Glocal West Gate: Preserve the DNA of the Place

Occupied by a local wet street market, the West Gate has been losing over time the cultural relevance and significance that had on the past. Competition by invitation organized by the local Government of Jiading, in which their aim was to renovate the traditional West Gate in downtown Jiading. The new proposal of 100architects was intended not only to bring back the relevance of this cultural heritage, but also reactivate the area by the injection of commercial activity.

Understanding the wider context of the city of Jiading allowed architects to draw inspiration from the traditional environment. With almost 800 years of history, Jiading is a town with a strong craftsmanship tradition and a well-known culture of tolerance and respect to the coexistence of different ideas and beliefs. It has been historically famous for its educational institutions, a big tradition of passing on the knowledge.

THE DNA OF THE PLACE

Our bodies and minds are constantly progressing and evolving. Both traditional Chinese medicine and the modern western science agree on the theory that most of the human cells are constantly being replaced by itself, except the DNA, which keeps the essence of who we are.

A city is in fact a living metabolism, constantly regenerating itself. The question then is what is the DNA of the city that keeps the ethos of the city throughout the time?

Materials provided by 100architects

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