“ Hua Yuan Hsin Chen ,, was a noble community but not today. In this project, we re-observe those tiny, obscure and normal information from lives, which was used to be meaningful and inspring.
In 1968, Tse-Lan Hsiu, a Taiwanese architect, built her ideal i magination of community in suburbs of Taipei city. It was located on the h ills and became the first hilly community “Hua Yuan Hsin Chen”(HYHC) in Taiwan. Buildings in this community was based on topgraphy and became various features. HYHC was seemingly an UTOPIA, which included thier own roads, water, transportations , schools, markets and restaurants. During the period, residents who lived in HYHC including politicians, celebraties ...etc. It was a place which people can hard to move in even they were wealthy.
However, along with bankrupt of Hsin Chen Company, the UTOPIA n o longer exists. Public facilites was hard to work without a team . The rights between public and private were also hard to deal with. Therefore, HYHC became an isolate island and residents started moving out.
Maybe it was not that gorgeous like it used to be, but since th ere was no strict restrictions anymore, it owned more capacity. Low hou se price and great quality of nature attracted some people, such as arti sts and ecologists. New residents started to make a stand, hold art act ivities and own committee as well.
During five decades, Hua Yuan Hsin Chen lives from prosperity to failure and becomes a normal community nowadays. Residents in different periods have different understanding and memories with HYHC. The failing of public space obstructs the relationship between peop le and groups. However, there should be more imagination and possibilt y in HYHC. Thus, we hope to provide a new perspective for residents and see HYHC in different ways. Inspring people to make their own me mories in current era.
Hua Yuan Hsin Chen cannot be changed with a great scale. Also, residents already set their own culture, which was connected with nature and peol ple. What we want to do is not to resuscitate the old life and scene in this communi ty, but open up the next page for HYHC.
We choose three symbolic points and hope to extend from these t hree design. Compeleting the part which was disappear, then filling in our co mprehension and the positive power to HYHC by approching their characteristic, past , and changes. We are not going to tear down any buildings in HYHC but to re-s hape them in a soft way, which can make people really walk into. We name it as “Pro menade”.
Here is the main entrance route of HYHC. Actually there is stil l 1-2 km between public road to the center of community. There were three points on this route : Archway, Security guard, and Fountain. These were the first impression for people who entered the community. Besides, they were the spiritual symbol of Hua Yuan Hsin Chen. After Hsin Che n company bankrupted, these points lost their function and importance.
Ting-Tao Guan was the activity center in the past. It used to h ave restaurants, kindergarten, offices, markets and swimming pool. It stands in the core of whol e community. The architecture reflects not only, aesthetics and constructure in specific era, b ut the unique style of architect Hsiu. It lost its function almost ten years. But due to the loa ction and unique arch-style, it is still the symbolic nowadays.
Lan-Xi (Ｘi＝river) was the main water resources in the past 50 y ears. This structure was planned to become a kiosk for people who came to relax and had BBQ near the river. The government forbade any constructures in this area since they we re planned to be a part of rservior. The lefted structure became useless.
Security Guard was the “filter” when entering HYHC. It showed its closed, noble and authority. However, it remains as an empty box today. In this project, we refer it as a new start point of “Promenade”.
Fountain connects with five main roads in the community. It was also a royal symbol and the place gathering residents and tourists. After being abandoned few years, it bec ame water booster station. This booster station lacked of aesthetics, it made the view of the central b ecome disodering.
For this place, we hope to prolong the spirits in the past, mak e it to a memorial square but simultaneously including the actual function : water booster station.
We place a plate to be the entrance. This plate saperates pipes and tank, pipes therefore becomes a “ monument”.
This place remains its funktions, therefore we should plan the route for technicians when repairing. This route is not only for technicians, but for people wandering at this spot.
Outside the tank, we made a small hill facing bus stop and stand across the street. Just like it used to be, this place becomes the space for sitting and leisure again.
The essence of Promenade comes from people’s intention. When people’s intention change with moving, the range of Promen ade extends or contracts, becomes an indistinct boundary and permea tes through others.
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1.
Hua Yaun Hsin Chen lacks public space recently. But in these re latively closed community, people here never reduce their desire to public. Som e residents share their private space, make them become classrooms, restaurants, or gathering place. However, the use of private spaces are limited since the y are too small for bigger groups, and therefore hard to run a long-term business. We hope to prolong the way of these distinguish use when we are on the way to satisfy residents.
2.
As former mentioned, there are increasing people from different fields living in HYHC today. People conflicts a lot since they think differently. To increase opportunities for residents to communicate and exchange their ideas in order to reduce these fights is also an impotant thing which we hope to happen i n Ting Tao Guan.
3.
There are couple ecducational institutes in HYHC, and some self -learing groups as well. Ting Tao Guan can act as an main role to provide some resources such as classrooms or facilities for these groups.
4.
Some activities, which were hold annually in the past, does not exist today. When Ting Tao Gaun is organized, the community can collaborate with the artists living here and raises the concern from others.
We do not complete the whole desgin for Lan-Xi structure. After giving our main concept through Guard, Fountain, and Ting Tao Guan, we hope residents can be in spried and this place can be completed by them. We intervene some parts of Hau Yuan Hsin Chen. However, how it really should be like depends on people who live here.
