Renovation Of Nanjing Combat Machinery Factory / Mix Architecture

Architects: Mix Architecture
Area: 11224 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Haiting Sun, Xiaobin Lv, Arch-Exist
Design Team: Ziye Wu, Suning Zhou, Haoran Yin, Renjiao Shen, Bin Peng, Ke Yang, Tao Tang, Daoyuan Zhu
Intern: Suxuan Zhang, Bo Dong, Shuyi Li
Landscape and Planning Design: Ziye Wu, Renjiao Shen, Haoran Yin, Bin Peng
Structural Consultant: Shanghai Wilderness Structural Des. Firm Inc.
Lighting Consultant: LUMIA Lab
Construction Drawings: Nanjing Xinghua Architecture Design and Research Institute Co, Ltd.
Logo Design: Nanjing Shiye Design Club
Construction Team (Architecture): Nanjing QianCai Construction Engineering Co.LTD
Construction Team (Landscape): Nanjing Hengzi Environmental Engineering Co., Ltd
Construction Team (F16 Red House): BETONBAU
Landscape Construction Drawings: Nanjing 2nd Architecture Design Institute Company
Clients: Nanjing Construction Machinery Works, Co, Ltd.
City: Nanjing
Country: China

The renovation of the Nanjing Combat Machinery Factory by Mix Architecture revitalizes a 1950s industrial site near Hongshan and Nanjing Railway Station, transforming it into a contemporary office-led park while preserving its historical and urban context. After prior renewal efforts failed, Mix Architecture focused on the factory’s defining red brick walls, reflecting the “red memory” of the 1950s and using red bricks, concrete blocks, terrazzos, and face bricks to represent different construction methods and eras. The design integrates existing vegetation and emphasizes the relationship between humans and nature, employing low courtyard walls and spatial rhythms to define public and private spaces while maintaining the site’s integrity. Solid walls guide visitors into the park, where indoor and outdoor spaces blend seamlessly. Windows frame views of the surrounding mountains and nature, contrasting with the bold red tones of the architecture. The renovation bridges the past and present, inviting visitors to explore the history, materiality, and their connection to the natural surroundings.

Renovation of nanjing combat machinery factory / mix architecture

The Nanjing Combat Machinery Factory is situated on the west side of Hongshan, in the northern part of the city, near the Nanjing Railway Station. Constructed in the 1950s, the factory became idle after the production department relocated due to the city’s expansion and industrial development. In 2006, efforts were made to renew the site and reopen it as a creative industrial center, but these attempts failed to attract public interest despite the renovations.

Following the reconstruction, new walls were added, bricks were paved, and the entire building was painted, effectively concealing its industrial history. Over the past 20 years, vegetation has gradually spread across the factory grounds, overtaking the facade and further obscuring the structure. Neglected and left to deteriorate under natural forces, the factory now stands at the edge of the community, largely forgotten by both the city and its residents.

At the end of 2020, the owner commissioned MIX Architecture to renovate and transform the factory into a composite emerging park, with office spaces as its central function. The renovation required preserving the existing trees while showcasing the building’s history and aligning it with the urban context. The architects identified the red brick wall as the most distinctive feature of the original structure, using it as the focal point of the design. The renovation was approached with a balance of seriousness and informality, emphasizing “red” as the factory’s defining characteristic.

The rationale for emphasizing “red” is both complex and straightforward. First, the factory is located on the west side of Hongshan, with “hong” translating to “red” in Chinese. Second, the factory dates back to the 1950s, a period often associated with “red memory.” Third, the red brick structure itself could be interpreted as a “red building.” Based on these considerations, MIX Architecture decided to incorporate red bricks, red concrete blocks, red terrazzos, and red face bricks as the primary materials for the renovation.

The selected materials originate from different periods, representing various construction methods. Following the renovation, the park aligns more cohesively with the city’s architectural language in a complete and coherent manner, reshaping the public’s memory of the factory by blending familiarity with a sense of novelty.

After selecting the materials for the park, the next objective was to emphasize the uniqueness of each building while fostering a connection between humans and nature. The placement of walls and the varying spatial rhythms guided the subsequent design process. Low courtyard walls were integrated with the site’s existing vegetation, creating a separation between public and private spaces. These walls also addressed the height differences across the site, bridged gaps between the buildings, and provided distinct spatial identities for each structure while maintaining the overall cohesion of the site.

The solid and substantial wall plays a crucial role in guiding visitors from the road into the zone and eventually into the interior spaces. The seamless connection between indoor and outdoor areas ensures a cohesive experience. Each building features windows that frame views of the surrounding mountains or natural landscape. As visitors move inside, the bold and vivid red tones of the architecture gradually replace the presence of nature, creating a striking transition.

Mix Architecture envisions the renovated building as being understood through three steps: acknowledging, feeling, and experiencing. The architecture serves as a connector, employing spatial and material transitions to establish a dialogue with the city, historical architecture, and nature on multiple levels. Visitors first become aware of the building’s presence. As they walk around it, they perceive its historical character through the materials. Upon entering, they are drawn to the views framed by the windows, fostering a deeper connection with the surrounding natural environment.