跳牆之家

House over the Wall

北京西部的太行山區在抗戰時期是重要的戰場，軍響村淪為當時日軍據點。這座院子被戰火燒毀大半後，又被日軍重建，作為臨時的戰時監獄。圍繞院子的建築單坡屋檐向外，外型古怪，縱然周邊山川開闊，無限風光，中心庭院卻被高牆圍在其中，困在陰影之下，這個作為唯一採光來源的空間，四周被建築圍繞的室內陰暗更不必說。日軍戰敗後，此屋重新歸屬於原主人，家曾經變成監獄，監獄又變成家，後來主人又全家搬進城市，留下不同時代人們生活的痕跡。

The Taihang mountain range was an important front during the Second World War in China. Junxiang village was occupied by the Japanese as a military base. After a large fire, this courtyard was rebuilt by the invaders as a temporary wartime prison. The new building was quite special, as a single sloping roof with lower eaves faced the outside. Although surrounded by natural beauty, the yard was enclosed by high walls and deep shadows, and as the only place which received any light, the circling houses were shrouded in darkness. After the war, the government returned the house to its original owners. A home became a prison, and the prison turned back into a home. Afterwards, the entire family moved to the city, and the traces of lives from different eras remain.

改造設計最簡單的方式，是拆除破損的舊房，讓場地另闢新章。但換個角度看，同樣作為監獄，台伯河畔聖天使堡透露出不同的訊息，先後作為陵墓、監獄以及城堡，高牆也同時帶來某種庇護和安全感。無論現實中（聖天使堡），或者那些講末世預言的幻想影劇（《陰屍路》第三季），在危機四伏的世界裡，監獄反而充當了堡壘和庇護所。因此，任由這種獨特的空間場景消失，斬斷土地的記憶是令人惋惜的。在保持場地特徵的前提下，設計變成如何策劃一場「越獄」。

The most straightforward method in renovating the site was to demolish the existing environment and construct a completely new one, however But from another prospective, the profile of Castel Sant'Angelo del Tiber, also a prison, reveals a different message, as successively a mausoleum, a prison and a castle, where the high walls also provide a certain shelter and security at the same time. Whether in reality (Castel Sant’Angelo) or in fantasy films or television (season 4 of Walking Dead), within a world in crisis a prison could also be a castle and shelter. It would be quite regretful to completely make vanish the unique spatial scene, cutting off the memory of the land. So the design became a “prison break” while maintaining the characteristics of the site.

首先建築師對既有建築坍塌的部分重建，傾倒和裂開的部分做結構加固。在地面上，設計透過加建和連接賦予新的秩序。在高處，老房子上附著新的建築：三個寄生的房子，稱之為「提籃」、「手提箱」和「高腳櫃」。它們扮演中介的作用，讓日光、視線和人們的活動在牆裡和屋頂上交換。這一系列動作把高牆下的院子重新連接到周邊的廣大山川之間。

We first rebuilt the building which had nearly collapsed, combined its own materials with a new steel structure, and kept the original form, strengthening the building which could still function. On the ground, we added new rooms as connectors to create new orders. Above, three new structures were attached to the old building’s roof and on top of those high walls. They are parasitic organisms, titled: “basket”, “suitcase”, and “cabinet”, which provide natural light and fresh air on the ground, as well as a line of sight and activity to the roof. In this way, the courtyard behind the high wall reconnected to the nature and surrounding fields. 

院落邊角和既有房舍之間的空間最先被占據，新建築首層各自分離的區域變成「連貫的整體」。而面向內庭院的立面被打開，大塊玻璃代替了磚牆和細密的木格扇。設計試圖建立一個埋伏在高牆下的新系統。全天變換的光線，通過連續的場所，在白牆間反射。帶來更豐富的光影環境。即便頭上的高牆依然存在，黑暗變成了可以變換的灰度，而明亮的大空間也隨之而來。在這連續變換的空間裡，公共場所居其中。臥室安排在末端安靜的角落，或增建的閣樓之上。角落裡的臥室享有獨立庭院。閣樓上的臥室翻過高牆，獲得了充足的日照和面向山川的景觀。

The space between the corners of the courtyard and the existing buildings is the first to be occupied, and the separate areas on the first floor of the new building become a “coherent whole”. We opened the facade facing the inner yard, with large planes of glass taking the place of brick walls and wooden frames. The design attempts to create a new system buried beneath the high walls. The light that passes through the skylight changes throughout the day and is reflected between the white walls though a succession of places, bringing forth a rich environment of shadows and light. Even though the high walls remain overhead, the darkness turns into shifting shades of grey and the brightness of the large space follows. In this continuously changing space, public spaces are located in the middle. Bedrooms are arranged in quiet corners at the far end, or on the second floor. The corner bedrooms enjoy their own yards. The second floor bedrooms are set back from the high walls and receive plenty of sunlight and views toward the mountains. 

此案預算非常有限。建物師依據照片記錄的方式，重現原本磚石混砌的高牆，舊門樓、老影壁與北房屋面上的磚雕構建一概保留。與舊建築粗獷的質感相對應的，是新建的部分輕巧鋼結構，鋼結構體積較穩固，施工迅速，回應了複雜的場地現狀。室內大片的玻璃和紅雪松木作為飾面，家具統一用較便宜的柳桉木多層板現場木作，地面則為混凝土拋光。

The budget was quite limited. Based on photographic documentation, we recreated the original brick and stone facade. The old gatehouse, “shadow wall” and all brickwork on the face and roof of the north building have been preserved. In contrast to the coarse texture of the old building, the new addition has a lightweight steel structure, large expanses of glass and red cedar veneer. The interior furnishings are uniformly made of cheaper willow eucalyptus plywood on site, and the floors are finished in polished concrete. The steel structure is relatively voluminous and was quick to construct, responding to the complexity of the sites original state.

Design Studio | Chaoffice  @chaoffice
Photography | CHENG Zhi