​Suzhou college student awarded for innovative Italian hangar transformation design

Tang Chao, an architectural engineering undergraduate at the Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province was recently awarded an Honorable Mention at a design competition involving the transformation of the Idroscalo, a hangar in Pavia, Italy, into a community hub.

Launched by TerraViva Competition seven months ago, the competition received more than 300 proposals from designers around the world.

The Idroscalo, which was built on a river in the 1920s, has a unique architectural style and great historical and artistic value. Tang envisioned turning the existing ramp into a stairway that leads to an open terrace floating on the river.

The indoor space, filled with contemporary furniture that is complemented by old walls and flooring, can be an ideal place for meetings, dining, exhibitions and movie screenings.

An exhibition of the award-winning works is expected to take place in April in Pavia.