[1] Located in the hundreds-year-old Cha'er hutong, a Chinese courtyard, surrounded by family homes,[2] the award-winning structure is recognized for its blend of old and new architecture.
Funded by the municipal government,[3] the building is part of an urban development program[3] to enhance the lives of residents while preserving hutong history.
Zhang Ke of ZAO/standard architecture in Beijing designed the children's library and art centre as part of a hutong renewal project.
[8] Builders also transformed a former kitchen beneath a large Chinese scholar tree into a six-metre square micro art space[11] using recycled bricks.
[12] Local residents see the hutong renewal project as good for the community as the area was transformed from piles of rubbish to a place where children come to play and learn.
[7] The project helped preserve historic buildings[3] instead of leveling the area for large-scale construction, bridging the gap between modern development and tradition.