A power plant built in 1980 was partially demolished when the architect proposed that it instead be retained and revitalised as a village or ancestral hall that now serves the local community. Traditional halls contain a sequence of seven symbolic spaces, and these were used to re-structure the existing building; the largest and most important is the central Hall with Moon Gate, and the areas that had been demolished were reconceived as a Ruin Garden covered by a new roof. The original steel structural members were wrapped in concrete to meet new building standards; exterior metal panels were laser-cut to provide natural ventilation; and the required new fire-sprinklers were painted red to represent ancestral candles in traditional halls.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
