Contemporary Living in a Shikumen Lilong: Yong'an Mill case study in Shanghai.

The Lilong, literary translatable as neighborhoods (Li) alleys (Long), are a model of low-rise houses with several peculiarities: “a clear and rational hierarchical spatial organization network, the separation of public and private zones, that lead to quietness to its internal living environment (contrary to its noisy urban surrounding), a high degree of security, a strong sense of neighbourly interaction and social cohesiveness” (CROCI, 2017). These factors, combined with the historical significance that the Lilong housing typology represents for the city of Shanghai, make the Shikumen Lilong a precious legacy to be safeguarded. The arising question is if it is possible to preserve the character of the traditional community life within the contemporary social models of economic growth and higher density requirements. “From around the turn of the 21st century, there is a small, but alternative, development of adaptive reuse emerging in Shanghai, that is a spatial restructuring contributing to a more cultural and historical sustainable architecture” (RUTCOSKY, 2007), and this is a viable option in the face of overwhelming destruction of traditional architecture due to modernization. Finding the balance between modernization and historic preservation means that cities must strike an equilibrium between preserving their heritage and being open to change. Destroying heritage demolishes memory, community and sense of place; refusing to change can render the city a fascinating but stultifying museum. The thesis shows the reasons why it is necessary for a city like Shanghai to preserve Lilong dwellings and takes as its goal the maintenance of residential use, in particular to protect the community who live those spaces today, and hence the title “Contemporary living in a Shikumen Lilong”. At last, the research will focus on the study of Yong’an Mill block, in the French Concession of Shanghai, proceeding with a detailed architectural survey, that allows to better understand and document the characteristics of Lilong architecture, in order to define the reuse project for a single housing unit, taking into account the needs of nowadays inhabitants and the various design aspect that characterize the typology, such as density, safety, privacy, individuality, social interaction and life convenience. Key Words: Shikumen Lilong, Yong’an Mill, residential use, sense of community, adaptive reuse, conservative restoration, aero-photogrammetric survey.

L'abitare contemporaneo in un Shikumen Lilong: caso studio del quartiere Yong'an Mill a Shanghai.