(PCC) Program on Chinese Cities – Thoughts on Overseas Travels Series
Authors: Min Tang,
Chengdu Dingyi Education Consulting Co., Ltd., General Manager; PCC-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Visiting Scholar. kristentang1847@gmail.com
Walking into the American Tobacco Campus in Durham is like being transported to a famous spot in my hometown—Chengdu’s “Eastern Suburb Memory.” Artists from around the world display their ingenuity in transforming old factories, allowing me to share the similarities and differences between these two parks.
1. Basic Overview
The American Tobacco Campus (American Tobacco Campus) is located in Durham, North Carolina. It was formerly the headquarters of the American Tobacco Company, covering an area of 6.47 hectares, with approximately 1 million square feet of built space (about 92,900 m²). The iconic “Lucky Strike” cigarettes produced here are a well-known American brand. The campus was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 [1].
The Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory Park is located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, covering 18.8 hectares with about 200,000 m² of built space. Originally built in the 1950s, the site was the Chengdu State-owned Hongguang Electron Tube Factory (Code 773 Factory), one of the 156 projects built in China with Soviet assistance during the “First Five-Year Plan.” It was the largest base for the production of military electron tube glass shells in China, contributing significantly to the national defense industry. Known as “China’s West End of London,” it is a national cultural industry demonstration base, incorporating music, fine arts, theater, photography, and other cultural forms in a diverse cultural park and industrial heritage tourism site.
2. Historical Evolution
2.1 Durham Tobacco Campus
- Initial Construction: The headquarters of the American Tobacco Campus was established in the early 20th century by tobacco magnate James Buchanan Duke.
- Prosperous Era of the Tobacco Industry: In the early 20th century, the American Tobacco Company once held 90% of the U.S. tobacco market share, making it the largest tobacco company globally. Its headquarters in Durham became one of the city’s iconic buildings.
- Economic Downturn and Transformation: Over time, the tobacco industry faced increasing legal and public health challenges. With stricter government regulations on tobacco production, sales, and advertising, the American Tobacco Company’s growth was limited. As the tobacco industry declined, the company sought survival through transformation and acquisition of other industries.
- Transformation: To utilize this historic building complex, the Durham municipal government and private sector collaborated to transform it into a multi-functional park, providing office, commercial, cultural, and entertainment facilities. During the renovation, original elements like the red brick chimneys and water towers were preserved, and many buildings’ brick walls and wooden beams were retained and restored, maintaining the industrial heritage’s character and recording the park’s history and culture through restored industrial artworks and decorative murals.
- Current Development: Today, the American Tobacco Campus attracts many businesses, startups, restaurants, cafes, cultural institutions, and residents. The park focuses on mixed-use development, including ample Class-A office space, diverse dining and entertainment facilities (cinemas, art centers), indoor and outdoor event spaces, sports facilities (basketball courts, baseball fields), and residential areas. Office spaces cater to various business needs, attracting major companies like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Burt’s Bees. Currently, the park hosts 85 businesses of varying sizes, providing over 4,000 jobs [2].
2.2 Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory Park
- Initial Construction: At the dawn of the People’s Republic of China, the national defense industry struggled to advance. Among the 156 key projects built in China with Soviet assistance, electronic industries accounted for 90%, with four projects centered in the eastern suburbs of Chengdu. Chengdu was designated as one of the three key national electronic industry bases. [Details at: https://mbd.baidu.com/newspage/data/dtlandingsuper?nid=dt_4590522035576643388]
- Planning and Construction: In the 1980s, with the beginning of economic reform and opening up, the state-owned factories in the Eastern Suburbs gradually opened up to foreign technologies and equipment, implementing integrated military and civilian development. During this period, the industrial hotbed attracted over 160 industrial enterprises, with total assets exceeding 32 billion yuan, sparking another wave of rapid development.
- Economic Downturn and Transformation: In the 1990s, as waves of market economy and industrial transformation surged, some large state-owned enterprises gradually exited the historical stage. The Eastern Suburb Memory, located on the former site of the Chengdu State-owned Hongguang Electron Tube Factory, preserved some characteristic buildings and factory areas as industrial heritage sites, blending modern fashion elements with the cultural and creative industries. The park retained some traditional rural buildings, cultural relics, and historical sites, which were renovated, protected, and transformed into carriers and display windows for the cultural and creative industries, forming today’s diverse cultural park integrating fine arts, music, theater, fashion design, and photography.
- Transformation: As a cultural industry park, Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory attracted over 90 cultural and creative enterprises, art institutions, and design studios, including nearly 50 mainstream music companies, forming a music industry cluster in Chengdu. The park features artist studios, a cultural and creative industry incubation base, exhibition halls, theaters, and other facilities, providing a platform for cultural and creative professionals to display and interact.
- Current Development: The Eastern Suburbs Memory Park is not only a hub for the cultural and creative industries but also a popular tourist and leisure destination. With nearly 30 venues of various sizes and functions, it has become one of the largest professional performance venue clusters in the country, growing alongside new business models and diverse consumer scenes.
3. Architectural Style
- Broadcasting Company initiated the revival and redevelopment project of the American Tobacco Campus, respecting and preserving historical elements during the renovation process. The representative chimneys and water towers’ red brick exteriors were retained. Additionally, two new parking lots were constructed, and water features (Bull River) were introduced to enhance the site’s appeal. The Durham Performing Arts Center was built on the eastern side of the site, becoming one of the highest-attended art performance centers in the United States.
- “Repairing the old as old, reusing old buildings” is the main architectural feature of the Eastern Suburbs Memory, combining the industrial aesthetics of the planned economy era with modern commercial building functions. The architecture harmoniously incorporates office buildings from the 1950s Soviet era, early 21st-century office buildings, multi-story factories, and industrial-style chimneys and pipes, creating an artistic atmosphere that blends nostalgia with contemporary style.
4. Key Factors for Successful Transformation of Both Parks
4.1 Durham Tobacco Campus
- Strategic Planning: Successful transformations typically start with in-depth planning and strategic design phases, involving cooperation between the municipal government, private sector, and local community to ensure that the transformation projects align with local development needs and visions.
- Sustainable Development: Considering environmental and social impacts, transformation projects adopt sustainable development approaches, such as reducing waste and energy consumption, increasing green spaces, and enhancing community accessibility and inclusiveness.
- Multi-functionality Design: Transforming the Tobacco Campus into a multi-functional space meets diverse needs such as business, culture, entertainment, and education, enhancing the park’s appeal and attracting more visitors and investments.
- Historical Preservation and Reuse: Preserving and restoring the park’s historical buildings and cultural heritage, assigning them modern uses, not only increases the park’s uniqueness but also promotes community identity and economic development.
- Economic Incentives: Providing tax incentives, subsidies, and other economic incentives encourages businesses and developers to participate in the park’s transformation projects, thus driving the park’s development and revival.
4.2 Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory Park
- Cultural Heritage Protection: The area has a long history and unique cultural characteristics, so protecting and restoring historical buildings, cultural landscapes, and preserving traditional handicrafts is an important step. This not only helps preserve the city’s historical memory but also attracts tourists and investors.
- Creative Design and Reuse: Redesigning old sites as creative industry parks, art centers, and cultural creative blocks, fully utilizing the existing buildings and site resources, and endowing them with new functions and vitality. Such design stimulates creativity and innovation, injecting new energy into the city.
- Community Participation and Inclusiveness: Cooperating with local residents and community organizations ensures that transformation projects align with residents’ interests and needs. Providing opportunities for public participation lets residents engage in planning and decision-making processes, enhancing the project’s sustainability and community cohesion.
- Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Development: Focusing on environmental protection and sustainable development during the transformation process, adopting green building designs, energy-saving measures, and ecological landscape planning, creates a livable and business-friendly urban space.
- Smart Technology Applications: Enhancing the management efficiency and service level of old sites using smart technology, such as intelligent transportation systems, smart security equipment, and smart public service platforms, provides more convenient and efficient urban living experiences for residents and tourists.
5. Future Outlook
The transformation and creativity of old factories can inspire many new ideas and possibilities, transforming them into:
- Creative Industry Parks: Providing studios, office spaces, and exhibition venues, attracting artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and other creative talents, fostering the development of the cultural and creative industries;
- Cultural and Art Centers: Displaying local artists’ works, hosting art exhibitions, concerts, and performance events, bringing cultural enjoyment and entertainment experiences to the community;
- Creative Design Hotels: Preserving the original architectural style and industrial atmosphere of the factories, through creative design and decoration, creating unique accommodation experiences, attracting tourists and art enthusiasts;
- Community Art Spaces: Establishing art studios, cultural activity venues, and public art exhibition areas, providing opportunities for community residents to participate in cultural and creative activities, promoting cultural exchange and sharing within the community;
- Green Creative Parks: Introducing environmental technologies and sustainable development concepts, creating green buildings, ecological landscapes, and recycling systems, achieving effective resource use and environmental improvement;
- Maker Spaces and Workshops: Providing open creative workspaces and manufacturing facilities, supporting makers and entrepreneurs in conducting innovation experiments and product development, driving technological innovation and industrial upgrading. In conclusion, the transformation and creativity of old factories can integrate considerations of culture, art, creative industries, sustainable development, and community participation, leveraging the factory’s original characteristics and resource advantages to create diverse, innovative urban spaces and community activity venues.