Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to The Transformed Repository Library by Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao for interior space and exhibition design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category for The Transformed Repository Library by Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About The Transformed Repository Library
The Transformed Repository reimagines a historical warehouse in Detroit, transforming it into a modern library and cafe. The design preserves the building's industrial character while introducing a new structural volume to create layered spaces for reading and gathering. Skylights and high clerestory windows bring natural light into the space, enhancing its warmth and openness. This adaptive reuse project serves as a model for sustainable urban revitalization, blending historical preservation with contemporary functionality, and creating a vibrant community hub.
About Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao
Zhaoxiong Han is an architectural designer at Gensler’s Los Angeles office, specializing in core and shell office buildings, workplace design, and adaptive reuse. His projects have been recognized internationally, receiving multiple global design awards and competition honors, including the IDA Gold Award and others. Through his work, he actively investigates innovative architectural approaches, challenging conventional design paradigms and advancing contemporary architectural practice.
Award Record
With this recognition, Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award
The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/interior
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/163877
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/163877
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!163877
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/358361
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- The Transformed Repository Library
- Function
- Library
- Category
- Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Packaging & Retail
- Colors
- Gray, Dim Gray, Silver, Rosy Brown and Linen
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #163877
Credits
- Team
- Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao
- Image Credits
- Zhaoxiong Han and Yinzhu Yao
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Transformed Repository is a project located in Detroit, set in a former warehouse with over a hundred years of history. By converting this old industrial space into a library with a coffee shop, the project aims to create more than just a public space; it is a thoughtful reflection on history and the future of Rust Belt factories.
- Inspiration
- Detroit has a significant number of abandoned factories, many of which were once part of its thriving automotive industry. By repurposing this historic warehouse, the project honors the past while providing a sustainable model for urban renewal, showcasing a vision for the future where old industrial spaces are reborn as vibrant community assets.
- Research
- This project used a combination of historical research and community-focused design research. The objective was to transform a historic warehouse into a modern library while preserving its cultural significance. We used surveys, interviews, and site analysis as our primary data collection tools. Participants included local residents, historians, and urban planners. Results showed a strong community desire for a multifunctional space that respects the past while serving current needs. The insights gained emphasized the importance of adaptive reuse in promoting sustainable urban development and enhancing social engagement.
- Challenge
- The hardest part of this design activity was balancing historical preservation with modern functionality. Creatively, we faced the challenge of maintaining the warehouse's original character while adapting it for new uses, like a library and café. Internally, we navigated historical perspectives to honor the building's legacy and community expectations. Externally, we dealt with zoning laws, structural limitations, and integrating modern technology within a century-old structure, ensuring safety and sustainability.
- Realization and Technology
- Our design employs adaptive reuse principles, introducing new volumes within the existing warehouse to create a dynamic double-height space. We utilized parametric design tools to optimize natural light through skylights and high clerestory windows, enhancing spatial quality while preserving historic integrity. Material selection focused on sustainable, locally-sourced options like reclaimed wood and steel, maintaining the industrial aesthetic while modernizing the interior environment.
- Operation and Interaction
- The Transformed Repository is designed to create an inviting and interactive space. A newly introduced drywall volume with an embedded structure adds layers and depth to the library, enhancing the sense of openness. This volume, along with reading and sitting steps, encourages exploration and interaction, offering cozy spots for reading or gathering. Large windows and skylights fill the space with natural light, making it bright and welcoming, blending historical character with modern comfort for an engaging experience.
- Specifications
- The Transformed Repository spans approximately 18 meters in width, 35 meters in depth, and 7 meters in total height. The design incorporates mezzanine floors at a height of 3.5 meters, creating a dynamic double-height space. Skylights, each measuring 1.5 meters by 2.5 meters, and high clerestory windows of 2 meters in height are strategically placed to maximize natural light. Structural reinforcements include steel beams with a depth of 0.4 meters, ensuring stability and supporting the new design elements.
