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Explore the rural texture inward, take root in the original aesthetics of the village, and create an art courtyard that returns to the wilderness in the suburbs of Xi’an.
Delve into rural texture, rooted in native village aesthetics — an artistic wilderness retreat near Xi’an.
▼Rural landscape, Rural landscape © Fangcun Space Photography
The project is located in Longqu Village, Yin Town, Chang’an District, Xi’an. The renovation base is a traditional Guanzhong courtyard from the 1970s. It completely retains the traditional courtyard pattern of gatehouse-front yard-main house-backyard, carrying the memory of Guanzhong’s local architecture. The original courtyard was extensively renovated and renovated in a later period. The connection between the old and new blocks was rigid and the spatial order was destroyed. This renovation focuses on the restoration of old homes, spatial reconstruction, and artistic empowerment, and builds old residential buildings into complex aesthetic spaces for folk art collections, exhibitions, and exchanges. It continues to link creators and achieve simultaneous iterative growth of exhibition content and space.
Located in Longqu Village, Yinzhen Town, Chang’an District, Xi’an, this project transforms a traditional Guanzhong courtyard house dating back to the 1970s. The compound preserves the original layout of gatehouse, front yard, main house and backyard, carrying the architectural memory of vernacular Guanzhong settlements. The courtyard had undergone crude additions and renovations in subsequent years, resulting in awkward junctions between old and new volumes and a broken spatial sequence. Centered on courtyard restoration, spatial reconstruction and artistic activation, the renovation repurpose the aged dwelling into a multi-functional aesthetic space for folk-art collection, exhibition and exchange. It maintains ongoing collaboration with creators, allowing exhibition content and the space itself to evolve and iterate in tandem.
▼Courtyard entrance © Fangcun Space Photography
The design abandons complicated shapes, focuses on structural correction, minimalist white space, and fully introduces natural skylight. Respecting the original layout of the old house, coordinating the relationship between the old and new buildings, using a clean and pure space atmosphere to highlight the texture of the folk art utensils, without making redundant decorations, leaving the countryside background, time precipitation and hand-made warmth to the viewer.
▼site before renovation, site before renovation © 7F Design Studio
Rejecting elaborate forms, the design prioritizes structural rectification, minimalist blankness and ample introduction of natural daylight. Respecting the original layout of the old courtyard and reconciling the relationship between old and new architecture, it adopts a clean and pure spatial atmosphere to set off the texture of folk-art artifacts. Free of redundant ornamentation, the design leaves the rural essence, traces of time and warmth of handcraft for visitors to perceive.
▼Gable-shaped hanging system and adaptable exhibition space © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Artifacts and vintage furniture © Fangcun Space Photography
Courtyard renovation that blends old and new
Coexisting with the Village, Blending Old and New
The renovation respects the original streets and alleys of the village, retains the original facade of the building, and only carefully renovates the entrance door to enhance the sense of ceremony. In order to solve the problem of the cluttered structure of the original addition, black regular blocks were used as a visual transition to resolve the conflict between the old and the new, while optimizing the practical functions of entering the home.
▼Exploded axonometric drawing © 7F Design Studio
The renovation respects the original streets-cape of the village and retains the building’s original facade. Only the entrance gate is delicately refurbished to reinforce a sense of ritual. To resolve the chaos caused by arbitrary later additions, neat black volumes are introduced as a visual transition, easing the contrast between old and new while optimizing the practical functions of the entrance.
▼Entrance gateway © Fangcun Space Photography
The obtrusive hard viewing platform was removed and transformed into a landscape flower pond, which serves as a natural picture frame for indoor display; a light steel structure platform and stone steps were added to create a circuitous circulation route for the courtyard. Artificial carvings are weakened, and the four-season vegetation and the circulation of skylight are used as the dynamic background of the exhibition hall. The courtyard assumes the poetry of nature, and the interior serves as the home of art, achieving a symbiosis between natural texture and humanities and art.
The obtrusive hard viewing platform is demolished and transformed into landscaped planters, acting as a natural frame for the indoor exhibits. Light steel platforms and stone stepping stones are added to create a meandering circulation route across the courtyard. Minimising artificial manipulation, the design takes seasonal vegetation and shifting daylight as a dynamic backdrop for the gallery. The courtyard carries natural poetry, while the interior serves as the venue primary for art, achieving a symbiosis of natural texture and humanistic art.
▼Junction of old and new volumes © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Courtyard planting and stones © Fangcun Space Photography
A diverse leisure area with tea and coffee
Multi-functional Lounge for Tea & Coffee
In addition to the exhibition function, a light social and leisure space is added to integrate tea, hand-made coffee, and light drinking experiences to buffer the rhythm of exhibition viewing. A mix of solid wood, stone, sisal, and stainless steel materials is used, taking into account the quiet oriental temperament and contemporary relaxed aesthetics. The resting scene does not overwhelm the guests, but complements the daily elegance of the space, making aesthetics not just for viewing, but also for immersive experience.
Beyond exhibition functions, a casual social lounge is added to host tea ceremonies, pour-over coffee and light beverage experiences, offering a gentle pause amid the viewing journey. A mixed palette of solid wood, stone, sisal and stainless steel balances serene oriental temperament and contemporary laid-back aesthetics. This lounge does not overshadow the exhibits. Instead, it enriches the space with quiet daily elegance, allowing aesthetics to be not merely observed, but experienced immersively.
▼Counter opening toward the courtyard © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Looking at the tea and coffee space from the courtyard,
Tea and coffee space seen from the courtyard © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Tea and coffee counter © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Connection between lounge and gallery © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Depth of the counter space © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Tea room in natural light © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Counter and display niche, Counter and display niche © Fangcun Space Photography
A sustainable art venue
Sustainably Growing Art Venue
The main building is the core exhibition hall. After a structural safety assessment, excess late-stage finishes were removed, retaining the original beams, columns and traces of time. The gabled wooden roof is optimized with lightweight techniques to eliminate the heavy and oppressive feeling; the door and window styles are unified throughout the house, and the use of native materials is restrained to allow light, scale, and movement to serve the display of exhibits.
As the core exhibition hall, the main building undergoes structural safety evaluation. Redundant decorative finishes added in later periods are stripped away, retaining the original beams, columns and authentic aging traces of the old courtyard. The gable wooden roof is optimized through lightweight treatment to eliminate heaviness and oppression. Uniform window and door systems and original natural materials are adopted throughout the space, enabling light, scale and circulation to serve the display of artifacts.
▼Space divided by curtains © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Display shelving and curtains © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Display corner in soft light, Display corner in soft light © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Spatial layers of the gallery © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Washbasin area © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Light and texture on the wall © Fangcun Space Photography
The space emphasizes variability rather than a fixed exhibition hall: a 3m × 3m herringbone art hanger is set up with a fabric enclosure to adjust the space atmosphere according to the exhibition; multiple sets of 1m × 1m modular square tables are configured to flexibly adapt to various scenes such as object display, salons, and small discussions. Soft furnishings are paired with mid-century furniture from the 1970s, allowing cross-regional era aesthetics to converge here.
The space emphasizes variability over fixed exhibition patterns. A 3m×3m gable-shaped art hanging system with fabric enclosures allows adjustable spatial atmosphere for different exhibitions. Multiple sets of 1m×1m modular square tables flexibly accommodate artifact display, salons and small-scale seminars. Furnished with 1970s vintage furniture, the space merges cross-temporal and cross-regional aesthetic languages into one unified artistic field.
▼Exhibition beneath the timber structure, Display beneath the timber structure © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Fabric enclosure and vintage seating, Fabric enclosure and vintage seating © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Lounge furniture and displays © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Artifact display in the gallery © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Decoration details, Artifact display detail © Fangcun Space Photography
The essence of space is “witness”, and the meaning of space existence is to allow silent creations to be seen, collected, reused and given life.
The essence of space lies in witnessing. The significance of spatial existence is to let silent creations be seen, collected, reused, and reborn with renewed vitality.
▼Display corner beside the doorway © Fangcun Space Photography
A rural courtyard offers rooted ground for folk art to settle within local land. Balancing inheritance and renewal, the renovation preserves the everyday warmth of the village while embedding contemporary aesthetics into the rural context. The old courtyard regains its vitality, enabling art to integrate into daily life and grow sustainably over time.
▼Gallery with the courtyard as backdrop © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Artifact detail © Fangcun Space Photography
▼Floor plan © 7F Design Studio
Project name: Growable aesthetic exhibition space
Project Name: Evolving Space for Aesthetic Exhibitions
Project address: Xi’an, Shaanxi
Project Address: Xi’an, Shaanxi
Project area: 180㎡
Project Area: 180㎡
Design company: 7F Design Studio
Design Studio: 7F DESIGN
Chief Designer: Wang Ye, Su Huanghui
Creative Design: Wang Ye, Su Huang Hui
Completion time: October 2026
Completion Time: Oct 2026
Some brands: Dusty Deco, Santa & Cole, Phantom Hands, Audo, Home Gallery, Whyin Gallery, Reesmart, tuzuò
Some Brands: Dusty Deco, Santa & Cole, Phantom Hands, Audo, Home Gallery, Whyin Gallery, Reesmart Smart Technology, Tuzuò
Project Photography: Fangcun Space Photography
Photography: Fang Cun Space Photography
Content Curator: 7F Design Studio
Content Planning: 7F DESIGN
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