Songzhuang Micro Community Park Afreen.pdf

urban design improvement studies

1. Songzhuang Micro
Community Park
01 Afreen Ameena Mohamed

2. Generic Details
Project:Songzhuang Micro Community Park
Client:Beijing Songzhuang Investment
Development Co., Ltd
Architects: Crossboundaries
Program:Landscape
Location:Beijing, China
Building area:5900 m2
Completion Date:June 2021

3. Architects
Crossboundaries is a multidisciplinary,
design-centered practice with projects
ranging from urban planning, architecture
and interior design all the way to graphic
design, programming, teaching and event
creation. They practice by name, crossing the
boundaries of the design domain, initiating
activities and dialogues across different
fields.
Crossboundaries was founded by Hao Dong
and Binke Lenhardt in 2005 in Beijing.

4. Reason behind the project
Songzhuang, a local village in Beijing’s Eastern
suburbs, famous for its art community. Urban migration
of younger people resulted in an increasingly aging
village population left in charge to look after the
youngest, combined with local art visitors, each with
their own needs for and within public spaces.
Understanding the challenge of offering versatile and
inclusive communal facilities, the Songzhuang
government has commissioned Crossboundaries to
regenerate a linear streetscape adjacent to a parking
lot, close to the Xiaopu Cultural Plaza, into a lively
outdoor community park.

5. Concept
• A concept of “urban rooms” was created to suit the surrounding
environment while enhancing its capacities as a community hub.
The L-shaped plot features a series of outdoor “rooms” divided by
brick walls.
• The major factors influencing this location were escaping
from the fast-paced city and pressures of modern society
while living side-by-side with the local population.
• This odd combination of art visitors and an aging population
created an interesting scenario, where each group has their
own needs for public spaces.

6. Keywords
Micro Community Park
•A small-scale public park
designed to serve the needs of
the local community, providing
space for leisure, social
interaction, and cultural
activities.
Artist Village
•A community or neighborhood
where a significant number of
artists live and work, often
characterized by a creative and
vibrant atmosphere.
Urban Rooms
•Public spaces within cities that
are intentionally designed to
function as outdoor rooms or
gathering places for people.
These spaces are often
delineated by surrounding
buildings, streets, or
landscaping elements,
creating defined boundaries
and a sense of enclosure.

7. Keywords
Nature Integration
•The process of incorporating
natural elements such as green
spaces, trees, and water
features into the design of the
park to create a harmonious
relationship between the built
environment and the natural
landscape.
Multi-functional Spaces
•Areas within the park that can
serve multiple purposes, such
as hosting outdoor
performances, art exhibitions,
workshops, and recreational
sports
Accessibility
•Ensuring that the park is easily
accessible to all members of
the community, including
people with disabilities and
elderly residents, through the
provision of barrier-free
pathways, seating areas, and
recreational facilities.

8. Keywords
Social Interaction
•Encouraging opportunities for
people to come together,
connect, and engage in
meaningful interactions within
the park, fostering a sense of
community and belonging.
Inclusive Design
•Designing the park in a way
that considers the needs of
diverse users, including
people of all ages, abilities,
and backgrounds, to ensure
equal access and participation
for everyone.
Different Activities
•Recreational pursuits and
activities that people engage
in for relaxation and
enjoyment, such as picnicking,
walking, and playing sports.
• Physical activities and games
that people participate in for
fun and exercise, such as
basketball, soccer, and
jogging.

9. Issues behind
SongZhuang Art District was
established as a refuge for Chinese
artists, looking for a peaceful,
convivial atmosphere in which to
create — beyond the pressures of
the bustling city.

10. Spaces
The L-shaped plot features a
series of outdoor ‘rooms’ –
spaces, whose designs
trigger but not limit certain
uses – along a linear loop
track, a connecting element
meandering between street
side pavement to an
extending park.
These rooms offer different
levels of enclosure and
boundary following a
sequence.

11. Welcoming Room
Transforming the initial street corner into a small plaza, the
first room opens up a semicircular space defined by its
surrounding angular brick walls in combination with large
mirror surfaces.
In the morning, tai chi and fan dance are performed, while
the evening attracts groups of more rhythmic dancers.

12. Social Room
The second room has long benches that invite Chinese
chess players and their audience, chatting groups of elderly
ladies in the shadow of the trees, and grandparents with
babies. On the weekends, younger people bring drinks
from the cafes across the road to take selfies in front of the
grey brick and layered perforated Corten steel backdrop.

13. Play Room
In the “play” room, dedicated to children and their
caretakers, layered brick walls with peek-a-boo openings
and nooks perfect for hide-and-seek accompany speaking
tubes through which kids can communicate from one end
of the room to the other. These ludic yet aesthetically
sensitive interventions can be found throughout the park —
making it appealing to adults and children alike.

14. Exercise Room
Inside the rectangle of the park, the yellow
loop track itself spans up the fourth room,
increasing in width to become an open-air
gym, a sport space in the middle of green
meadows.

15. Conclusion
By integrating elements of cultural heritage,
nature, sustainability, and community
engagement, the park seeks to address a
diverse range of needs and challenges faced
by the local community in Songzhuang.
Its emphasis on accessibility ensures that the
park is inclusive and welcoming to all
members of the community, regardless of
age, ability, or background.

16. Thank you