Dezeen Magazine

Last chance to enter Dezeen Awards China!

There are only three days left to enter Dezeen Awards China in partnership with Bentley Motors.

With a raft of existing buildings currently being converted in China, we celebrate this growing trend by looking at five outstanding Chinese industrial heritage projects that were longlisted and shortlisted in Dezeen Awards 2022.

If you have designed an inspirational project in China, submit your project before the entry deadline at midnight Beijing time this Thursday 24 August for your chance to win.

Read on for our pick of five industrial heritage interventions by Chinese architects.


XC273, Shanghai, China, by Dongqi Design

Dongqi Design turned a former state-owned towel factory in the heart of Shanghai into a multi-brand fashion and lifestyle store, adding marble and metal surfaces to its exposed concrete shell.

The renovation presents itself as an industrial ruin, where the raw framework is either left naked or amplified through contrast with the contemporary slick interventions.

Set across three floors, the XC273 retail space houses designer showrooms and pop-ups alongside a small cafe, as well as providing spaces for temporary exhibitions and events.

Read more about XC273 ›


ZIIN Beijing Store, Beijing, China by Atelier Tao+C

Atelier Tao+C designed the Ziin Beijing Store, transforming a 1960s textile warehouse into a new luxury showroom for local furniture brand Ziin.

The architects placed two intersecting frameworks inside the pre-existing pitched-roof warehouse, rotated from the original plan, forming independent nested buildings within the space.

The architects created a skeletal interior by using a bare structural framework of timber and corrugated polycarbonate panels.


Pearl River Brewery Phase II, Guangzhou, China, by Atelier cnS

Studio Atelier cnS created an office building for the Zhujiang Brewery Group in the former Zhujiang Brewery, a key player in Guangzhou’s recent history and development.

Interventions include a multi-level pedestrian system that introduces new viewpoints and walking experiences throughout the site.

The project also focused on opening up the public areas around the building along the riverfront, inviting the wider public to visit and appreciate this historical and cultural landmark of Guangzhou.


Minhang Riverfront Regeneration, Shanghai, China, by Spark Architects

The regeneration of the Minhang riverfront is the initial phase of Spark Architects' masterplan for upgrading Shanghai's Minhang district.

Formerly an overgrown waterway fronted by low-grade industrial warehouses and disused utilities, the riverfront's focus is now recreational with a vibrant mix of commercial, technology and institutional uses.

The 750-metre-long regenerated riverfront was created by continuous green ribbons for walking, jogging and cycling combined with three new pedestrian bridges that connect the residential, educational and business communities together.


The Revitalisation of the Shenyang Dongmaoku Warehouse, Shenyang, China, by Urbanus

Chinese firm Urbanus designed the Revitalisation of the Shenyang Dongmaoku Warehouses in Shenyang, China.

In 2020 the government decided to preserve seven warehouses in Dongmaoku. Urbanus was invited to complete the non-housing part of this project. With the completion of the first phase of the Dongmaoku renovation, a new and energetic community space was created.

The studio connected two identical 90-metre-long warehouses with a white wedding chapel and transformed the site into a public library and exhibition centre. The entry bay of each warehouse is designed as a greenhouse suitable for community life in the cold northern area.

The wooden structure is elaborately replaced by a steel supporting system for complying with code requirements and introducing daylight to energise the spaces.

Enter now!

Entries close at midnight Beijing time this Thursday 24 August, so start your entry now!

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Dezeen Awards China 2023

Dezeen Awards China is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design in China. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.