Memorial of Weaving
Watertower Redesign
TOP 30, Reshape the Tower of Memory
Jiaxing Nanhu Water Tower Design Competition
TOP 30, Reshape the Tower of Memory
Jiaxing Nanhu Water Tower Design Competition
The cultural memory of the city needs to be protected, and it needs to be excavated and inherited because it has another important function - educating descendants so that young people and their children can touch and feel the history and culture of the city.
Jiaxing is a nationwide historical and cultural city, and the woolen mill is one of its important urban memories. How to transform the profound cultural connotation into the design is the primary goal of this project.
The renovation plan uses weaving as the starting point of the design and divides the water tower facade into 6 layers, which are wrapped by 30 hemp ropes, 150 wood pieces, 72 steel pipes, 270 luminous fibers, and 450 woven fabrics. The tower is lit by 30 LED light-emitting devices on the top of the tower, which correspond to the internal strip lights from the inside to the out.
The upper part of the tower is made of light materials, which are woven under the action of the wind, and the luminous fibers are lights that sway with the wind to form a beautiful view.
![]()
![]()
![]()
As the ancient “silk home” and the contemporary “Chinese silk capital”, Jiaxing has a long history of silk. In more than 4700 years of history, Chinese silk has gradually formed a unique style of silk culture and has become an important part of the 5000-year cultural history.
Our Concept is to recur the vitality of the Nanhu Water Tower and bring the memory of weaving from both ancient times and recent periods. We extract 3 important elements: wood, string, and fabric from the Chinese loom machine and reiterate it in the modern language, weaving a dynamic, interactive memorial of weaving.
Jiaxing is a nationwide historical and cultural city, and the woolen mill is one of its important urban memories. How to transform the profound cultural connotation into the design is the primary goal of this project.
The renovation plan uses weaving as the starting point of the design and divides the water tower facade into 6 layers, which are wrapped by 30 hemp ropes, 150 wood pieces, 72 steel pipes, 270 luminous fibers, and 450 woven fabrics. The tower is lit by 30 LED light-emitting devices on the top of the tower, which correspond to the internal strip lights from the inside to the out.
The upper part of the tower is made of light materials, which are woven under the action of the wind, and the luminous fibers are lights that sway with the wind to form a beautiful view.
Timeline and Site Analysis
Nanhu Water Tower is a part of the Jiaxing South Lake Waterfront Project. The Jiaxing South Lake Waterfront Project consists of 6 parts: Activity Plaza, Yuanhu Commercial Street, Waterfront Greenbelts, Sil Cultural Center, Nanhu Academy, and Waterfront Garden. Nanhu Water Tower is located at Waterfront Garden and is the landmark of the Water Tower Plaza. Coordinating with a bike path, leisure green land, lakeside trail, stepped activity area, cafe, picnic area, tea house, book store, game space, and gallery, Nanhu Water Tower leads brilliant recreational spots for residents and visitors.
Concept
As the ancient “silk home” and the contemporary “Chinese silk capital”, Jiaxing has a long history of silk. In more than 4700 years of history, Chinese silk has gradually formed a unique style of silk culture and has become an important part of the 5000-year cultural history.
Our Concept is to recur the vitality of the Nanhu Water Tower and bring the memory of weaving from both ancient times and recent periods. We extract 3 important elements: wood, string, and fabric from the Chinese loom machine and reiterate it in the modern language, weaving a dynamic, interactive memorial of weaving.
Exploded View and Details
![]()
Plans
![]()
Section
![]()
Sustainability Analysis
Plans
Section
Sustainability AnalysisDesign Team: Yiying Tang, Lei Wu