Tianjin's Italian Concession (1902-47).

By Yue Hongyan

With phase two of Tianjin’s “Little Italy” revitalization plan completed early May and many of the renovated buildings now welcoming new tenants, architects and conservationists are hailing the project a success, attributing the result to careful restoration techniques and lengthy planning.

“It is the only well-preserved quarter of Italian architecture outside Italy, as well as the biggest quarter of Italian culture in Asia,” said Giulio Machetti, director of Italy’s SIRENA Cittàstorica, a firm that specializes in old city restoration and consultant to the Tianjin project.

Located on the banks the Haihe River and serving as Tianjin’s Italian Concession from 1902-47, by 1999 Little Italy had fallen into a state of disrepair, with dilapidated buildings, unused shops and neglected spaces. Tianjin municipal government then decided to revitalize the area.

After much debate a decision was made to cooperate with the Italian government to rebuild Yi Da Li Feng Qing Qu, Little Italy, into Tianjin Haihe Italian Business Park (THIBP).

“At that time, the Tianjin government set the aim to develop the area by means of protection, which was quite difficult,” Zhou Chengguang, director of THIBP Administration Committee, told the Global Times. He said that the idea of restoring the area to its original condition using traditional methods met with fierce opposition, with many calling for the area’s complete demolition.

“In many cases, Chinese would replicate the old buildings instead of repairing them. It is very unusual for a government to recognize the value of historical buildings,” Machetti commented.

“Lots of cities have made many fake antique districts, streets or buildings in the name of protection in today’s city development and construction,” added Ruan Yisan, an architecture professor from Tongji University.

Enlisting SIRENA Cittàstorica from Italy, the Tianjin government stayed true to their original idea, to carefully preserve the old area in their city.

“In history, it was planned by one architect from Italy and the land was auctioned separately. It included different buildings with all kinds of functions, such as markets, offices, shops and apartments, quite unusual compared with other concessions” said Li Yunfei, art director of THIBP.

According to Zhou, the 2-billion-yuan ($295 million) project included the construction of new infrastructure, the repair of old buildings and the relocation of 5,000 families who were living there.

"I was quite surprised to see about 20 families living in one building and some were dirty and broken inside," Machetti said of his visit to the area in 2004.

He explained that his team conducted extensive research on the original buildings before beginning any reconstruction work.

"We analyzed the materials used in the original buildings, found the original drawings or pictures at that time and did research on historical figures and stories from that time, which gave us the reference for their original look," he explained.

"By this kind of retelling of history, you can find the real Italian style, instead of imagination," Machetti added.

An Italian-style building in Tianjin's Little Italy. Photo: CFP

Machetti and his team also took samples from the old Tianjin buildings back to Italy for chemical analysis to ensure the original paints and coatings were used in the restoration project.

"They even cleaned all the bricks in the buildings which had been painted with many coatings throughout the years and they used many traditional crafts and materials when repairing," Li said.

"Sometimes, if you found the material can only be found in Italy, you have to import the stone from Italy," Machetti said, adding that the cost of such imports had to be considered.

A major problem facing the project was communication between the Chinese workers and Italian experts and the vastly different construction processes in both cultures.

"Firstly, the Chinese workers can not follow our way of repairing and it took time to communicate with them," Machetti said.

"The workers just wanted to finish their job as soon as possible and were very careless," Li added. "I told them 'you have to love the buildings and be patient, you can repair them well.'"

After six years of painstaking work, the results speak for themselves, almost all of the old buildings in the 28.45-hectare area, have been renovated, with the new Little Italy now attracting tourists and businesses alike.

"About 30,000 square meters has been developed into a business area and 22 businesses and organizations have already moved in, including restaurants, cafes, clubs, galleries and cultural centers of foreign embassies," Zhou said.

Machetti and Li are also hoping that more Italian companies will decide to set up their Chinese headquarters or businesses in the area, enjoying a home away from home and offering an authentic setting for their clients.

"Culture can be the real charm of this area and the original old buildings can bring value for business, I hope future business owners can respect history and bring the original lifestyle and culture of Italy to this area," Li said.

"If we do not renovate them, they can't be everlasting and if we do not have shops or commercial zones there, there will be no value in the future, I hope it can be a win-win for both culture and commerce," Machetti said.