Redefining Urban Public Space Design in Lijiang Ancient City

The project "ancient city square public facilities"by Summer Wang, Yuru Chen, Zidan Huang, and Zixun Dai explores the transformation of Lijiang Ancient City—a UNESCO World Heritage site in Yunnan Province, China—through a thoughtful approach to urban public space design. Rooted in the city’s cultural richness and climatic conditions, the design redefines how traditional environments can accommodate modern needs for comfort, social interaction, and sustainability.

By studying the behavioral patterns of tourists and locals, the design team identified the urgent need for functional seating, dining surfaces, and shaded rest areas in public squares. The resulting proposal blends modular furniture, solar-powered lighting, and Naxi architectural principles to enhance the quality of everyday life in this historic urban fabric.

Context and Location Analysis

Located in Lijiang Old Town, one of the most visited heritage destinations in southwest China, the design focuses on four key public squares—Maicaochang, Yuhe, Gucheng Garden, and Sifang Street Square. These plazas are vital to local life yet lack sufficient public facilities such as chairs, tables, lighting, and shade. Through detailed mapping and observation, the designers discovered that visitors often resort to standing while eating, highlighting a gap in public amenities that the proposal aims to bridge.

The team analyzed climate data, concluding that Lijiang’s mild monsoon climate—with distinct wet and dry seasons—favors the use of wood-based modular furniture designed for durability and comfort under varying conditions.

Cultural Inspiration: Naxi Traditional Architecture

A major inspiration for the project comes from the traditional architecture of the Naxi minority, characterized by the double-slope roof and herringbone wood structure. These archetypes not only define the region’s visual identity but also embody a sustainable logic of local craftsmanship.

In the design, traditional tenon-and-mortise joints are revived to connect modular parts without nails or metal fasteners. This echoes ancient Chinese construction wisdom, emphasizing precision, flexibility, and material honesty. Each piece reflects the cultural narrative of handcrafted unity between form and function.

User-Centered Urban Analysis

Through user analysis, the designers discovered that most visitors travel in groups (tourists 38%, couples 30%), and their main activities include eating (24%), resting (8%), and photography (31%). However, most snack bars lack tables or chairs, forcing visitors to consume food while standing or walking.

The design brief thus focused on creating a multifunctional urban furniture system that supports social interaction, dining, rest, and wayfinding—while seamlessly fitting into the ancient city’s visual context.

Modular System: Adaptive Furniture for Public Squares

The proposal introduces a rotatable modular furniture system that combines tables, chairs, solar-powered lighting, and signage in one unified structure. Each module can be independently placed or combined to serve diverse urban needs—such as street lighting, public signage, or resting areas.

The modules are made of sustainable wood with integrated solar panels that store energy during the day and provide soft lighting at night. This self-sufficient design not only promotes environmental responsibility but also improves nighttime usability and safety within the heritage district.

Key Features:

• Hybrid Functionality: Each module combines seating, dining, lighting, and landscape integration.
• Rotatable Joints: Modules can be reoriented based on street angles or pedestrian flow.
• Solar Integration: Panels convert sunlight into energy for illumination after dusk.
• Cultural Expression: Design language mirrors Naxi craftsmanship with visible joinery and natural textures.

Prototype and Construction Detailing

The project’s third phase involves model prototyping and exploded diagrams that demonstrate joinery precision and assembly logic. Each unit’s structure incorporates dovetail, swallowtail, and shoulder tenon joints—techniques drawn from ancient woodworking traditions. Scale models confirm ergonomic proportions and material stability, ensuring that the modules balance human comfort, modularity, and cultural symbolism.

The final prototype achieves a refined equilibrium—a modular furniture system that performs as public art, wayfinding device, and social infrastructure.

Sustainability and Social Value

This urban public space design extends beyond functionality. It symbolizes ecological mindfulness and community inclusion, addressing contemporary sustainability through:

• Renewable solar energy
• Local wood material usage
• Modular scalability reducing construction waste
• Culturally respectful aesthetics enhancing the heritage experience

By integrating these systems, the project transforms underutilized public squares into dynamic social nodes, fostering human connection within a historical landscape.

Tradition Reimagined Through Design Innovation

The Lijiang public facility redesign is a compelling model for sustainable urban design in heritage contexts. It demonstrates how modular, solar-powered, and culturally grounded furniture systems can rejuvenate historic environments without disrupting their authenticity.

Through careful attention to local identity, climate, and user behavior, this project by Summer Wang, Yuru Chen, Zidan Huang, and Zixun Dai stands as a landmark example of how urban public space design can harmonize tradition with innovation—creating a living dialogue between the past and the future.