THE REBIRTH OF THE DANS

The site is located on the southeast coast of Shenzhen, the birthplace of Shenzhen‘s aquatic culture. Once there was a tribe called “the dans”living on the sea. They lived on fishery and seldom went on land, creating unique forms of houseboats and fishing rafts. however, the life-style of the dans has been eliminated because of the rapid urbanization of Shenzhen, they have all lived ashore and stopped fishing. The treasure of this culture is dying out. Meanwhile, this area of the city has been separated into pieces by the bay because of the absence of the tribe on the sea. This project is trying to reproduce the houseboat culture of the dans, translating it in an architectural way. And also create a nexus to reconnect different zones of the city, which makes it possible for the culture to last forever on the water and to be a part of the city's future.

Drill Hall Floor Plan

What if we were to think about the armory typology in relation to its original architectural inspiration: the 19th century train station? Both building types, 19th century stations and armories, are organized around entry buildings attached to large columnless halls, both employ similar spatial proportions and structural approaches, and both deal with high volumes of circulation.