In October, Shanghai residents passing through the city’s eastern Huangpu district may have stumbled upon an unusual sight: a “walk”.
An 85-year-old elementary school has been demolished – in its entirety – and using a new technology called the “Walking King Machine.” The name has been moved.
Lane Wooji, the project’s chief technical supervisor, said that in the city’s recent effort to preserve historic buildings, engineers have added about 200 mobile supports under a five-story building.
The support works like a robotic foot. They are divided into two groups that alternately stand up and down, imitating human action. The connected sensors help control how the building moves forward, whose company Shanghai Evolution Shift developed the new technology in 2018.
“It’s like giving the building a crutch so that it can stand and then run.” He said.
In the timelaps run by the company the school shows one small step at a time very strictly.
Lega Primary School was built in 1935, according to a statement from the Huangpu District Government Shanghai’s former French Concession Municipal Board. It was moved to create space for a new commercial and office fee complex, which will be completed by 2023.
Lane explains that workers first had to dig around the building to install 198 mobile supports in the space below. After the pillars of the building were cut down, the robotic “legs” were then extended upwards, the ifting flickering before moving the building.
During the 18 days, the building was rotated 21 degrees and moved to its new location 62 meters (203 feet) away. The relocation was completed on October 15th, and the school’s old building will become a center for heritage conservation and cultural education.
The government statement said the project marks the first time that the “walking king machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historic building.
Decades of destruction
In recent decades, China’s rapid modernization has seen the demolition of many historic buildings to clear the ground for gleaming skyscrapers and office fees. But there is growing concern across the country about the architectural heritage being lost as a result of demolition.
Some cities have launched new defense and defense campaigns, using occasional, advanced technologies that allow older buildings to be relocated rather than demolished.
Historic official indifference to historical architecture can be traced backwards The rule of Communist Party leader Mao Zedong. Meanwhile The Destructive Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, saw the destruction of numerous historic buildings and monuments as part of its war on “Four Olds” (old customs, culture, habits and ideas).
Mao’s death in 1 called for the re-watering of architectural conservation, while the Chinese government granted protected status to several structures before passing legislation in the 1980s. In subsequent years, the state supported buildings, neighborhoods, and even entire towns to maintain their historic historic appearance.
Nevertheless, relentless urbanization has posed a significant threat to architectural heritage. Land sales are also a major source of income for local governments, meaning that buildings of architectural value are often sold to property developers for whom protection is not a priority.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than demolition,” said Lane, project supervisor at Shanghai Elementary School. “I will not touch the historic buildings at all.”
He added that companies and developers have to go through strict rules like getting government approval at various levels to relocate the monument.
Building relocations, he said, “a viable option.” “The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historic buildings. I am happy to see the progress that has been made in recent years.”
Moving monuments
Shanghai has arguably been China’s most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The famous Bund district offers examples of how to give new life to old buildings, despite some criticisms of the number of buildings in the 1930s and the living buildings of renovated 19th century “Shikumen” (or “stone gate”) houses. Redevelopments were undertaken.
There are several ways to move a building: it can slide down a set of rails or, for example, be pulled by vehicles.
Aerial shot of Shanghai Lay Gay Primary School building. Deposit: Shanghai Evolution Shift Project
The building also needed to be rotated and follow a curved path towards its relocation instead of just moving in a straight line – another challenge that requires a new method.
He added, “During my 23-year tenure in the sector, I have not seen any other company that could move the structure in turn.”
Xinhua said the experts and technicians met to discuss the possibilities and test various technologies before deciding on a “walking king machine”.
Lane told CNN he would not be able to share the exact cost of the project, and that relocation costs would also vary depending on the case.
“It cannot be used as a reference, because we have to preserve the historic building, no matter what.” “But in general, it’s cheaper than tearing it down and then building something in a new place.”
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