Brickkiln Lane Innovation / MAT Office

Architects: MAT Office
Area: 5068 m²
Year: 2023
Photography: Weiqi Jin, UCD
Design Team: Kangshuo Tang, Miao Zhang, Youpeng Liu, Ningyan He, Xiaodan Tan, Tianyi Chen, Yunfei Qin (MAT Office); Ning Xu, Dongzhi Yu, Dongmei Li, Guodong Ge (UCD)
Design Development: UCD, MAT office
Construction Documentation: UCD
City: Haidian
Country: China

Brickkiln Lane Innovation, designed by MAT Office in Xisanqi Street, Beijing, revitalizes a historic brick kiln from the 1950s into a multifunctional cultural space. The renovation preserves the kiln’s original form while incorporating modern design elements to enhance functionality. Completed in 2023, the project features new spatial arrangements, including a sunken plaza, mezzanines, and a transparent roof, integrating the site with its urban surroundings and historical significance.

The Brick Kiln is located in a corner of the former Beijing Brick and Tile Factory on Xisanqi Street, Beijing. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the factory supplied a large number of black and clay bricks for significant state projects, contributing to the capital’s development. As the city evolved, the factory closed in 2012, leaving behind mature communities and innovative technology parks. The brick kiln, in disrepair for years, was deemed structurally dangerous and required renovation to preserve its external form and historical memory while adapting to current needs.

The circular kiln road inside the brick kiln, the main brick-burning space, is 150 meters long with 54 arched door openings for brick entry and exit. The central chimney removes smoke and excess heat. Buttress walls support the kiln’s stability. Two design strategies guided the renovation: expanding spatial height by lowering the building floor by 2 meters to create a double-height space and restoring space with reinforced concrete walls to support the original brick arch walls.

Concrete walls now form the updated kiln’s interior elevation. An umbrella-shaped concrete structure, connected with steel beams, forms a new roof, allowing for partial mezzanines. The design preserved the facade while reinforcing the structure, exploring internal spatial organization through typology research. Despite technical and cost constraints, most design ideas were retained.

The renovated building retains the brick kiln’s overall shape, converting the original 54 doors into exterior doors and windows. A black curved steel plate added to the main entrance provides an awning function and a contemporary look. Raised buttresses were transformed into hollow walls, maintaining the original bricklaying method. The roof terrace serves as an outdoor activity venue, accessible from the center and ends. The tall chimney remains central, with the surrounding area used for exhibition and public activities. A transparent roof ensures ample light.

The hall around the chimney, the kiln’s focal point, features a transparent glass roof supported by long-span steel beams. A V-shaped aluminum plate ceiling filters light, creating an art museum-like ambiance. A lightweight spiral staircase around the chimney leads to the roof terrace, with rest platforms creating spatial interaction. A cantilevered steel bridge connects the functional spaces of the two wings, dividing the visual scale into a body scale.

The renovation strengthened the kiln’s facade on the urban road, forming a setback landscape facing the sunken site. This division created horizontal and vertical zoning, evolving into a three-dimensional landscape with public leisure spaces. The renovation aimed to transform this industrial heritage into a community and leisure hub, integrating historical memory with urban life. Brick Kiln Lane combines regional history, landscape space, and community sentiment, enhancing the cultural and social value of Xisanqi Street.