Gap City: Toward a Minority Architecture in Xian Cun

For many cities their identity is rooted within its shadows. A rushed reform can wipe out the essential culture of a place. Within recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced major growth. The demand for cheap labour has created a new demographic, Migrant workers. Many from rural farmlands seek jobs in major cities. Amongst all the rapid demolition and construction, affordable housing in urban villages, are disappearing due to redevelopment.By analyzing the conditions in an urban village experiencing redevelopment in Guangzhou, XianCun. This thesis set out to explore strategies where architecture can resist, adapt, and remember. Through speculative designs of temporary interventions, and infill structures, the resulting project will use transformative methods to preserve a disappearing culture. A space that promotes integration will be created for migrant workers to inhabit, another layer to GuangZhou for the locals to discover. A vibrant thread sewing together the gaps in the city.