Original spatial conditions impacting artist-led renovation of industrial architecture: case study in 798 Art District, Beijing

Artist-led, spontaneous renovations in in-between spaces play a critical role in the renewal of industrial architecture. However, the relationship between renovation practices and varying original spatial conditions in these structures remains unclear. This study focuses on Beijing’s 798 Art District, employing field investigation, street mapping, data analysis, and other methods to examine original spatial conditions (e.g. building density, exterior wall area, plaza depth, height-to-depth ratio [D/H], industrial components, and entrance density) as well as renovation contents (e.g. building elements, artistic elements, and commercial elements). A multiple regression analysis is also conducted to observe correlations among these factors. The results indicate that exterior wall area and industrial components positively correlate with three distinct categories of renovation contents. Entrance density is positively correlated with building elements and commercial elements but not correlated with artistic elements. Building density is negatively correlated with building and commercial elements but shows no correlation with artistic elements. Plaza depth and D/H are not correlated with any renovation content. These findings highlight the influence of original spatial conditions on the renovation practices utilized by artists, offering valuable insights for the adaptive reuse of industrial architecture and supporting the sustainable redevelopment of industrial architectural heritage sites.