Jiang

The museum project aims to give meaning to a geographical area in decline, which now looks uncertain and without any identity through the enhancement of its history and local crafts, into an exhibition space where users would have the opportunity of learning history and culture of China through the theme of silk. The need of designing this kind of space, is to counteract the recent phenomenon of internationalization that has badly threatened the existence of the smallest artisan realities. It will serve not only to preserve the value of a specific place, but also to counter the modern widespread indifference to a unique cultural heritage. My thesis research begins with a urban historical analysis of Beijing, up to focus more deeply on the study area, Dashilar district.In order to solve this mission, I choose the specific area of Qianmen East, located in the central axis of the spatial arrangement that characterized the China Capital city. This area has not been chosen randomly, it identifies a district which have been a prosperous area for more than 600 years. There, local architecture is still characterized by famous and characteristic Chinese-style buildings, the Hutongs. The area have been re-modernized recently keeping into the style all the traditional and folkloristic aspects, it attracts thousands of visitors per day who find in that place, the most characteristic aim of China. Some of Streets and shops in Qianmen are not anymore authentic but mostly renowned nevertheless few historic shops , founded in the oldest past, are still active. This gathering of narrow streets is currently divided into two main areas. The western part, better known as the Real Dashilar is partly renovated and partly still original. This fragment has undergone several redevelopment that unlike the Eastern part have been much less invasive. In contrast to that, the East was firstly totally destroyed and than rebuilt, to meet the requirements of the recent Olympic Games who have literally revolutionized and reformed much of the city, in view of an international audience income. New reconstructed buildings don’t have any historical values, although they still own the existing ones appearance. This fact establish an uneasy relationship between the past and the present, representing and inauthentic act for the territory upgrade. This one, is definitely the biggest problem that we find in Qianmen, the old neighborhood that once represent Beijing and China had been substantially re-designed as international. Recent times have seen lots of designers trying to take a step back from this way of acting, people are now trying to re-capture the historical Roads old charm and value, not necessarily copying the style of the past, but looking to restore a cultural consciousness. It is now necessary to act following a new design approach in order to re-discover the place basic authenticity, protection its identity. The place rediscovering process tries to create a common thread between past and present, analyzing differences and strategies among old and new craft realities. This thoughts are solved into the museum spacial interior layout, inspired by the city of Wu Zhen in the South of China. The river that runs through the entire city is played within the space and allows the visitor to discover the world of silk through the space.