NODE Architecture & Urbanism Revitalizes Liangmao Village

Source: archdaily.com

Source: archdaily.com
Background: Revitalizing Shenzhen Urban Villages through Design
Launched in 2021, Longgang Urban Village Program—led by co-curator Zhou Hongmei and Meng Yan—is focused on rejuvenating six Shenzhen urban villages. NODE Architecture & Urbanism plays a key role as co-curator and design director of Liangmao Village, taking it from concept through completion.

Source: archdaily.com
Context: The Crisis of Homogenization
Shenzhen’s urbanization has erased much of the unique character of its urban villages, leaving a sea of unidentified developments. Liangmao Village, a mere 3.15 hectares in size, illustrates this trend. Originally a rural hamlet, it was reconfigured in the 1990s as a factory-supporting housing district, planned on an uncompromising 10×10-meter grid. Such homogeneity destroyed its natural identity, blurring into the greater pattern of generic urban sprawl.
Design Strategy: From Uniformity to Diversity

Source: archdaily.com
NODE’s strategy reconstitutes Liangmao as a « village with a thousand faces » by rekindling public life, intersecting varied experiences, and reconnecting fragmented spaces. Taking on a strategy of « points, lines, and planes, » the design draws forth dynamic, participatory public spaces for children and adults alike, built around a new spatial story.
Urban Design Framework
• T-Shaped Street Cluster: Crosses various village zones through a multi-level network of paths, parks, and social areas, and enhances spatial flow.
• Two Infrastructure Clusters:
o Heritage Park reconnects old village and new village via a steel bridge and landscaped courtyards which evoke historic precedents.
o Community Park offers multi-purpose, vertical spaces including an amphitheater, upper-level basketball court, and children’s play areas—positioned around existing trees and topography.
Collaborative Approach: Architecture + Art + Craft

Source: archdaily.com

Source: archdaily.com
NODE hired ATELIER XI and artist Xue Feng to collaborate, combining architecture, landscape, and facade art. Drawing on Liangmao’s 200-year history of bamboo weaving, the design exploits this traditional craft in entry kiosks, murals, and public art, reinforcing cultural memory.
Street and Public Space Upgrades
ATELIER XI reconfigured streetscapes by unveiling terraced gardens and widening walkways, converting narrow corridors into balconies for the residents. SURE Design murals and signage provide unity to visual identity, rendering the village more communicative and intuitive to navigate.
Looking Ahead: Beyond Physical Renovation
Liangmao’s revitalisation is in progress. The scheme aims to go beyond physical regeneration, striving for balance between spatial planning (« hardware ») and local government (« software »). By its integration of cultural industries and community participation, it aims for a sustainable, holistic strategy to urban village regeneration.

Source: archdaily.com