Projects for the renovation and reuse of Panjiayuan market, Beijing

Under the Market is a requalification and upgrade project of the Panjiayuan Market in Beijing. The original layout of the block creates a sealed off space to the city, our goal is to give back this space to the city connecting it to the surrounding urban tissue.

The project is not just a functional upgrade but it wants to return to the city a public space that becomes an important “void” in the dense Beijing. In fact, our main goal is to project something that is not just a building but a social space where tradition in trading antique goods can meet the contemporary society and its needs.

A careful study of the needs and of the circulation defined the basic shape of our project: a longitudinal building works like a dividing wall between the pedestrian public space on the north side of the area and the vehicular path on the back of it, on the South side. In this way we solved what in our opinion is the most important issue in circulation design: the separation of then pedestrian flow from the vehicular one.

Rising the transverse wings we created a shelter suitable to welcome the flea market, preserving the identity and the social aspect of one of the most important event of the Panjiayuan Market and creating a continuous and extremely permeable public space that alternates gardens and squares.

This covered space, as we said, is where the flea market takes place during the day but, when the market stops, people can enjoy that space as they like.

A portico define the north borderline of our project and creates a double connections between the wings: a covered way on the ground floor from the metro station through the flee market’s areas and then to the market entrances; and a raised one that connects together all the market’s wings.

From the inside, the market is composed by modular blocks 8x4m than can be merged in order to create bigger commercial surfaces to meet every target. These blocks, grouped, form a bigger unit that is repeated and mirrored all over the market building.

Between a bigger unit and another there are distribution halls that horizontally and vertically connect all the different pathways. In these halls the stairs are the main element that fills, draws and defines the empty space.

A multifunctional block with exhibition spaces, auction hall, hotel and offices defines a cozy courtyard wherein sculptures are exhibited. The transverse wing of the block are raised as well in order to create a continuity of the public space. The building layout is designed thinking about the relations that every function have with the others in order to provide fast and smart connections inside and outside the building.