The Dong Fufeng House Museum is a listed brick-wood building which was the birthplace of the famous master of economics. As well as displaying his academic achievements, the museum is also the setting for numerous academic forums and conferences. This project became a bridge connecting the general public to Dong Fureng’s past. This type of project is not common in China, because, normally, house museums use only a display of pictures. But in this case different display formats were employed and the house was successfully transformed into a monumental space and as such facilitates a wide range of social activities, such as economic forums.
As a listed building, the museum is subject to regulations which protect its historical significance. Consequently, the residence could only be renovated via limited designs and is protected in order to commemorate the master. In Ningbo, few former residences of the famous can be preserved due to a lack of appropriate examples. This project provides Ningbo City with a model to inform the local government with regard to how the former residences of celebrities can be repurposed as museums.
