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A future without fossil fuels: MVRDV transforms park after former oil refinery plant in Hangzhou

13 of January '25
Technical data
NAME: HANGZHOU OIL REFINERY FACTORY PARK
function: ART AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER, OFFICE AND RETAIL SPACES
location:

HANGZHOU, China

client: HANGZHOU GRAND CANAL PROTECTION DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION GROUP; HANGZHOU CHENXIANG INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD.
project:

MVRDV

founding partner: WINY MAAS
partner: WENCHIAN SHI
project team: KYO SUK LEE, COSIMO SCOTUCCI, YUNXI GUO, AMERICO IANNAZZONE, SHUSHEN ZHANG, GIOELE COLOMBO, KEFEI YAN, SAMUEL TAM, JIANI YOU, ALEXANDER DA COSTA GOMEZ, MING KONG, KEVIN ZHAO, SEAN WANG
visuals: ANTONIO LUCA COCO, LORENZO D'ALESSANDRO, LUANA LA MARTINA, PAVLOS VENTOURIS, JAROSLAW JEDA, ANGELO LA DELFA, MARCO FABRI, STEFANIA TROZZI, CIPRIAN BUZDUGAN
strategy and development: JAMMY ZHU

calendar:

  • start of construction

area:

  • total usable

  • 170 000

Hangzhou Oil Refinery Factory Park,
project: MVRDV

[Material prepared on the basis of the studio's author's description]

Dutch architectural firm MVRDV has won a competition to design the revitalization of a former oil refinery site in Hangzhou. The centerpiece of the project will be a modern art and science museum that will become the focal point of this transformation. It will transform the former industrial district, located at the southern end of China's Grand Canal, into a modern cultural center. The development also includes office and retail spaces, which will be located in a green environment.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou - wizualizacja projektu

Modernization of a park after a former oil refinery factory in Hangzhou - project visualization

© MVRDV

The transformation of the Grand Canal
into a community-accessible space

The Grand Canal, which is the longest and one of the oldest artificial waterways in the world, was built in part to strengthen economic ties between southern and northern China. Efforts are now underway to transform its entire length into a community-accessible space. The new concept calls for millions of residents living along the 1,700-kilometer-long canal to use its resources and benefit from its proximity to water.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou

Upgrading a park after a former oil refinery plant in Hangzhou

© MVRDV

The transformation of an industrial site
in Hangzhou into a cultural space
and energy sustainable

Hangzhou is located at the southern end of the Grand Canal, and the approximately 18-hectare area where the oil refinery once operated is part of the artery's industrial history. After the refinery closed, most of the buildings that once occupied the area were demolished, but some large refinery facilities and oil tanks still remain. The project developed by MVRDV aims to demonstrate the potential of transforming industrial facilities into cultural spaces. In addition, the project incorporates the integration of renewable energy sources, exemplifying the transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy solutions.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou - widok na istniejące budynki, które zostaną zachowane i przekształcone w przestrzenie biurowe lub handlowe

Modernization of a park after a former oil refinery factory in Hangzhou - a view of existing buildings that will be preserved and transformed into office or retail spaces

© MVRDV

cylindrical museum
As the heart of a modern cultural park

The centerpiece of the park will be the Arts and Science Center, a modern museum whose cylindrical form will reference the silos that once dominated the area. The simple exterior will conceal a complex internal structure: above the circular exhibition hall, partially sunk into the ground, will rise an irregularly spaced arrangement of long rectangular blocks. These spaces will house artists' studios, offices and business premises. The upper areas of these spaces will form terraces, connected by stairs and bridges. They will be used for performances, large-format installations and other cultural events.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou - centralnym punktem parku stanie się Centrum Sztuki i Nauki o cylindrycznej bryle

Modernization of a park after a former oil refinery factory in Hangzhou - the centerpiece of the park will become a cylindrical Arts and Science Center

© Engram

Building facade as part of
passive heating and cooling of the building

The museum's façade is designed to be permeable, allowing air to flow naturally through the building structure. As a result, the interior will undergo passive heating and cooling processes, with minimal temperature fluctuations that will depend on weather conditions. The façade space will also act as a thermal barrier, which will significantly reduce the energy demand required to maintain optimal temperatures in the usable spaces inside the building.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou

Upgrading a park after a former oil refinery plant in Hangzhou

© MIR

exterior structure as a tool to promote
and sustainable development

The building's façade will be equipped with LEDs to transform it into an interactive light surface. After dark, it will become a carrier of visual content, while performing entertainment and informational functions, including the promotion of events held at the facility. In addition, the facade will be covered with thousands of miniature photovoltaic panels, which will effectively convert solar energy into electricity, contributing to sustainable energy management in the building.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou - model bryły Centrum Sztuki i Nauki

Modernization of a park after a former oil refinery factory in Hangzhou - a model of the body of the Arts and Science Center

©MVRDV

As a planet, we realize that we need to move away from oil on a massive scale. This, however, begs the question: what to do with all the infrastructure that was created in the era of the oil industry? On the one hand, it is tempting to make a definitive break with the past, while on the other hand, the vision of a future built on the ruins of past structures seems romantic. In this project, we manage to combine both approaches: we preserve elements of the old industrial infrastructure, while the new structures, clearly distinguishable from the historical ones, point to a better, more sustainable future. Former "fossils" of industry are being transformed into energy drums.

- Says Winy Maas, co-founder of the MVRDV studio.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou

Upgrading a park after a former oil refinery plant in Hangzhou

© MVRDV

Revitalization of park space
and adaptation of industrial facilities to new functions

In the rest of the park, existing buildings will be preserved and converted into office or retail spaces. Many of the buildings that were previously demolished will be rebuilt in a modern form, retaining their original dimensions, but using glass and photovoltaic panels, such as those used in the museum's façade. By using technology to turn any newly created space into an energy source, the park can become energy neutral, generating surplus energy that will be transferred to the grid.

Modernizacja parku po byłej fabryce rafinerii ropy naftowej w Hangzhou - wizualizacja widoku na park z lotu ptaka

Modernization of the park after the former oil refinery factory in Hangzhou - visualization of the bird's eye view of the park

© MVRDV

preservation of industrial structures

The refinery's towers will be preserved and integrated into the park's space, while stairs and platforms will allow visitors to enjoy views of the surrounding landscape. The project expands the functional possibilities of the site, including numerous silos that will gain new uses. Some of them will be transformed, while others will be reconstructed.

Compiled by Anastazja Dżupina

Illustrations provided courtesy of MVRDV studio.

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