On April 19th IFP will host a presentation with architects Neill Gaddes and Xu Yijing (SANS) followed by an open discussion:
DASHILAR AND THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
- Can creative industries’ participate in Urban Revitalization beyond Gentrification?
In early 2011 a project was begun at the request of a state owned developer to propose an alternative approach to urban revitalization in one of Beijing’s oldest districts; Dashilar. Previous planning approaches for districts adjacent to Dashilar were heavily criticized and, post-Olympics, Tabula-Rasa style redevelopment was becoming increasingly unviable politically and financially.
The resultant platform (as opposed to plan) focused on effecting and nurturing the Soft Infrastructure of the area with the lofty, but well intentioned, vision of a “heterogeneous yet interdependent mix of business and people both new and old, restoring Dashilar’s deserved prosperity and traditional vibrancy”
Three years on, visible changes such as new businesses and renovations have occurred alongside less visible actions such as policy experimentation and adoption of the overall direction of the plan by local authorities. As eager early participants in this process, Beijing’s creative community’s support of the project can be summarized through two broad actions; 1. Physically moving into the area, increasing the depth and variety of the commercial ecology. 2. Providing responses and suggested solutions to some of Dashilar’s social, architectural and infrastructural issues.
Through the context of the Dashilar Pilot series, and with a view to ultimately inform the 2014 edition, we would like to invite open discussion and critique on the creative industries’ role in these two actions, along with the overall future development of Dashilar.
About SANS
SANS is a multi-disciplinary creative studio founded by Neill Mclean Gaddes and Xu Yijing in 2010 and as a studio, has been integral part of the Dashilar Platform since 2013. Their practice incorporates exhibition design, workshop and event planning, old building adaptive reuse, and both urban and rural revitalisation strategies in New Zealand and within China; Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Anhui, and Fujian.
IFP Sessions: Dashilar Platform/SANS
Saturday April 19th, 6pm, (18:00) IFP Studio, Heizhima hutong 13