The 798 Art District: Multi-scalar drivers of land use succession and industrial restructuring in Beijing

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSince the post-1980 economic reforms, Chinese cities, in particular large cites, have experienced far reaching industrial restructuring and spatial transformation. A decentralization of manufacturing industries from urban centres was accompanied by the rise of service and creative industry districts on previous industrial sites. This article explores the interconnections of global forces, stateemarket relationships, land use policies, art markets, the Chinese system of governance, and other trans-local factors in transforming Beijing from an industrial city to a service and creative industries-oriented global metropolis, by examining the rise and transformation of Beijing 798 Art District. The case study finds that decommissioned industrial sites had characteristics that made them attractive when central and local governments started to promote creative industries, but, with development of urban art districts, the impact of avant-garde artists on the direction of development was reduced, and developers, high profile galleries and multinational corporations had an increasing influence. The results of our study indicate that the literature on intra-metropolitan location and change, and the evolution of industrial districts should pay more attention to the reuse of the decommissioned industrial land and sites for industrial restructuring, and particularly to the role of multi-scalar factors in reshaping the geography of cities.

Adaptive Reuse of Industrial Heritage with Cultural-creative Industry

“…Larger working space, cheaper rent and some artists were obliged to move from original art enclaves in the mid-1990s in Beijing (i.e., art village in Summer Palace) became the main triggers of the development of 798 [37]. Since 1995, avant-garde Chinese artists moved to the deserted factories of the Dashanzi area, the 798 began to exist as an 'art community' to provide the living and working space for artists.…”

“…Afterward, the district gradually matured, the brand and agglomeration effect has become increasingly prominent with the integrity of the local cultural industry chain. [37] With official certification of government, the local art festivals and events appeared obvious increase trend, and the nature of these festivals and events also shifted from folky to quasi-official. The local cultural creative industry has included painting, sculpture, advertisement, design and drama [38].…”

The Hybrid Spatialities of Post-Industrial Beijing: Communism, Neoliberalism, and Brownfield Redevelopment

“…Brownfields may be converted into a range of land uses, including residential buildings, creative industrial zones, pocket parks, museums, leisure places, and others [41][42][43]. In the US, the most commonly reported reuses include commercial uses, green space, mixed use, residential use, and industrial use [44].…”

“…While many such projects involve a complete removal of all of the industrial uses, with the rise of the middle class and a cultural shift towards a post-modern society, the industrial aesthetics are now also increasingly monetized in urban China. Thus, industrial heritage and creative industrial parks, such as Factory 798 in Beijing or Red Town Creative Park in Shanghai, have gained popularity [41,51]. Policy discourse of the heritagization of brownfields particularly accelerated after the 2006 Wuxi Forum on the conservation of cultural heritage and the release of China Industrial Heritage Protection List [52].…”

Interpretation of 798: Changes in Power of Representation and Sustainability of Industrial Landscape

“…The artists who moved in first made reasonable transformations and used the plant with a unique vision, not only retaining the industrial traces, but also integrating modern culture with creative elements. Currently 798 has become an important industrial landscape in Beijing, and is often used as a typical case in exploring the transformation of China's industrial landscape, the rise of the post-industrial economy and urban transition [40][41][42]. …”