Tower of Bricks: Connecting the Past and the Present of a Place

Interval architects, Middle Density, Project, Territory and mobility, Urban Paradigms

Accessibility, Architecture&environment, Brick, Chimney, China, Courtyard, Environment, Hengshui, Heritage, Industrial context, Landmark, Landscape, Material atmospheres, Project, Reconstruction, Refitting Places, Refurbishment, Territorial Approach, Tower

Photography: Zhi Geng

The project began with an abandoned Hoffman brick kiln, which was located between Hengshui wetland park and the city proper of Hengshui. It was formerly a place where nearby factories used to drain their sewage water. As the only building on a wetland site, the brick kiln was highly recognizable with its chimney. However, the Hoffman kiln was gradually abandoned due to the national policy that banned the burning of bricks out of clay as an environmental protection measure. The building was eventually demolished by the government due to its collapsing condition. With the new governmental plan to convert the wetland into a botanic park, the project called for the design of a botanic art center on the site of the former kiln. We decided that the memory and history of the demolished kiln has to be recalled and remembered with the new architecture. We hope to connect the past and the present of the place with this project.