Featuring integrated architectural and interior design by LYCS Architecture, the Fucheng Yin Boutique Hotel is a renovation project spanning nearly 6,000 square meters. Through the restoration and adaptive reuse of the former Taizhou Printing Factory site, the project reimagines this historically rich space as a multifaceted cultural destination, integrating a bookstore, exhibitions, dining, and boutique lodging. It offers a renewed urban lifestyle while advancing the sustainable regeneration of the old city.
Established in 1949, the Taizhou Printing Factory was the first state-owned enterprise founded after the liberation of Linhai, once known for the saying: "Where there is paper in Taizhou, it came from the printing factory." The project addresses a central challenge: how to mediate between touristic appeal and local authenticity, between heritage conservation and contemporary program. The design responds to four core elements: "print culture," the ancient camphor tree, historic architecture, and Linhai's cultural identity. Through a strategy of "demolish—preserve—renew—insert," it crafts a cultural retreat that bridges historical memory with contemporary expression.
The original compound was structured as a three-part courtyard layout. At the heart of the site stand two ancient trees—a camphor over 530 years old. At the innermost courtyard, the site connects directly to the Taizhou City Wall. The outer courtyard is open to the public; the central courtyard acts as the primary communal area; the inner courtyard is reserved for exclusive villa suites. On one side, the historic timber facade is preserved. Opposite, a contemporary facade clad in copper-colored aluminum panels creates a visual dialogue between past and present. Framing defines the central courtyard, with a reflecting pool connecting the two axes to enhance spatial depth. Depth defines the inner courtyard, with unobstructed views of the city wall. An arched "print gate" constructs a continuous visual path. Beyond the three layers, miniature courtyards are interwoven between the building volumes as subtle highlights.
The site includes nine original buildings. Building 8 dates to the Ming Dynasty. The renovation applied a strategy, maximizing the retention of historic textures while integrating contemporary uses. Building 9 was removed to open up the site entrance. Building 8 was restored and now functions as the hotel lobby, serving as a memory-laden threshold. Building 6 was converted into guestrooms, with its facade clad in arched perforated aluminum panels. Buildings 1, 2 and 7 reinterpret traditional construction using copper-toned aluminum panels, creating a visual dialogue between past and present. Building 5 was rebuilt as a sculptural volume with a twisting mass to bring a striking modern gesture and amplify spatial rhythm.
While preserving the original brick-and-timber framework, the interiors explore contemporary interpretations of "print culture". The hotel lobby retains a soaring timber structure. Passing through a heavy timber door, visitors emerge into the camphor courtyard, experiencing a "gate-to-tree" moment. The bar is sunken, and a continuous skylight casting dappled sunlight. The bookstore preserves the original concrete and timber roof, enhance spatial depth. Throughout, original structural elements are retained. Historical artifacts—printing machines—are displayed. The hotel comprises 39 rooms in total, divided into two themes: "print culture" and "heritage architecture." Guestrooms in Building 6 feature typographic elements. Movable type and layout graphics appear throughout. Suites in Buildings 1, 2, and 7 retain the full timber roof structure, crafting an atmosphere of quiet refinement.
