M50 Bird Water Tower

– Lost in Time and Space: A Reconstruction of the Ruins by FLIP studio

The Bird Water Tower is located in the northwest corner of M50 Creative Park in Shanghai, backed by Heatherwick's 1000 Trees. The water tower has an industrial history of half a century, once the studio of artist and curator Bing Su, and was later abandoned. The renovation aims toreconstruct a series of spatial experiences in the ruins that can allow people to shuttle between the old and new time and place, and immerse themselves in contemporary art.

Starting from the outdoor space, a series of platforms, bridges and stairs were inserted in appropriate positions to form a circulation to the water tower. At the same time, details such as the black rusted steel handrails and balustrades, produced a strong sense of enclosure, effectively establish a sign of "the new".

There are two indoor spaces under the water tower: one is square, the other is rectangle, separated by a narrow outdoor terrace. After renovation, the square one will be transformed into a cafe, while the rectangular one will be a reception and gallery space. In the square hall, therough dark gray cement wall was exposed, while retaining the traces left after the demolition of the interior partition. Then the coffee bar made of black painted OSB were inserted, together to form a "black box". The old walls recalling the old industrial era, lit by pink neon lights, reveal a dim and ambiguous atmosphere.

On the other hand, in the rectangular hall, a two-thirds wall high white box was inserted, exposing only the original texture of the ceiling. The juxtaposition of the new and the old is amplified, especially in the details of the new doorway, where the white box is nested in the old wall: the new wall, the cut brick wall, and the old terrazzo cladding are directly exposed to the viewer in a way similar to Gordon Clark's "architectural anatomy".

The curating of art is another important clue. The introduction of art is usually placed at the key turning point of the circulation space, including various media, such as graffiti, installation, painting and video, so that visitors can be guided by art, gradually access to the water tower. Thewall along the new inserted staircase was specially remained untouched, which led to the dramatic live graffiti performance before the opening. Furthermore, a floating polished metal plate was inserted at the bottom of the water tower so that digital media art works can be projected on it according to the art events.

When the night falls, the water tower, illuminated by vibrant neon lights and dynamicprojections, looks like a lighthouse from another time and space, becoming a unique landmark in the quiet M50 park.