The MUSE Design Awards, often called the "Oscars of the design world," recently announced its winners for 2026. The "Qianyang Ancient Town (4A) Phase I Renovation Project," stood out among more than 6,300 entries from 46 countries worldwide and won the Gold Award. The project was designed by the Hunan Provincial Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Hunan Construction Investment Group.

The certificate of the award. (The photo provided by the correspondent)

The project is located in Qianyang Ancient Town, Huaihua City in Hunan. The conservation area covers 14,390.3 square meters of building facades. As a provincial-level famous historical and cultural town and a national 4A tourist attraction, the ancient town boasts well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty street networks and two national key protected cultural relic units, namely, the Qianyang Ancient Building Complex and Furong Town.

The conservation strategy emphasizes minimal intervention, respect for historical integrity, and the continuity of the town's architectural character. The project implements a categorized and graded conservation system, applying different treatment strategies for heritage buildings, traditional-style structures, and both harmonized and unharmonized modern and contemporary structures. Digital technologies, such as UAV oblique photography and 3D laser scanning, are utilized to collect high-precision data on the town's street layout and architectural components, establishing a real-scene 3D model and a "one building one file" digital archive.

Qianyang Ancient Town. (The photo provided by the correspondent)

The renovation addresses building pathologies like hollow plaster, weathered brick and stone, and decayed wood by prioritizing the use of traditional materials and craftsmanship. Through the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, demolition of unauthorized additions, and infrastructure improvements, the project has greatly enhanced the town's functionality for accommodation, commerce, and tourism services based on the continuity of the historical urban fabric.

This award signifies that the categorized and graded conservation system, along with the project's practice of integrating modern technology with traditional craftsmanship, has gained recognition from the global professional design community. The approach provides a practical model for the conservation and revitalization of similar historical cities.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan