From September 28 to October 3, 2025, the 7th Sino-Japanese Design Workshop (Dalian Station) (hereinafter referred to as the "Workshop"), co-sponsored by Dalian University of Technology, Dalian Minzu University and Hiroshima University, was successfully held at the School of Architecture and Fine Arts, Dalian University of Technology.
A total of 26 postgraduate students majoring in Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning, and Art Design from the three universities participated in the event. As teaching mentors, Professor Lu Wei, Professor Wang Shiyuan, Associate Professor Liu Daiyun, Associate Professor Lang Liang from Dalian University of Technology; Professor Jin Hua, Associate Professor Zhang Dan, Dr. Lin Zixiang from Dalian Minzu University; and Professor Daisaku Nishina, Professor Takahiro Tanaka, Associate Professor Hideaki Sumikura from Hiroshima University jointly guided the workshop.
The theme of this Workshop, proposed by Dalian University of Technology, is "Dalian Wenhua Street Historic and Cultural District: Renovation Planning and Design". The site is located in the Lingqian (岭前) area of Zhongshan District, Dalian. Wenhua Street (文化街)has a unique historical and cultural style characterized by concentrated historical buildings and a complete block layout and urban fabric, and it is also a popular check-in spot for City Walk nowadays. The Workshop will conduct investigations and discussions on regional positioning, functional formats, and spatial environment, and then put forward proposals for the renewal planning and design of the block.
On the morning of September 28, the opening ceremony of the Workshop was held at the School of Architecture and Fine Art. Associate Professor Lang Liang explained the project background and the design brief. Students formed 5 interdisciplinary and comprehensive teams through cross-university grouping. On the afternoon of the 28th, all the members went to Wenhua Street block for on-site research. From September 29 to October 2, the student teams worked in groups to sort out research findings, analyze current problems, discuss solutions, and gradually clarify the objectives, tasks, ideas and measures for the renewal of the site under the guidance of the mentors. During this period, a mid-term results report and exchange review session was also held on October 1. On October 3, the Workshop held the final results presentation of the Dalian Station. The 5 teams reported their preliminary research results and conceptual planning proposals. Teachers from both China and Japan raised questions, gave comments respectively, and put forward guiding suggestions for the further design refinement. After the report, Professor Lu Wei gave an academic sharing based on the renewal and protection practice project of Dalian Yantai Street (烟台街) Historical Block, providing reference examples and inspirations for the follow-up work of the Workshop. During the Workshop, Chinese students also led Japanese students to conduct urban exploration and cultural experience, giving full play to their professional expertise and telling Chinese stories well.
According to the plan, the Workshop will continue to advance the design progress through online cooperation, and the final results presentation of the Workshop (Hiroshima Station) will be held at Hiroshima University in November. It is expected that the young students from the three universities of China and Japan will gain a lot and achieve fruitful results in academic and cultural exchanges.
Graphics & Text: Lang Liang, Zhang Yun, Tong Yuewen
