A house near Beijing, rebuilt from an abandoned prison

Architects Withoffice turned an abandoned prison into a holiday home with panoramic windows and a terrace near the roof

The facade facing the courtyard was opened with panoramic glazing. It replaced poorly preserved brick walls.

Photo

Chen Zhi

This house has been fenced since World War II, and during the occupation the Japanese military set up a prison here. The new owners decided not to demolish the building, but to redo it with modern details. The reconstruction was carried out by the architects of the Xhaoffice studio, who turned the abandoned building into a modern, comfortable house filled with light.

Photo

Chen Zhi

When the architects first came here, the whole yard was completely overgrown with weeds — they saw not chaos, but hope for a new life. The owners — a family of doctors — did not want to demolish the building and erect something new in its place, so they left everything that was more or less preserved from the old building, and the dilapidated walls facing the courtyard were almost completely glazed, opening the interior space towards a small garden and filling it with natural light.

Near the entrance, a row of sliding doors hides a storage room, a utility room, a laundry room and a staircase leading to the bedrooms on the second floor.

Photo

Chen Zhi

The old house was preserved as much as possible and reinforced with a steel structure. The architects restored the brick and stone masonry and recreated the roof exactly according to the historical model. The rough textured surfaces of the old building enter into a spectacular dialogue with modern details made of light steel, glass and red cedar veneer.

Photo

Chen Zhi

The bedrooms are located in quiet corners of the house with private courtyards or on the second floor — with mountain views.

Photo

Chen Zhi

In the western part of the building there are public areas, including a large dining room facing the courtyard. In the east there is an open kitchen under a high window facing the street.

Photo

Chen Zhi

Additional rooms were added to the main house and a complex of buildings with a courtyard and various spaces was created. New volumes were added to the upper part of the house, expanding the open roof terrace. Now it is a favorite place of the owners, they use it not only for outdoor recreation, but also as an observation deck — a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and mountains opens from there.

Photo

Chen Zhi

Photo

Chen Zhi

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