Qingshan River Beach Wuliang Warehouse Pier

Set along the Yangtze River in Wuhan’s Qingshan District, the Qingshan River Beach Wuliang Warehouse Pier was a major grain storage and shipping terminal in the 1970s, composed of five monumental silos, conveyor corridors, and a riverside loading platform. As an emblem of Wuhan’s industrial past and inland grain trade, it has been reborn within the “Qingshan Riverside Ecological and Cultural Belt,” shifting from a sealed industrial site to an open cultural landmark blending history, ecology, and daily life.

Anchored in the concept “Granary Memory · Riverside Renewal,” the design preserves the site’s authentic industrial texture through minimal intervention, enriches it with multi-functional cultural and leisure uses, and bridges the Yangtze’s natural ecology with the memory of labor and trade. Concrete vaults, steel trusses, and conveyor systems were carefully restored, allowing the raw beauty of the structure to anchor the visitor experience.

The entrance hall, “First Encounter with the Granary,” frames original concrete pillars with linear lighting, while terrazzo flooring embeds abstract grain patterns. The “Time Granary” exhibition transforms massive steel hoppers into immersive showcases, combining projection and interactive media. In the “Dockside Bazaar,” container-style stalls recall freight memory, complemented by suspended installations woven from reclaimed grain sacks.

Along the river, “Riverside Promenade” replaces solid walls with folding glass façades to merge interior spaces with panoramic views, while benches of reclaimed dock timber are engraved with historical milestones. The café area, “Granary Retreat,” uses semi-transparent woven screens inspired by silo forms and tabletops embedding real grain within recycled concrete to create a warm, tactile link to heritage.

Material strategy emphasizes authenticity and sustainability—reusing original wood and steel, integrating local bamboo and rattan, and introducing recycled grain-husk flooring. Natural light from skylights and light tubes reduces energy use; rainwater harvesting and passive ventilation enhance environmental performance.

By merging historic preservation with adaptive reuse, the project transforms a dormant grain terminal into a vibrant civic space—where industrial memory, riverside ecology, and community vitality flow together, ensuring the site remains a living chapter of Wuhan’s riverside story.