Xiao Sheng

Before becoming a student at the Royal College of Art, I had been studying in China and received my bachelor's degree from South China University of Technology.

In 2020, during my bachelor degree, I got the chance with other fellow students to participate in the China International Interior Design Biennale and won the award with my graduation design.

My project is a repair shop called Rehabilitation, it is a place for people to repair, to make and to communicate.

When I walk into the site, the first thing I notice are the traces. Peeling paint on the wall, light penetration on the floor and water leakage on the roof. All these are because of seams. I classify seams according to the time, which is temporary repair, instant change and long lasting traces. To make them more powerful, I did 3 things with them. Accentuate the instant change, support the long lasting traces and cover the temporary repair.

Then I start to consider about the whole site. The old post office to me, is a bunch of sheds. So the first thing I did was remove the sheds in the middle, and let the light come in. Secondly I made a new cut into the old, which gives the old building new facade through the new street. Then I copied it to another level and set some new sheds which provide the materials they need next to every repair unit.

In my view, Lowestoft needs a mixed repair shop and a makerversity. The project I designed should be a place with drop-off repair, car repair, bike repair, workshop and start-up companies. It’s all based around the new streets. Two new streets I cut into the old building which facilitate the seams and junctions between old and new. Streets between old and new link the functions all.

Material transport is also a important part in my project. Every material has its own route from source to destination, they all transported by the gantry and belt.

There are many beautiful colors in the original building I want to keep, so I use them with the street elements to mark the different functions.

This is a repair shop called Rehabilitation. The seam street not only links the original building to the new functions, but also sutures the old town to the new culture.