The micro-renovation of the Shennong Temple in Quzhou, Zhejiang, executed by y.ad studio, is an exemplary response to the challenges of cultural heritage preservation. Situated in the Shuitingmen Historical and Cultural Block, the temple spans 500 square meters and has a storied history dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. Throughout its life, the structure has evolved from a lecture hall into a guild hall for Quzhou’s medicinal community. Today, the temple is a site of worship for Shennong, the god of medicine, and a symbol of the area’s historical engagement with healing practices.
Shennong Temple Renovation Technical Information
- Architects1-4: y.ad studio
- Location: Quzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Topics: Sacred Spaces
- Area: 500 m2
- Construction Period: 2022 – 2023
- Photographs: © Schran Images
Under these limitations, there was essentially no room for spatial alterations or design, not even for wall repairs.
– y.ad studio Architects
Shennong Temple Renovation Photographs
Shennong Temple Architectural Heritage and Constraints
The renovation of such a historic building required architectural sensitivity and ingenuity, especially within the confines of stringent preservation regulations. In this context, y.ad studio approached the task with a balance of respect for the past and a modern revitalization strategy.
The primary challenge faced by the design team was the strict regulations governing the preservation of cultural heritage buildings. Any intervention was restricted by laws that prohibited alterations to the building’s appearance, structure, walls, or floors. Even basic repair work, such as using nails to fix objects to the wooden beams and columns, was forbidden. These restrictions required the architects to find creative ways to insert contemporary interventions without touching the original structure—essentially, as the architects described it, “dancing with shackles.”
The strict limitations on what could be changed necessitated a design strategy that maximized the existing space’s use without violating the original elements’ sanctity. The building’s dilapidated state heightened this challenge: the wooden pillars had been painted black, concealing their original character, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and previous users fragmented the interiors.
Reshaping Space Around the Courtyard
The heart of the redesign focused on the temple’s courtyard, a space that had been partitioned and closed off from the rear hall. By removing these partitions and cleaning up the courtyard, y.ad studio transformed this open-air atrium into the visual centerpiece of the entire space. This intervention redefined the building’s spatial circulation, creating a continuous flow around the courtyard that linked the front and rear halls.
The courtyard became a focal point and served as a mediator between the old and the new. Preserving the original trees and water vats, the architects introduced greenery and light back into the space, giving it a sense of vitality that had long been absent. The corridors flanking the courtyard were redesigned to serve dual purposes: as passageways between the halls and as display areas, subtly integrating functionality into a historically significant setting.
Curatorial Design Approach
With minimal physical intervention allowed, y.ad studio adopted a design approach akin to exhibition curation, where lighting, modular assemblies, and movable elements were used to refresh the space. This method enabled the team to avoid any direct contact with the original walls and columns, following the principle of “repair before insertion.” The design team carefully restored the black-painted wooden window panes, beams, and columns, removing alteration layers to reveal the temple’s authentic character. This restoration was guided by a philosophy of “repairing the old as old,” deliberately retaining traces of aging as a nod to the building’s history.
Without the use of permanent installations, the team reconfigured the space with a modular design for elements such as statue pedestals, display racks, soft furnishings, and lighting. This allowed for a flexible, fast, low-cost renovation that respected the temple’s historical integrity.
A Minimalist Intervention
y.ad studio’s micro-renovation of the Shennong Temple teaches how architects can activate space with minimal design intervention. By working within strict cultural relics protection regulations, the team breathed new life into the ancient structure without compromising its authenticity. This project exemplifies how thoughtful, restrained design can achieve functionality and preservation, proving that contemporary architecture can coexist with historical reverence.
Shennong Temple Renovation Plans
Shennong Temple Renovation Image Gallery
About y.ad studio
Established in 2017, y.ad studio is a Shanghai-based design firm that focuses on urban renewal, commercial transformations, cultural-tourism developments, and rural construction, among other areas. The studio provides integrated solutions across interior design, architecture, landscape, and master planning. Constantly challenging conventions, y.ad studio aims to break through boundaries in form and experience, actively connecting design with ideas and space.
Notes & Additional Credits
- Chief Architect: Yan Yang
- Design Team: Zhao Siyuan, Yan Yu
- Construction Firm: Quzhou Yiqing Interior Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.
- Primary Materials: Bronze stainless steel, washed stone, black ironwork
