The Heritage Conservation Center of Tsinghua Architectural Design Institute Visited the Italian Innovation Center

On February 24, the first day back to work in the Year of the Horse, the Italy Innovation Center in Shanghai welcomed Ms. Xu Zhilan, Deputy Director of the Heritage Conservation Center at Tsinghua Architectural Design Institute. Mr. Marco Xu, President of the Italy Innovation Center, and Ms. Li Haiyan, Vice President, participated in the reception.

At the beginning of this Year of the Horse—a symbol of vigor and forward momentum—the two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as industrial heritage transformation, commercial space design, and the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage. Together, they explored new pathways for Sino-Italian design collaboration and urban regeneration.

As a key player in China's architectural design sector, Tsinghua Architectural Design Institute has accumulated extensive practical experience in the conservation and adaptive reuse of cultural heritage. During her visit, Deputy Director Xu Zhilan not only shared the Tsinghua team's professional insights into historic building restoration, heritage site conservation planning, and industrial heritage transformation, but also conveyed an open stance toward expanding international cooperation in the new year. The Italy Innovation Center in Shanghai has long been committed to building a platform for exchanges between China and Italy in areas such as innovative design and industrial transformation. This meeting has laid a solid foundation for future practical collaboration between the two sides.

During the discussions, Deputy Director Xu Zhilan highlighted key cases and practical approaches of Tsinghua Architectural Design Institute in the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage, covering multiple dimensions—from conservation planning and architectural restoration techniques to spatial function renewal and cultural atmosphere creation. She noted that a critical challenge in the heritage field today is how to preserve historical value while giving heritage new vitality, enabling it to integrate into modern urban life. Mr. Marco Xu, President of the Center, expressed strong agreement and shared Italy's experience in cultural heritage conservation. As the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, Italy has long-standing expertise in balancing preservation and development—offering valuable insights for the urban regeneration efforts currently underway in China.

The two sides engaged in discussions on specific topics including adaptive design for industrial factory renovation, pathways for revitalizing commercial spaces in historic districts, and technological innovations in cultural heritage conservation. Preliminary discussions were also held regarding potential areas for future collaboration.

A new journey begins in the Year of the Horse—galloping forward with vigor. This first exchange event of the new year not only marks the beginning of cooperation between Tsinghua Architectural Design Institute and the Italy Innovation Center in Shanghai, but also injects fresh momentum into deeper interactions between China and Italy in the fields of urban regeneration, cultural heritage conservation, and design innovation.