Symbiosis of Old and New in Historic Districts: Conservation, Design, and Adaptive Reuse in Chengdu’s Tiexiang Temple Water Street Block

Abstract

This study investigates the design philosophy and conservation practices of old-new symbiosis and utilization in the Tiexiang Temple Water Street Block of Chengdu, China. Based on field research into the block’s historical context and the principles of historical environment protection, it explores strategies for architectural function transformation, form evolution, texture retention, environmental creation, and old-new integration within historic district regeneration. Key reflections address conservation and utilization approaches, proposing principles and methodologies for balancing heritage preservation with contemporary reuse. The research focuses on analyzing, evaluating, and summarizing challenges and solutions in spatial environment transformation, old-new architectural integration, cultural ambiance creation, and the convergence of history and tourism culture during the district’s regeneration. The aim is to distill innovative design concepts for old-new symbiosis and detailed implementation methods, guiding the creative and rational reuse of historic districts toward functional symbiosis, spatial harmony, co-evolution of old and new elements, and cultural reinterpretation.