Chubao Place by MixC
Mending the Urban Fabric of Historic Hankou
LOCATION
Wuhan, China
SIZE
48,100 sqm
DATE COMPLETED
2026
PHOTOGRAPHER
Terrence Zhang
Located at the western edge of Wuhan’s Jianghan Road and Zhongshan Avenue historical district, Chubao Place by MixC is an urban renewal project that repairs the fragmented fabric of historic Hankou. Commissioned to lead the masterplanning, architecture and interior design of the commercial plot, Kokaistudios reconstructed a network of streets, lanes, courtyards and public spaces.to recover the scale, rhythm and spatial relationships of the historic urban fabric through a contemporary architectural language. This strategy is articulated through two complementary conditions: “Yanghang as the Frontage, Lifen as the Core”.
Located at the western edge of Wuhan’s Jianghan Road and Zhongshan Avenue historical district, Chubao Place by MixC is an urban renewal project that repairs the fragmented fabric of historic Hankou. Commissioned to lead the masterplanning, architecture and interior design of the commercial plot, Kokaistudios reconstructed a network of streets, lanes, courtyards and public spaces.to recover the scale, rhythm and spatial relationships of the historic urban fabric through a contemporary architectural language. This strategy is articulated through two complementary conditions: “Yanghang as the Frontage, Lifen as the Core”.
Along Zhongshan Avenue, the Yanghang frontage recalls Hankou’s history as a commercial port and its Western-influenced architecture, establishing a formal urban edge. The frontage is divided into distinct and staggered building volumes, avoiding the scale of a monolithic development and echoing the incremental growth of the historic city. Drawing from neighbouring landmarks, the facades reinterpret a classical tripartite composition through four basic architectural typologies.
Along Zhongshan Avenue, the Yanghang frontage recalls Hankou’s history as a commercial port and its Western-influenced architecture, establishing a formal urban edge. The frontage is divided into distinct and staggered building volumes, avoiding the scale of a monolithic development and echoing the incremental growth of the historic city. Drawing from neighbouring landmarks, the facades reinterpret a classical tripartite composition through four basic architectural typologies.
Moving inward, the scale shifts to the more intimate character of the Lifen. A varied roofscape of pitched and flat forms recalls the traditional residential fabric, while the spaces between buildings become pedestrian lanes, courtyards and terraces. Historical partition walls provide a reference for dividing the new volumes, translating the finer grain of the traditional neighbourhood into a contemporary urban structure.
Moving inward, the scale shifts to the more intimate character of the Lifen. A varied roofscape of pitched and flat forms recalls the traditional residential fabric, while the spaces between buildings become pedestrian lanes, courtyards and terraces. Historical partition walls provide a reference for dividing the new volumes, translating the finer grain of the traditional neighbourhood into a contemporary urban structure.
The spatial structure is deliberately permeable. At ground level, the complex is divided into smaller buildings, allowing the historic street network—including Chubao Front Street and Qianjin 3rd Road—to remain legible and accessible. This network continues vertically through The Base on the site's eastern edge, which occupies the lower levels as a covered extension of the urban fabric. Rather than functioning as an enclosed commercial space, the market becomes part of the pedestrian network and effectively activates the underground space, connecting different levels through a sequence of covered streets, openings and changing perspectives.
The spatial structure is deliberately permeable. At ground level, the complex is divided into smaller buildings, allowing the historic street network—including Chubao Front Street and Qianjin 3rd Road—to remain legible and accessible. This network continues vertically through The Base on the site's eastern edge, which occupies the lower levels as a covered extension of the urban fabric. Rather than functioning as an enclosed commercial space, the market becomes part of the pedestrian network and effectively activates the underground space, connecting different levels through a sequence of covered streets, openings and changing perspectives.
Located at the western edge of Wuhan’s Jianghan Road and Zhongshan Avenue historical district, Chubao Place by MixC is an urban renewal project that repairs the fragmented fabric of historic Hankou. Commissioned to lead the masterplanning, architecture and interior design of the commercial plot, Kokaistudios reconstructed a network of streets, lanes, courtyards and public spaces.to recover the scale, rhythm and spatial relationships of the historic urban fabric through a contemporary architectural language. This strategy is articulated through two complementary conditions: “Yanghang as the Frontage, Lifen as the Core”.
Along Zhongshan Avenue, the Yanghang frontage recalls Hankou’s history as a commercial port and its Western-influenced architecture, establishing a formal urban edge. The frontage is divided into distinct and staggered building volumes, avoiding the scale of a monolithic development and echoing the incremental growth of the historic city. Drawing from neighbouring landmarks, the facades reinterpret a classical tripartite composition through four basic architectural typologies.
Moving inward, the scale shifts to the more intimate character of the Lifen. A varied roofscape of pitched and flat forms recalls the traditional residential fabric, while the spaces between buildings become pedestrian lanes, courtyards and terraces. Historical partition walls provide a reference for dividing the new volumes, translating the finer grain of the traditional neighbourhood into a contemporary urban structure.
The spatial structure is deliberately permeable. At ground level, the complex is divided into smaller buildings, allowing the historic street network—including Chubao Front Street and Qianjin 3rd Road—to remain legible and accessible. This network continues vertically through The Base on the site's eastern edge, which occupies the lower levels as a covered extension of the urban fabric. Rather than functioning as an enclosed commercial space, the market becomes part of the pedestrian network and effectively activates the underground space, connecting different levels through a sequence of covered streets, openings and changing perspectives.
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