Retrofitting Existing Urban Voids

-- Taking the Yixing Huanglong Mountain Mining Area as an Example

Abstract

As an abandoned mining area, Huanglong Mountain Purple Sand Mining Area in Dingshu Town, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province has entered a state of suspension of production. This study draws on successful cases and retrofits the abandoned mining area in Huanglong Mountain into a “source of purple sand” community park. With purple sand (the represent of the urban) as the core, museums are built to realize the restoration of the ruins and at the same time display the culture as well as history of the development of purple sand mining and pottery industry through photos and historical documents. This community park also provides ordinary pottery artists with opportunities to display their works and participate in cultural inheritance through workshop, narrating their learning experience to encourage youngsters. Some basic facilities like teahouses, restaurants, hotels and bazaars associated with local elements are created in the park to help tourists to experience the local pottery art life and boost economy prosperity of the city.