The Joyous Spring Wellness Center, a groundbreaking adaptive reuse project designed by Soong Lab+, has successfully transformed an underutilized building just beyond Beijing's Fifth Ring Road into a comprehensive wellness destination. The 13,000-square-meter facility, completed in 2024, demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can breathe new life into idle urban structures while creating spaces dedicated to health and wellbeing.
Architect Wang Songtao, founder and director of Soong Lab+, led the design team in reimagining the 8,200-square-meter site with water as the central organizing element. The project represents a sophisticated approach to adaptive reuse, incorporating structural adjustments, comprehensive interior reconfiguration, and the strategic addition of new programming to revitalize the previously dormant building. This transformation showcases the potential for sustainable development practices in China's rapidly evolving urban landscape.
The design philosophy centers around the therapeutic and symbolic properties of water, integrating this natural element throughout the facility's various spaces. The wellness center features multiple zones dedicated to different aspects of health and relaxation, each carefully planned to maximize the benefits of water-based therapy and design. The architectural team, including Jane Zhang, Wang Xiaoyu, Li Shuai, Chang Mengya, Wang Shuang, Yang Shujun, Zhao Guangwen, Liu Dong, Meng Weihan, Li Xu, and Su Jun, collaborated to ensure seamless integration between the existing structure and new additions.
The project benefited from extensive collaboration with specialized consultants to achieve its ambitious goals. YCGS Landscape Architecture Consulting Co., Ltd. handled the landscape architecture elements, while Beijing JINL Lighting Design Co., Ltd. created a sophisticated lighting scheme that enhances the water features and overall ambiance. Jiangsu Feiyi Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. served as the general contractor, ensuring the complex structural modifications were executed to the highest standards.
Photographer Weiqi Jin's documentation of the completed project reveals the successful marriage of contemporary design sensibilities with the practical requirements of a modern wellness facility. The center incorporates products from leading manufacturers including AtelierTing, KUNDESIGN, and THRUDESIGN, demonstrating a commitment to quality materials and fixtures that support the facility's therapeutic mission.
The Joyous Spring Wellness Center stands as a testament to the power of adaptive reuse in addressing both urban sustainability challenges and the growing demand for wellness-focused spaces. Commissioned by the Joyous Garden Cultural Group, this project sets a new standard for how architects can transform underutilized buildings into vibrant community assets that serve both individual wellbeing and broader urban revitalization goals.
