Shenzhen Urban Pixels

SHENZHEN LAB 2019

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

Studio Report 2019-2020 KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, Campus Sint-Lucas Brussels, Paleizenstraat, 65-67, 1030 Brussels https://arch.kuleuven.be/english First year Master Architecture Studio - maib14 Engagement: Urban Cultures Shenzhen: Urban Villages - Shenzhen Lab 2019 Studio mentor Martine de Maeseneer Collaboration partner Chris Lai D-OFFICE Students Dana Al Sayegh Leen Claessens Adwait Jadhav Ema Jovanovic Natacha de Kuijper

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This report is based on the studio Shenzhen Urban Villages that took place from september 2019 to january 2020.

It sums up the work of 5 international students.

Fist part of the booklet gathers the common material that was discovered in analysis phase.

In the second part, the project is shown in detail.

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

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CHRONOLOGY

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MAPPING SHEZNHEN

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URBAN VILLAGE

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LANGXIA VILLAGE

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PROJECT: URBAN PIXELS

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NAME OF THE CHAPTER

PEARL RIVER DELTA REGION

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PEARL DELTA RIVER October 19 1979

PEARL DELTA RIVER January 10 2003

INTRODUCTION

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

Studio programme The studio Shenzhen ‘Urban Villages’ will focus on the rapidly changing urban fabric in Shenzhen, the fascinating New Town in the south of China. Shenzhen officially exists only since 1979, is located in the Pearl River Delta opposite Hong Kong and was long considered the factory of the world. The city is rapidly transforming from a factory town to a technology hub that is often dubbed as the next Silicon Valley.

Since the end of the 19th century, the beginning of the 20th century the idea has gradually grown that forms -no longer- come forth out of a ‘mental back-up’ which is inherited since immemorial times, which was thought to be vital for us – enabling us to speak, to see and to produce. The scenario that has come in its place is where these ‘forms’ have fled along our body, into the open space, into thin air.

During the timespan of the studio, the participants will focus on the phenomenon of the urban villages that are currently taking new shape in the still growing urban fabric. The traditional urban villages came about through the so-called Hukou system that distinguishes the urban and the rural population. Only the urban population has rights to all services from the city and therefor the rural population created and managed their own resources.

As a result one can also understand how the western fascination for pure geometry descended over projective geometry to topology, fluidums, networks. In philosophy one calls that the downpour of platonic solids. It’s a movement that one can witness, happening in the last century. It’s a movement wherefrom generations of modern architects could not escape.

The basic preparation for the Shenzhen Studio was done by a group of international students during the KU Leuven summer school from Sept714, 2019 in collaboration with the Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, the Design Society Shenzhen and Tongji Needs Lab Shenzhen.

The dio

–

Performative Architecture stustudio strategy & framework

But nevertheless the picture still stands of this carrier space, a canvas, an envelope, a kind of background noise at the very least that works further behind or below the visible and reality. Sui Generi ‘diagrams’, which is the word which was very much in vogue in the second half of the nineties, work at the same time more autonomous and more generalizing.

For the architect/student it is paramount to chase these forms down, to get grip of them if one wants to know in which direction architecture is moving, as well as on a transpatial or spatial local level.

INTRODUCTION

The studio focused on a continuously search for a broader field of ‘patterns’, ‘motives’, ‘logos’, ‘plots’ and ‘timbres’. — Words with an architectural resonance – which are an expression of a social, cultural an political involvement and expertise at large. This kind of (in)directness works.

This kind of architecture will demonstrate itself to us as it will jump from the classical adagio of likelihood (‘to like or not’ …) to an architecture where behaviour stands central (‘to behave or not’ …). Think then in the given context about the iteration ‘to click or not’ …, whereby texts, words, characters become functions in a sort of digital acrostics: just, avoid to stick them together with images in a glossy picturesque of branding of a city.

Timing

and

organization

of

the

studio

The Shenzhen maib14 studio will run in parallel with the Karachi, Serei Sophon and Buenos Aires studio, 4 hyper transformation cities, and will mostly be organized as joint studios in order to become aware of the different conditions for this 4 locations. Students will need to be prepared to work and meet on Tuesday on the Brussels campus each week.

The studio places a high emphasis on using drawings and models not as illustrative methods but as design and research tools that test, evolve and resolve ideas in a rigorous manner.

The studio demands a very high engagement from each student to challenge their established working methods and to embrace, often unfamiliar ways of working. The study of key theoretical texts, precedents and theories as well as research into cross-disciplinary fields forms the basis for critical reflection and is key for the formation of a coherent theoretical framework and contextualised position. Research will accompany the city project throughout (not just at “the start”). Process driven work and enquiry will form an integral part of the city project. The intellectual decision-making process as well as the investigative design development will be on-going throughout the project.

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CHRONOLOGY

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

FROM THE FISHERMEN VILLAGE TO 1989 RIOTS The Pearl River Delta (Zhujiang River) One of the few area of the Chinese Empire in which foreign traders were allowed to make business: Hong Kong (English) Macau (Portuguese) Guangzhou (French, Dutch...)

In XIX century the Opium Wars forced the Qing Dynasty to sign the Inequal Treaties.

Hong Kong island was ceded to British Empire in 1842 (Treaty of Nanjing) Qing and British officials established the Shenzhen River as the border between the then so called Xin’an Region (from 1914 Bao’an) and Hong Kong

CHRONOLOGY

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Cultural Revolution 1966-1976 Mao dies in 1976, from the 1978 Deng Xiaoping is the new leader of PRC Special Economic Zones were proposed in the late 70s.

They were supposed to have a double purpose: soul/ civilization/planning and economic/wealthy) SEZ were discussed during the last period of Mao leadership. They are not exclusive of China (Kaoshiung in Taiwan 1966 and Masan in South Korea in 1974) The Four modernizations of China

Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, December 1978: Main idea: “one center and two basic points”, in other words economic construction and the subordinate tasks of adhering to the Four Basic Principles and implementing the Reform and Opening policy A -The principle of upholding the socialist path -The principle of upholding the people’s democratic dictatorship -The principle of upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) -The principle of upholding Mao Zedong Thought and Marxism–Leninism

CHRONOLOGY

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TARGET: MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT AS THE 4 ASIAN TIGERS A new city starts from a new name Bao’an became Shenzhen in 1979, taking its name from the nearby river First idea by Deng Xiaoping, approved in 1979 (4 SEZ including Shenzhen) located outside the cities.

Applied in may 1980 “In 1978, Deng Xiaoping thus implemented the Reform and Opening policy. Bao’an County was selected to be the “window” for China’s first post-Mao experiments in opening to the outside, bringing in Hong Kong capital, technology, and management know-how.“ In the following years opening to FDI of 14 port cities (by 1984) 1988: Hainan is added to SEZ 1990:Pudong become SEZ Other 15 SEZ in the 90s

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

July 1979: Shekou Industrial Park is established under the direction of the China Merchants Bureau, a state-owned enterprise of the national Ministry of Transportation. “A window and laboratory for China�

First workers arrived in Shenzhen and Shekou in 1979 Forms of transportation: walking roads for truck transport.

Kowloon-Canton (Guangzhou) Reinforced the boundary division with Hong Kong (between 1949 and 1974 560000 liberty swimmer left China for HKG) Concrete wall+fence by the early 80s Railway (KCR), station at Luohu Commercial area in Dongmen.

At the end of 1979, hukou-holders in the SEZ were about 312.600.

CHRONOLOGY

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THE PIONEER SPIRIT OF SHENZHEN On January 1, 1980: first foreigner investors (from Hong Kong) in Shenzhen,. Agreement with PRC for the first commercial residential estate, Donghu Liyuan.

Shenzhen Municipality would receive the 85 percent of profits August 1980: Shenzhen SEZ is established (327.5 km2), consisting of Shenzhen Market, Shatoujiao Market, and four communes—Fucheng, Futian, Nantou, and Shekou.

In the same month was proposed a first urban plan for Shenzhen. Too small!

In those years Liang Xiang, officer of CCP, became the first mayor of Shenzhen.

He was behind the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Outline Plan for Social Economic Development, permitting foreign direct investment and provided post facto legal protection for at least three years of development projects and plans.

The three Shenzhen Heroes Liang Xiang: worked to reform the Chinese state apparatus Yuan Geng: challenged that system via its ministerial apparatus Luo Zhengqi: advocated a new model of intellectual citizen.

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

October 1981: Bao’an County incorporated in Shenzhen Municipality. Renamed New Bao’an County (1,625 km2).

It comprises seventeen communes.

Shenzhen university was founded in 1983 following Deng Xiaoping will. No campus at the time, the students built up their own university!

This was the pioneering Shenzhen Spirit. First students graduated in 1988 in a university very different from the traditional ones (western style campus) “In his opening address for the 1987/88 academic year, for example, Shenzhen University President Luo Zhengqi provided a definition of the “Shenzhen Spirit” that glossed participation in the construction of buildings as the expression of self-sacrifice, patriotism, and the highest form of intellectual life: “Students, where have you come? This is a Special Zone...”

By 1985 the population of Shenzhen was about 200000 people The only city in the cantonese speaking Guangdong with a majority of mandarin-speakers

CHRONOLOGY

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Riots in Shekou 1988: pre-events of the 1989 movements In 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall. Progressive dissolution of the Soviet Sphere The debate moved to Tiananmen Square in Beijing on April 5, 1989, when students gathered to mourn the passing of Hu Yaobang, who had supported all three Shenzhen heroes in their reforms of key areas of the Maoist system.

They asked for the Fifth Modernization

On May 20, 1989, party authorities declared martial law and deployed more than 300,000 troops into Beijing.

Protest was suppressed by June 4 1989 The general attitude by the Central Government was of denial

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

TOWARDS THE NEW MILLENNIUM In january 1992 Deng Xiapoing take the South China Tour.

He visited Shenzhen’s Guomao Building “which he declared had gone up in “Shenzhen Speed” .

A skyscraper built every three days Shenzhen motto: dare tho be the best in the world In 1984 Deng pointed the University as the model for Shenzhen Speed. In 1992 this model was the Guomao building, a real estate speculation area “...the difference between the government during the 1980s and the government after Deng’s 1992 Southern Tour could be described as the difference between “heroes” and party secretaries.”

94’ a city where only hard work leads to success

(Only several years later, the Special Zone heroes and their accomplishments reappeared in national politics)

94’ flexible dynamic city

government driven

2000

1995

97’ Luxurious city where dreams come true

1990

90’ Successful workers’ city

1985

1980

84’ Place to earn money for bear survival

succes driven

CHRONOLOGY

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MAPPING SHENZEN

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

MAPPING SHENZHEN

Urban Comprehensive Plan tracks polycentric pattern.

Urban structure: Develop the central city as a foundation and to build up three axes (west, center and east parts) and two stripes.

This orienntation of urban plan aims to build two centers and seek a balanced development through five sub-centers (feasable for Shznhen’s current situation).

Challenges of Urban Planning Main charasterstic compact city: high density, multiple land use and efficient public transport system.

Constraints: 1 lack of land resources: The size of the central Shenzhen is around 412 km2. The density of asrea ia as high as 8,028/km2.

Shenzhen’s scale of construction land increased form 3km2 (1979.) to 717.7 km2 (2008.). But according to the Master Plan 2007.-2020., urban construction land should be controlled within 900 km2. - > no ore construcion land left Urban regeneration: key mean to solve the land shortage problem and break the excessive exploatation of virgin island.

2 - Unbalanced Development: Current situation is characterized by more developed city center and lagging behind peropheral area - URBAN VILLAGES (poor infrastracture and environment)

The comprehensive plan of Shenzhen (2007-2020.)

3 - car -orienterd transportation: High - middle class relying on private cars. While public transportation development is crucial but targets middle-class and poor people.

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SHENZHEN ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION INTO 10 COUNTIES

population :

12.53 million citizens Bao’nan has the most inhabitants: about

5 million

MAPPING SHENZHEN

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SHENZHEN ROAD MAP

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METRO

More than

20 lines by 2030 38%

of the public traffic of Shenzhen

Number of stations:

205

System lenght

292.6

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MAPPING SHENZHEN

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LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

DENSITY

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MAPPING SHENZHEN

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VEGETATION COVERAGE

THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF URBAN VILLAGES

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urban villages 1992: legally no villages in Shenzhen – use rights 2001: pay penalty to become a legal building 2005: China´s top 10 civilized cities

growth of urban built-up area in Shenzhen 1978–2005 (source: SUPB)

URBAN VILLAGES

urban villages in Shenzhen - government plan

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Although there is no urban villages ‘legally’, in 2015 they made half of the city.

87’ lost priviledges of collective farms

92’ legally no villages in Shenzhen - use rights China’s top 10 civilized cities

86’ unauthorized building ran out of control

01’ pay penalty to become a legal building

government driven

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1995

1990

90s 80% building were over the limit

1985

1980

82’ each household got a plot of land

succes driven

URBAN VILLAGES

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

urban villages in Shenzhen - the network

URBAN VILLAGES

LANGXIA

zoom in into Langxia and surrounding villages

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LANGXIA VILLAGE

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

TO GUANGZHOU To Guangzhou

SongFu Blvd

BaoAn Blvd

BeijingHKMacau Highway

TO HONG To HK KONG

LANGXIA VILLAGE

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subway

Bitou

Line 11

Site

Songgang

line6ҁunder construction҂

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

handshake tower blocks (doffice competition winning project) market building (doffice competition winning project)

villagers’ villas villagers’ villas factories

ancient temple village houses with historical value 80’s village houses handshake tower blocks

central pond

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SHENZHEN LAB 2019

Langxia village

streets park strip Entrance plaza (commercial)

parking mini plazas central pond

alleys central village plaza north entrance plaza

central village plaza parking

high - rise buildings

STRENGHTS Strong Community Road network is well connected Very good connection to public transport lines Closeness to work places Mixed-Use efficient functions Unique identity and lifestyle

alleys

village houses with historical value

WEAKNESSES Unplanned Fabric Very dense fabric No planning hierarchy Handshake towers don’t have Light and Ventilation Far from hospitals & schools Intense Climatic Factors Services and Utilities in poor state � Water Supply shortage Not enough free time Social gap between migrants and urban population Socio-spatial segregation among neighborhoods 80-s village houses

OPPORTUNITIES Empowerment of bottom-up activities for migrant workers Well connected streets allow permeability of pedestrians Existing structures can be adapted and reused Open spaces can be transformed Factories can be rebuilt Provide affordable housing and working units Meet the changing demands of young migrant workers and villagers Reshaping the urban form ancient temple

handshake towers

THREATS Unstable Buildings Difficulty for Emergency Evacuation â—? Government Policies Gentrification Losing the urban village identity

factories

PROJECT SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

RECONSTRUCTION MODELS 1 Overall reconstruction re-planning old house sites that have no retainable value after removal adjusting the land use function reconstructing houses or other buildings or facilities completely improving the quality of the building environment and optimizing land usage This type has the largest project volume and highest cost and is suitable for ‘villages’ located on important streets.

2 Cycling reconstruction ‘extract density’ method is used to solve problems such as exorbiant density, poor sunlight and ventilation, potential fire disaster by removing partial houses and temporary bulidngs that are poor in quality.

Roadways are expanded, green land is increased, piblic auxiliary facilities improved, and the building density is lowered.

PROTOTYPE a- Tackling the issue of Urban Villages across Shenzhen b- Multifunctional self suffiecient village c- Mixed-Use Prototype d- Applying COmpact City Concept in a form of PROTOTYPE! e- Producing an ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTO!

UNITS = PIXELS - S, M, X & XL SHIFTING + STACKING

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shifting and stacking pixels process

SHENZHEN LAB 2019

SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

density comparison between Sheznehn and Brussels which is suprisingly similar Conclusion: we can achive density on our site with low - rise buildings as well

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The project is planned to be gradually implemented thorugh 3 phases.

PHASE 1 development on the empty plot

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SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

PHASE 2 continuing the development diagonally towards north of the site

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PHASE 3 gradually implementing the concept into urban village

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SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

detailed plan

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Future impressions of the Learning Villages, Section through the Village of Technology

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LOW INCOME / MIDDLE CLASS RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGIES

SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

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LOW INCOME / MIDDLE CLASS RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGIES

SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

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SHENZHEN - URBAN PIXELS

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KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture Brussel