Situated in Changzhou, a city with over 3,000 years of history and a GDP surpassing one trillion yuan as of 2023, Cotton Park is a testament to urban transformation. The city is increasingly defined by its emphasis on quality, intimacy, and cultural richness—ideals that underpin this ambitious regeneration initiative. The project centers around the adaptive reuse of four former oil tanks, envisioning them as vibrant mixed-use spaces that support community engagement and cultural programming. Rooted in a commitment to sustainability and historical preservation, the design emphasizes minimal intervention while amplifying the intrinsic character of the industrial structures.
Originally designed for utilitarian purposes, the silos possess a monumental scale unaligned with human proportions. Yet, during an early site visit, a beam of sunlight pierced the top of one silo, casting a perfect ellipse on the stained concrete wall. This moment revealed the project’s conceptual core: to preserve the architectural rawness while harnessing natural light as a transformative element. The intervention focuses on preserving the tanks’ original structure while inserting a central axis that cuts through all four silos. This pathway orchestrates a spatial narrative—each silo hosts a distinct program, inviting visitors to journey through a sequence of diverse and immersive experiences.
Two silos incorporate transparent glass houses, allowing visitors to witness the grandeur of the interiors while benefiting from a controlled microclimate. These structures maintain thermal comfort through natural air convection facilitated by the silos’ open tops. Climate systems are seamlessly embedded in the floor, keeping the architecture visually uncluttered and emphasizing the spatial drama. One silo remains largely untouched and unprogrammed—a contemplative void where light, scale, and silence interact. This space becomes an organic extension of the park, offering visitors a moment of introspection.
Material reuse plays a key role throughout. Steel cut from the silo walls is repurposed for the exterior walkway connecting the silos with the adjacent park. This path features community-facing terraces and a circular climbing structure, enhancing public engagement. In homage to Changzhou’s industrial waterways, a second material—red brick—is introduced. Referencing the barges that transport bricks through the canals, these are stacked plainly within the restaurant silo, forming a textured inner landscape that contrasts with the curved steel enclosure and guides visitors through the space. Cotton Park emerges as a living monument, where architectural memory, communal space, and material intelligence converge to create a contemporary civic destination.
