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Across China, many massive industrial buildings now stand unused, a result of the country shifting its economy to new types of industry. These factories are often huge, with strong structures built for heavy machinery. Today, they pose a challenge for architects who want to give them a new life in growing cities. By reusing these structures, designers are finding ways to make them into public, cultural spaces. Features like old furnaces, chimneys, and steel frameworks are now being highlighted, turning the factories into striking city landmarks.
China’s heavy industrial infrastructure began taking shape shortly after the People’s Republic was established in 1949. At that time, the government focused on building heavy industries such as steel, cement, and machinery. This led to the construction of large, purpose-built industrial structures to support rapid industrial growth.
As China opened up its economy, these industries grew and evolved, boosting economic growth and improving living standards. Over time, the country’s focus shifted away from traditional heavy industries toward sectors like electronics and technology. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, by 2020, China was a leader not only in metal production but also in computer and electronics manufacturing. Today, China is the world’s second-largest economy, with a nominal GDP of about $18 trillion (World Economic Forum).
With this shift, many old factories were retired, creating an architectural challenge: how to reuse buildings designed for very specific industrial processes. Architects are now turning these sites into landmarks by keeping dramatic features like large chimneys, furnaces, and steel mills. Their goal is to make these structures valuable again, preserving their scale and turning them into important parts of the urban landscape.
In many cases, these factory buildings are now part of expanding city areas. Architects are creating designs that integrate the old structures into new urban green spaces. This approach not only preserves the industrial past but also improves the environment, turning former industrial areas into public parks and cultural spaces. Many projects focus on making the buildings accessible to the public, giving them new civic and cultural importance while also promoting ecological restoration.
One notable example is the Shougang No. 3 Blast Furnace Museum in Beijing. The furnace was decommissioned before the 2008 Olympics to reduce pollution. Architects from CCTN Design transformed the 49,800 m² structure into a museum, using circulation as the main design element. Features like the "Folding Rule Staircase" and a 72-meter-high Glass Skywalk allow visitors to explore the massive internal spaces, turning a once-industrial shell into a multi-level cultural experience.
Another example is Phase 1 of the Jining Zoucheng Ferroalloy 1971 Industrial Heritage Park, decommissioned in 2005. Covering 61,019 m², the project integrates the original factory structures into a green landscape. Architects from DDON emphasized the building’s heritage, framing it with greenery to create a contrast between industrial and natural elements. The site also serves as a gateway to a future eco-industrial park, linking the industrial past with a sustainable future.
At the Baoshan WTE Exhibition Center in Shanghai, a former steel mill has been repurposed for a future waste-to-energy plant and surrounding park. Architects from Kokaistudios installed a lightweight, translucent polycarbonate structure inside the rusted factory building. This new addition interacts visually with the heavy industrial frame, while materials like stone tiles and steel slags reference the site’s previous industrial use.
Transforming these old industrial buildings helps set a model for urban renewal and heritage preservation. By combining careful interventions with bold new design elements like skywalks and open spaces, architects have turned functional industrial volumes into public, cultural landmarks. These projects ensure that China’s industrial past is not only remembered but also actively shapes the identity of the cities of the future.
