Atelier guo operates with conservation limits in China
In Nanping Village near Huangshan, ChinaAtelier Guo transforms a centuries-old ancestral hall in operation cinema and public lounge, without altering its protected structure. The project demonstrates how conservation can act as a framework for a new collective life. The intervention is minimal in physical impact but expansive in cultural aspirations, positioning the building as a shared platform for film, reading and everyday gathering in a rural context increasingly shaped by migration and change.
The Cheng family’s ancestral hall is kept intact through a turntable system that introduces all new functions. Developed by the architects, this rotating panel system is placed lightly in the three bay layout. Inspired by the traditional Huizhou construction logic, where structural elements and filling elements function separately, it allows the emergence of new spatial divisions without compromising the original fabric. The panels open and close to recalibrate the thresholds between public and private zones, improving ventilation and protecting the existing wooden surfaces from moisture.
The structural rhythm of the ancestral hall frames multiple modes of viewing, including eye-level seating within the second bay or from a distance in the entrance courtyard. The screen is never isolated, but always embedded in layers of columns, frames, and traffic. Above, a functional shading system allows for daytime projections, turning the courtyard into a customizable amphitheater that shifts with light and activity.
all images from Qingshan Wu
a library woven into the structure
A library at mezzanine level occupies the upper floor of the hall, where the based in Shanghai The Atelier Guo team combines tall windows and generous proportions with detachable, modular furniture. This flexibility allows the space to host reading sessions as well as informal gatherings, aligning with the project’s wider ambition to support cultural programming and everyday use.
The steel elements are wrapped in wood, aligned with the existing textures of the room, while the dimensions of the furniture are carefully calibrated to fit comfortably within the historical envelope. The project combines off-site prefabrication with on-site assembly by local craftsmen, ensuring both precision and adaptability. Even technical systems such as the shading mechanism and coffee services are integrated with minimal intrusion, maintaining the integrity of the heritage structure.
As the panels rotate and the spaces expand or contract, the building is constantly redefined. Its operation is based on the active participation of villagers, proposing a change in the way of understanding rural heritage.
the fabric of the village leads to the hall, placing the cinema in everyday life
the exterior of the ancestral hall is preserved intact
the courtyard becomes an outdoor cinema
the main viewing area is defined with minimal intervention within the ancestral hall
