*상하이 북씨티 [ Wutopia Lab ] Shanghai Book City
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Wutopia Lab-Shanghai Book City
도시 건설은 북산에서 시작됩니다. 이번 업그레이드와 리노베이션을 계기로 1층 공간을 개방하고 보도 디자인과 결합해 관리하기 쉬운 반개방형 공공 문화 광장을 만들고 싶습니다. 이를 통해 보행자 전용도로의 성격을 잃은 푸저우로가 시민들이 모일 수 있는 공공 공간으로 다시 태어날 수 있을 것입니다. 기존 건축물의 높낮이 차이와 보도 디자인을 활용해 테라스 같은 광장을 만들고 '북 마운틴'이라는 실내 플랫폼을 조성했습니다. 건물 내부의 입체적인 산이 플랫폼 역할을 합니다. 도서 출판기념회, 전시회, 이벤트 등 다양한 문화 활동의 무대로 활용되고 있습니다. 독자들은 자유롭게 앉거나 서서 책을 읽거나 산책할 수 있습니다. 즉석에서 노래도 부를 수 있습니다. 가장 높은 곳에 서면 북적이는 푸저우루를 내려다볼 수 있어 사색에 잠기게 됩니다. 푸저우 로드의 전체적인 톤은 회색이지만, 포인트 컬러를 사용해 책산의 의도를 강조하고자 했습니다. 붉은색 책산은 보행자의 시선에서 가장 먼저 눈에 들어오는 초점이 됩니다. 이곳에서 에스컬레이터를 통해 서점 안으로 들어가면 수직 도시 기능을 하는 서점입니다. translate by DeepL
In China, the number of people who maintain a reading habit is far less than those who do not read. The limited number of readers alone cannot save bookstores. Therefore, book cities need to be designed for more non readers, enticing them to step into the bookstore. This way, they can save the bookstore. In China, the time spent by online users on their phones has far exceeded the time spent in offline physical spaces. Additionally, the prices of books purchased online are much lower than those in physical bookstores, leading to a loss of readers for bookstores. Therefore, I aim to allocate even just 1 hour from the 10 hours or 8 hours that some online users dedicate to their phones each day, enticing them to step into a bookstore with attractions not found online. This way, they can save the bookstore.
The Biggest Challenge is to Confront the Romanticized Memories. At the end of 2021, Shanghai Book City declared closure for renovations through a series of events. It was even misunderstood by some self media outlets as permanent closure. As a result, readers flocked to the bookstore in tribute. In retrospect, the challenges faced by the first comprehensive complex of book sales in China, inevitably declining under the impact of the internet, were overlooked. Instead, what emerged was a romanticized, elevated, and sublime collective memory. Collective memory has the potential to distort and rewrite the true form of this project and even distrust any future transformations. Indeed, the architect's greatest challenge lies in the idealized collective memory. From my professional perspective, the spatial arrangement and architectural facade of the bookstore itself do not hold the architectural significance I mentioned. Therefore, in renovating the bookstore, I feel no burden. I have already determined that Shanghai Book City should transform from a mere bookstore into a cultural complex with numerous applied business and social scenes, centered around knowledge sharing. This cultural complex is a specific and nuanced, abstract vertical city, an idealistic representation of Shanghai. It is also a segment of an urban epic that can be loudly sung. It grows from the old bookstore, not severing ties with history but using books as the foundation for a new city.
Building a New City with Books, Conditions for Building a City. In this upgrade and renovation, the bookstore, built in 1998, needs to undergo inspection according to the latest fire safety regulations. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number, width, and location of evacuation stairs and upgrade by adding sprinklers and fire curtains. In this upgrade and renovation, the structural changes cannot exceed 10% of the total structure. The original external outline of the bookstore cannot be altered. The 12,000 square meters bookstore cannot increase its area, and, of course, the owner is not allowed to reduce the area. However, the original basement no longer belongs to the bookstore. In this upgrade and renovation, it is necessary to introduce commercial formats that harmonize with the bookstore and do not disrupt the bookstore's atmosphere. Simultaneously, it is crucial not to compromise the bookstore's ambiance while balancing operational costs. The Shanghai Book City aims, through this upgrade and renovation, not only to ensure operational efficiency but also to continue being a cultural landmark in Shanghai, contributing to the revival of Fuzhou Road as a cultural street.
Building a city starts with the Book Mountain. Seizing the opportunity of this upgrade and renovation, I hope to release the space on the ground floor, combining it with sidewalk design to create a manageable semi open public cultural square. This will allow Fuzhou Road, which has lost its pedestrian character, to regain a public space where citizens can gather. I utilized the original architectural height differences, combined with sidewalk design, to create a terrace-like square and formed an indoor platform named 'Book Mountain'. This three-dimensional mountain within the building serves as a platform. It can be used for book launches, exhibitions, and events, becoming a stage for cultural activities. Readers can freely sit, stand, peruse, and stroll. They can even engage in impromptu singing. Standing at the highest point allows one to overlook the bustling Fuzhou Road, prompting contemplation. The overall tone of Fuzhou Road is gray, and I aim to enhance the intention of Book Mountain by using an accent color. The red Book Mountain becomes the first focal point in the pedestrian's line of sight. From here, one can transition through escalators into the bookstore, which functions as a vertical city.
from archdaily