City Tannin-Redefining Storage Space in the Process of Urban Expansion

The crumbling of old structures is breakage in meaning.

Lines and cutting planes relate one individual to another, the public to the private, and nature to mankind; the meanings therein are both independent and collateral, while the boundaries are both clear and murky. In the process of urban expansion, the iron sheets of storage spaces are devoured or driven outwards, forming a special formation on the edges of a city, which also carries a supply chain that feeds the demands from a city.

Tannins are complex compounds found in plants. They can be used in tanning to make animal rawhide into tender and sturdy leather. With City Tannin, we try to soften and tan the economical building materials of iron sheets, steel structures, corrugated sheets, stainless steel that form storage spaces. These storage spaces thus escape the fate of having their integrity silently obscured in the process of urbanization. Instead, their existing functions are incorporated into lifestyles, and their appearances and capacities are redefined, allowing people, goods, and factories to become an organic, integral, and continuous space.

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In the spatial transition from storage functions to living capacity, the greatest challenge lies in rearranging physical interior conditions.

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The exterior environment is examined; this includes sunlight, airflow, temperatures, and seasonal conditions. Objective environmental conditions and generative functions are coordinated, and the layers, openings, walls, and stories of the spaces are rearranged to achieve comfortable and energy-efficient living.

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We designed the inner wall with dual layers with openings planned based on observations of exterior airflow. Meanwhile, a heat insulation layer is installed on the roof to shield the interior from heat and enhance interior air circulation, thus solving the problem with sultriness and underventilation in the interior.

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To counteract the cold air of the winter monsoon and the long duration of sunlight on the south side that causes extra energy consumption by air-conditioning, we installed vertical green belts on the exterior of the structure. The lines of the vegetation, the density of its arrangement, and the window openings were taken into consideration. By unifying the exterior with the interior and utilizing sustainable design, a balance is achieved between nature and lifestyle.