SMALL SITE，BIG STORIES——ZHONGSH AN SHIPYARD PARK

This park was built upon an old shipyard and brown field.The design explains itself as  to how landscape architects can turn a wrecked site into a beautiful，meaningful and functional place, as well as to the important role  landscape architects can play in urban renovation．

History："A small site with big stories"

The shipyard was originally built in the 1950s and went bankrupt in 1999.Though small in scale， it reflects the remarkable 50 year history of socialist China, including the culturaI revolution of the

1960s and 70s. It is therefore a space to remember and tell stories to those who did not experience this period of history．  
A challenging setting：Water level fluctuations，tree preservation and design with machines
The site inventory ofthis small former shipyard included an existing lake of fluctuating water  1evels，existing trees and vegetation，and the wreckages of docks，cranes，rails，water towers and other machinery．These factors challenged the design in three ways．

Challenge l：Fluctuating water levels．
With the existing Iake connected through the Qijiang River to the sea，water levels fluctuate up to 1.1 meters daily. To meet this challenge, a network of bridges were constructed at various elevations and integrated with terraced planting  beds so that native weeds from the salt march can be grown and visitors can feel the breath of the ocean．

ABOVE：The rust rails reused, and became central access to the park, along with wild native
grasses.    

ABOVE：MasterPlan, Zhongshan Shipyard Park
FACI|NGPAGE：
CLOCKWlSE FROM TOP：Bird’seyeviewofthepark；Thereuseofdocks；and,
The existing site

Challenge 2:Balance river width regulations for flood control while protecting old ficus

trees along the riverbank.Regulations ofthe Water Management Bureau required the river corridor   at the east side of the site to be expanded from 60 meters to 80 meters to manage water flow. This  meant that a series old banyan trees were to be cut down in order t0 widen the river channel．The design approach was to dig a parallel ditch of 20 meters width on the other side of the trees, leaving them intact as an island of preservation．

Challenge 3：Remnant rust docks and machinery-nothing as gigantic or unusual as a gas works or steel factoryThese elements,if left intact because of a pure preservation or ecological restoration ethic，might actually be a distraction or nuisance for local residents. Three approaches are taken to artistically and ecologically dramatize the spirit ofthe site using these elements：preservationmodification ofold forms and creation ofnew forms.New forms include a network of straight paths，a red box and a green box that dramatize the character ofthe site in an artistic way．

The design especially pays attention to the following aspects：

Site opportunities and design in details

From the preservation ofvegetation along the old lake shore，the protection ofold banyan trees  along the river side，the reuse ofrailsthe decoration of water towers and the placing and reuse of dilapidated machines，to the creation of the red box,all original required elements are carefully designed to  fulfill the design intention set forth at project inception．
Functionalism

Function reigns supreme in this design.This is evident in the network ofpaths that link unique
locations and exits，the reuse of docks for tea houses and club houses,the accessible terraces
planted with native plants，the light tower made from the former water tower,and the paving
under trees where shadow boxing can be practiced．

The Red Box,telling the story of cultural revolution and the red culture of
the socialism China in the past years.

Relationship to the urban context

The park merges into the urban fabric through a network of paths and urban facilities that were extended Into the park，such as docks that are reused for tea houses(10cal people customarily
drink tea in tea houses)．Water elements merge via the inlet from the sea that fluctuates along with ocean tides.

Environmental responsibility
The principle of reducing, reutilizing and recycling natural and man-made materials is well followed in this project．Original vegetation，soil and natural habitats were preserved，just as only native plants were used throughout the park．Machines,docks and other structures were reutilized for educational，aesthetic and functional purposes.

This park is environmentally friendly，educational, and full ofcultural and historical meanings. It calls people to pay attention to culture and history that  has not yet been designated as formal or "traditional."It is about the common man．as well as an environment ethic that states．"Weeds are beautiful．"

PROJECT
Zhongshan Shipyard Park，Zhongshan City，Guangdong Province，China
DATE OF COMPLETION：May 2001
DESIGN FIRM：Turenscape, Beijing，China
DESIGN PRINCIPAL：Kongjian Yu
OTHER DESIGNERS
Peng Wei，Huang Zhengzheng，Qiu Qingyuan, Li lianghong，Hu Haibo
PHOTOGRAPHY：Kongjian Yu，Yang Cao
AWARDED：2002 ASLA Honor Award