once witnessed the bustling and prosperous Beijing. However, the rapid development of the city hid its glory behind towering skyscrapers. The Longfu Building became a landmark glimpsed only occasionally in the houses of the Hutong.
This transformation has given Longfu Temple a new mission. History is irreversible but the present can be completely rebuilt. After undertaking the renovation project, Wan Xiang Design retained the ancient building frame. The facade roof and courtyard were completely rebuilt. This small project lasted four years. The ancient history brought Longfu Building glory and stories. It also brought regret and shortcomings. The load capacity of the top floor is extremely limited. Therefore, it cannot load a true royal garden.
Four huge smoke exhaust shafts firmly occupy the main traffic nodes of the courtyard. As a result, light landscapes and thin water covering are used. Lawn flower boxes and few pine bamboos form a simple modern courtyard. The smoke exhaust shafts were wrapped by brick and stone. The lights at nightfall flowed through the ventilation holes.
The three coffers that survived in the Zhengjue Hall of Longfu Temple are now displayed in the Museum of Chinese Ancient Architecture. The complicated patterns of algae lotus cloud and stars were removed. The simple beams were rotated and raised to the top according to the traditional building system. It finally restored the rigorous and magnificent appearance of coffer with eight beams.
The flat roof structure of the east and west wing-room is covered by a small regular square coffer. It also conveys the respect to tradition from contemporary design.
The ancient man-made coffer shows human expectation that water would save the wooden structure from fire. Unfortunately, Longfu Building still suffered from a fire disaster. In the new transformation, all wood finishes have a very high fire-protection rating. Traditional romantic imagination can now be protected with superb craftsmanship and first-class materials. This is one of the profound meanings of modern methods.
For Longfu Temple copying or subversion is not the best rule for reconstruction. The hall is traditional while the courtyard takes the artistic conception. Within the modern concrete structure frame, the floor in the hall still follows the ancient method of the Palace Museum.
Outside the hall, the light highlights the eaves beams and pillars. Inside the hall, light is the narrator instead of the human voice. Through the main hall, blank space begins to spread in sight. The course way carries on the tradition behind it. The color and texture also give modern materials a profound charm. Contemporary art from the East and the West blend with each other. Ancient architectural patterns are rubbed on it through sunlight.
At sunset, when looked out from the view windows in the east and west red walls, the black-grey houses are closely arranged in the old city. At this moment, the ancient and new city seems to overlap to form a mirage that belongs to Beijing. A weathered building has roused itself.