恩宁路位于广州西关老城的心脏地带，对广州而言，具有非常特殊的意义。它因整齐延续的骑楼街，丰富多样的文物古迹，完好保存的旧城生活风貌而被称为“广州最美老街”，但也因为它近年经历的坎坷，成为中国旧城发展的一个综合样本，从而更进一步的吸引了各界人士的关注。

Enning Road is located in Xiguan , Guangzhou, it has a special meaning for the City, there are various kind of historical attractions in it, so it is one of the most well protected old areas in Guangzhou. And it is famous for “the most beautiful old street in Guangzhou”. However, The area suffered a lot during the urban development, which makes it a complex sample for the changing of old cities in China. This is also the reason why Enning Road is concerned by All Sections of Society.

早在2012年广州亚运会召开前夕，竖梁社的两位创始人便曾参与到恩宁路改造中去。当时随着城市变化，恩宁路片区里街坊们熟悉并喜爱的金声电影院被无奈拆除。我们借着参与亚运会的市政提升工程的机会，在电影院原址设计了一个服务于周边居民的社区广场，以及一些公共服务设施，景观装置，虽然设计施工时间极其紧张，还是努力留下了一些历史印记。这成为我们在广州早期的实践经历之一，也进一步奠定了设计深入生活的价值观。项目建成后颇受周边居民喜爱，填补了老城服务设施的空白——没想到仅过了两三年，老城空间日益紧张，无处周转，又把它推平做了一片停车场。这个旨在保存记忆的项目自身也终于被忘却，令人唏嘘。

Back in 2012, before the Asian Games, two of Atelier cnS’s partners participated in the renovation project of Enning Road. The Jinxin Cinema, one of the citizens’ favourite facilities in Xiguan, was dismantled during the urban development. Because the government wanted to improve the public space before the Asian Games, Atelier cnS was invited to designed a community square. Although the construction time was limited, we still did our best to provide citizens with the best achievement. This reconstruction project is also one of our earliest designs in Guangzhou, which make us believe that design is actually a part of our everyday life. Citizens like this project very much after it is open to the public, because it provide new facilities in the old community. However, it was dismantled and turn into a parking lot after 2 years, because of the lack of space in the old community. The project aiming at preserving memory of the site was sadly be forgotten in the end.

▼左：2012年建成的社区广场。右：2015年两位设计师重访项目，此地已变成停车场。/ Left: The community square which was built in 2012. Right: When the two designers visit this site again, it had already been turn into a parking lot.

时间来到2015年，由越秀区城市更新局主持，广州万科承建恩宁路永庆片区改造，希望把它打造成旧城更新的样板。竖梁社参与其中的时候，仍然怀着抱负，但也本着十二分谨慎，和实事求是的态度。

In 2015, the government of the Yuexue District invited Vanke to renovate Yongqingfang in Enning Road, hoping that this area can be an outstanding sample in Guangzhou. When Atelier cnS was invited to participate in the design, we were full of expectation, but also cautious.

▼永庆坊改造前后对比，contrast of Yongqingfang before and after renovation

提到历史街区，很多人的第一反应是“保护”、“修旧如旧”，提到西关甚至则言必称明清民国。实际上老城区情况非常混乱，建筑良莠不齐，有价值甚高的风貌古建筑，近年新建的简易楼房也不少，还有私搭乱建的构筑物，长期空置破败的房屋；再者产权情况也比较复杂，居民心态各不一样，不能以“保留”或“修复”一刀切处理。有些按历史风貌统一整治的街道，看上去原汁原味，却因为业态单一，房屋格局没法吸引现代的商业办公使用等而门庭冷落，只有街道没有生活，沦为“布景一条街”，这是以一厢情愿的做法，我们认为终非良策。正视老城的边缘化处境，从产业业态上、生活内容上注入新活力，并在设计上激发这种新活力，才是可行之道。

When it comes to renovation of the historical site, many people will jump to the conclusion that the old buildings should be protected or renew as they used to be. But the fact is there are both nice historical buildings and temporary buildings which was illegal in Yongqingfang, Many are now vacant for many reasons. Moreover, the opinion of owners are very complicated. Which means that we can not just “restore” all the buildings there. Indeed, some historical streets in Guangzhou were totally restored as they used to be(or they “should be”), but because the condition of these buildings no longer meet people’s need in the modern society, many of the restored buildings are still vacant. There was street without city life. So what we should do is to renew the business modalities of this area, also provide citizens with more interesting spaces to inspire various kind of activities.

▼永庆区域改造前场景，before renovation

▼永庆区域改造后场景，after renovation

按照我们的设想，改造后的永庆片区是一个能平衡传统风貌和当代社区精神的多元化产物。设计工作一开始，我们就将所有近六十栋建筑单体编号排列，逐栋考察，对它在街区的位置，建筑风貌，立面完整性，结构状况等统一评分，最后给出“原样修复”，“立面改造”，“结构重做”，“拆除重建”，“完全新建”的处理建议，并与更新局和开发商反复讨论。

We hope that Yongqingfang could better meet people’s need in the modern society and also retain its traditional spirit after the renovation. As a start, we numbered all buildings, and investigate each of them. After the investigation, we classify these buildings into 5 types: restoration, facade redesign, structure strengthen, rebuilding, and new construction. We discuss with the developer and the Renew Department over and over in order to make the final decision.

▼建筑单体处理意见汇总图，evaluation of all buildings

守旧不一定是最好的办法，传统建筑往往需要大胆的突破才能在今天发挥真正的价值。在施工过程中我们有幸和富有旧建筑修缮经验的施工师傅合作，了解到很多旧建筑，尤其是古建民居的道理，受益匪浅。但我们也一再强调，永庆片区不是无条件的复古“修缮”，而是一次“更新”，是面向未来的。

Traditional buildings could only be better used when they are well redesigned according to the new needs. It is an honor to cooperate with the experienced restoration team, who help us a lot in traditional buildings. But we also emphasized that our design for the Yongqingfang is not just the restoration, but also a renovation facing the future.

▼早期构思草图，early sketch

例如，按照原来街区的“竹筒屋”布局，房子之间没有空隙，采光通风环境非常不理想，令人望而生畏。我们不惜改变这种传统结构，在街区中间引入一个个采光天井，它就能变成非常好用的现代空间了。再比如更新局对街道外立面风貌、檐口高度等管控甚严，与新业态产生了矛盾，我们就把新建立面后退，把新旧两层皮之间的天井塑造成岭南民居传统的前院，方寸之间，更有意境。

For instant, the local traditional dwelling type, known as“Bamboo Houses”, has a very limited space between houses, which made both ventilation and lighting situation unsatisfactory, people may feel terrified in such a dark environment. So we made many little courtyards in the buildings in order to solve this problem. Take another example, we take strict controls of the heights of roof and the reconstruction of building facades along the street. When there are conflicts between the public and private spaces, we setback the new facade and leave a little front yard between old and new walls. Which is also a very traditional way in local dwelling types.

▼联合办公空间的共享中庭，shared courtyard in the co-work office

结合广州城市更新“微改造”的意见，我们提议的是一种“有机更新”的方法。即将城市片区看作一个有机生长，新陈代谢的生命体，因而采用适应性，渐进性的改造方法。改造时具体而论，实事求是，不一味求新，更不追赶风潮，避免以建筑师的个人趣味覆盖城市的多样性。所以整个街区既保持最初规划建造时的智慧，连成一体，又可见每个单体建筑和而不同，个性盎然，是一种名副其实的“微改造”。自然，这个思路需要大量的个性化设计和管理工作，商业昭示性方面会受到一定影响，因此只能算一种理想化的设计而已，但却很有启发意义。

Taking the idea of “micro-renovation” into consideration, what we pursuit was organic renewal. In another word, the whole urban area is like a growing organism, so the renovation should adapt to the current situation rather than following some kind of fashion. Moreover, architects should avoid a “self-important” way, otherwise it would reduce the diversity of the city. As a micro-renovation, we not only need to follow the initial planning, but also need to retain each building’s characteristic. Actually lots of design and managing work needed to be done. but it is still ideal and meaningful.

▼各具特色的单体建筑以及不同的活动空间，distinctive buildings with various public spaces

街区中有一些街坊不舍得搬离的，我们也针对他们的需求设计了不同的施工方案，比如在他们的天花板上新做楼板，把原本依靠在一起的房屋单独加固，甚至原地重建等等，最后改造完的园区里，商业，文化活动应接不暇，又无缝的衔接着原住户的日常生活，文艺青年们寻找角度自拍，粤剧爱好者们照样唱戏，不同的世界拼贴在一起，好像描写广州传统街坊生活的电视剧里的场景，我们觉得也很有意思。

We also provided special construction proposals to the local residents who are unwilling to move from their old houses during the construction, including structure strengthen and reconstruction. When the renovation is finished, they have more commercial and cultural activities in Yongqingfang. Young people taking selfies, seniors find a better place to perform Guangdong opera, different life style collage and weave together, like the famous local TV series : The life scene in Yongqingfang is vivid and interesting again, this is also what we pursuit at the beginning of the design process.

▼以不同方式改造的建筑形态多样，diverse buildings renovated in different ways

▼改造后街区中丰富而又充满活力的商业空间，vibrant commercial areas after renovation

▼坊中居民的生活，life of people living in Yongqingfang

▼夜景，night view

▼总平面，master plan

▼一层平面图，1st floor plan

▼二层平面图，2nd floor plan

▼三层平面图，3rd floor plan

地理位置：广州市恩宁路永庆大街片区，中国
业主：万科，广州市越秀区城市更新局
主创设计：竖梁社（合作设计：南沙原创，景观设计：Lab D+H）
主持建筑师：朱志远
项目团队：潘庆文，冯雅莹，伍荣娟，桑贤铭，赖炜石，陈相颖，梁恒思
施工单位：南秀古建
结构加固方式：砖墙灌浆+钢结构锚固
建筑面积：8000sqm
设计周期：09/2015-02/2016
建设周期：02/2016-10/2017
摄影师:吴嗣铭, 唐瑞阳,

Location: Yongqing Alley, Enning Road, Guangzhou
Proprietor: Vanke, Guangzhou Urban Renewal Department
Design Firm: Atelier cnS，
(Cooperation:  Nansha Original Design, Landscape design: Lab D+H)
Design Director: Zhiyuan Zhu
Design Team: Qingwen Pan, Yaying Feng, Rongjuan Wu, Xianming Sang, 
Weishi Lai, Xiangying Chen, Hengsi Liang
Construction Team: Guangdong NanxiugujianCompany
Structure Strengthen Method: Brick Wall Grouting + Steel Structure 
Anchoring
Scale of Construction:8000 square meters
Design Period:09.2015 – 02.2016
Construction Period:02.2016-10.2017
Photographer: Siming Wu, RuiyangTang