村委大楼改造：特殊“村民”的公共空间

Renovation of the Council Building : Public Space for Special ‘Villagers’

计家墩村位于富饶的江苏昆山，是个八十年代盖起来的村子，四周都是稻田，有两三条水道穿村而过，行走其间是江南水乡的秀丽风景。村子在两年前逃脱了被整体拆除、改建为工厂的厄运，妥协后的结果是被开发改造，成为城市人梦想中的那种“乡村”：安静、田园、放松、有趣。未来的“村民”将是从上海驾车一小时来这里体验乡村生活的城市人，他们将在这小住并参加各种活动，对城乡差异的体验将是他们来此的主要目的。

Jijiadun Village is located in the fertile Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. It was a village built in the 1980s and surrounded by rice fields. There are two or three waterways passing through the village. The walk is the beautiful scenery of the Jiangnan Water Village. The village escaped the misfortune of being dismantled and rebuilt as a factory two years ago. After the compromise, the result was to be developed and transformed into the kind of “village” that city people dreamed of: quiet, pastoral, relaxed and fun. The future “villagers” will be those urban people who would love to experience the rural life here for an hour driving from Shanghai. They will stay here in local accommodation and participate in various activities. To experience urban-rural differences will be their main purpose.

▼建筑南立面，south elevation of the building

设计任务是位于村口的村委大楼的改造和加建，让它成为未来“村民”的公共活动空间。最初，业主并未提出严格的功能要求，未来这里的空间会出租给小商户来经营酒吧、咖啡馆、商铺和工坊；唯一确定的是要有作为餐馆的大空间，以及配套厨房。此外，需要给每个经营场所提供室外空间，让有限的空间可以承载更多的活动。

我们同业主一起确定了从空间操作入手的工作方式，营造从大到小、有级差关系的一系列空间，并尽可能多地创造积极的公共空间。这种使用功能上的不确定性一直延续到了建筑落成之后，原来计划用作餐厅的大空间成为展览和活动空间，每个小房间也承载了起初预期之外的功能。

The design task was the transformation and addition of the village committee building located at the entrance of the village, making it a public space for future “villagers”. Initially, the owners did not propose strict functional requirements. In the future, the space would be rented out to small merchants for bars, cafes, shops and workshops. The only certainty is to have a large space as a restaurant, as well as supporting kitchens. In addition, it is necessary to provide outdoor space for each business unit so that the overall limited space can carry more activities.

Together with the owners, we have established a working process that starts with the operation of space, creates a series of spaces from big to small, and has a hierarchical relationship, and creates as many positive public spaces as possible. This functional uncertainty has continued until the completion of the building. The large space originally planned as a restaurant becomes an exhibition and event space. Each small room also carries functions that were far from originally intended.

▼建筑南侧局部外观，part of the south elevation

冲突，在旧有基地的气质之间

Confliction Between the Temperament of Original Bases

建于上世纪九十年代的村委大楼有着双坡层顶、两层钢筋混凝土框架结构。东侧有一间后来加建的公厕，屋脊离地十米高，是整个村子最高大的建筑。改造前的村委大楼和大部分政府建筑一样，布局紧凑、外观平实；虽然屋顶用了青瓦坡屋顶，但四四方方的外形与城里人印象里的江南水乡有着很大出入。特别是建筑四周都是八米高的墙面，直上直下地区分了建筑内外，绕行一周并没有一处让人想待下来的积极空间，作为村里唯一的公共建筑，在空间处理上却没有公共性。村委大楼的空间权力关系简单明了，威严高大的大楼让站立于其前的人们显得无足轻重。

Built in the 1990s, the village committee building has a double-slope roof and two story reinforced concrete frame structures. On the east side there is a public toilet that was added later. The ridge is ten meters above the ground and is the tallest building in the entire village. The village committee building before the renovation, like most government buildings, has a compact layout and a plain appearance. Although traditional roof tile is used on the roof, the shape of the boxy square is quite different from the Jiangnan Water Village. in particular, the building is surrounded by eight-meter-high walls. There are areas inside and outside the building that go straight up and down. There is not a positive space for people to sit down. Ironically, as the only public building in the village, it created no public space. The spatial power relations of the village committee building are simple and clear. The majestic and tall buildings make people standing in front of them seem insignificant.

▼改造前的大楼，没有公共性

building before renovation with no public space

有趣的是，村委大楼的威严和封闭与整个村子的开放和平气质之间，差异巨大。沿着小巷走走，就会发现这里的公共空间有机而又动人。沿街的界面不时会出现惊喜，一些积极生动的小空间面向行人，让建筑的界面不再冰冷。

Interestingly, there is a huge difference between the majesty and closure of the village committee building and the openness and peace of the whole village. Walking along the alley, you will find the public space here organic and moving. There will be surprises from time to time along the street’s interface, some active and small spaces facing pedestrians, so that the building’s interface is no longer cold. However, there are tremendous conflictions between the enclosed building and open village. Public spaces alongside streets are active. Those positive spaces light up the street interface, attract pedestrians, and warm the building façade.

▼计家墩中建筑细部构成积极的公共空间，positive spaces in JiJiaDun Village