A lecture in Beijing on June 28 introduced local residents to concepts and case studies on the restoration and use of historic buildings. The Taianli Culture and Arts Center, where the lecture was held, is itself an architecturally significant shikumen building, built between 1915 and 1918.
Emerging in the mid-19th century in Shanghai, shikumen buildings, named for their stone-framed doorways, are rare in Beijing.
Recognizing the neighborhood's buildings had fallen into disrepair and were no longer liveable, local authorities began their restoration in 2018. Today, Taianli is home to cafés, restaurants, museums and galleries, as well as the culture and arts center, which regularly hosts lectures and exhibitions on the preservation of architecture and heritage.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
