Hefei 1953 Juxing Grain Post Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore / SU Architects

Architects: SU Architects
Area: 920 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Xuguo Tang
Engineering: Luanlu Structural Design Studio
Landscape: SU ARCHITECTS
Lead Designer: Shaoxun Guo, Wenjie Xu
Design Team: Shilin Zhang, Xiqian Lin, Yang Cao, Yuhe Cao
Construction: Anhui Xintong Construction Group Co.
Clients: Heifei Feixi County Rural Revitalization Investment Group Co., Ltd.
Collaborators: ChengHe Intelligent Technology
City: Hefei
Country: China

The Hefei 1953 Juxing Grain Post Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore, designed by SU Architects, is located in Mingchuan Township, Feixi County, Hefei City, within the JuXing Grain Post Cultural and Tourism Resort. The project transforms an old granary into a space for storing spiritual sustenance, blending rural heritage with modern design. The original 1953 brick-and-wood granary structure was preserved and reinforced with a new steel frame, juxtaposing old and new materials. A glass facade replaced parts of the deteriorated south wall, creating tension between traditional elements and contemporary interventions. An “ivory tower” illuminated by natural light serves as a central feature, offering a ceremonial space that doubles as a bookshelf, enhancing community interaction and accessibility. The project reflects on the “temporality” and “regionality” of rural construction, emphasizing a social mission to revitalize the local cultural memory.

Hefei 1953 juxing grain post shanghai sanlian bookstore / su architects

Barns and rural landscapes have long been ingrained in the agrarian roots of civilization, with food deeply embedded in cultural memory. This backdrop of granaries and the countryside shapes the design of the Hefei 1953 JuXing Grain Post Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore, transforming the space from storing physical nourishment to housing spiritual sustenance. For the architects, it presents not only a challenge of integrating new and old but also a reflection on “temporality” and “regionality” in rural construction. Located in Mingchuan Township, Feixi County, Hefei City, within the JuXing Grain Post Cultural and Tourism Resort, this project marks the first building at the resort’s entrance. Its modest and unassuming presence, much like the quiet rice stored in a granary, continues to embody the enduring warmth of daily cultural memory.

The original granary wall, built in 1953 with a brick-and-wood structure, has deteriorated over time. To preserve most of the existing walls, a new steel frame was introduced to support the main load, reflecting the interplay between old and new. For safety reasons, part of the south wall was removed and replaced with a glass facade supported by a wooden frame. This combination of red brick, glass, and wooden elements intentionally creates a tension between the traditional and contemporary, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

The original granary, once confined to grain storage, was heavy, closed-off, and silent. A 1.5-meter diameter opening was cut into the geometric center of the roof, with an extended, tower-shaped space placed beneath it to channel light into the midpoint of the interior. This “ivory tower” serves as both a natural light channel and a ceremonial element, doubling as a bookshelf. This space encourages perception and interaction, making it accessible as a library for nearby elementary school students and town residents, thus maximizing the new space’s connection and utility within the community.

The concept of “Social Mission Above the Granary Bookstore” emphasizes the architects’ focus on “temporality” and “regionality” when revitalizing rural areas. These dimensions recognize that people’s behaviors and needs for a space evolve over time. The design challenge, therefore, is to integrate the wisdom and experiences from these various time periods, making this approach a valuable and mission-driven aspect of the project.