Or Xinzhouwu

Xinzhouwu was completed in 1934 and was once Hsinchu's first department store, founded by the Dai Wushi family. Located in Hsinchu's old city district, it served as a landmark venue reflecting contemporary cultural trends throughout different periods. Due to changes in lifestyles, Xinzhouwu was no longer the most convenient shopping option compared to department stores with parking. After approximately 20 years of closure, Hongmei Cultural and Creative (O&Or) decided to assist in its renovation and re-operation. After four years of cultural heritage research and building restoration, it officially reopened in 2023 as a multi-functional select shop. The restoration and reuse of Or Xinzhouwu aim to enable more people to participate in experiences within a space that preserves cultural meaning. By combining with the nearby O&Or Fenglu (guesthouse), O&Or Coffee, O&Or Craft Showcase, O&Or Bookstore, and local neighborhoods, it seeks to introduce people to Hsinchu's local culture, achieving local revitalization and the activation of cultural spaces. During the renovation period, O&Or commissioned the “See You” (Jianyu) team, which compiles “Gongwan Soup” in Hsinchu, to conduct research, and collaborated with “Xiongben Old House,” specialists in old house restoration. This collaboration fostered public attention and identification with cultural heritage during the old house's restoration and gathered operational materials suitable for local culture in Xinzhouwu's space and activity design. O&Or's initial intention behind the renovation and operation was to allow locals to see the preservation of an old house that holds childhood memories and to enable visitors to expand their understanding and connection with Hsinchu through Xinzhouwu. Indoors, drawing on Xinzhouwu's past usage, the original terrazzo flooring and wooden window frames, which represent a blend of Japanese and Western styles, were restored, allowing visitors to glimpse Xinzhouwu's appearance across different periods. Outdoors, O&Or proactively recessed the original main entrance line, freeing up arcade space (qilou). Xinzhouwu's signboard is a new plaque re-engraved with the signboard text from old photographs of the Japanese colonial period. Grooved bricks were custom-ordered from “Sanhe Tile Kiln,” also increasing the opportunity for traditional craftsmanship to be passed down during the restoration of the historic site. Or Xinzhouwu has reopened as a composite space combining a select shop, bistro, cooking studio, and exhibition space, hoping to preserve a historically valuable building, allow more people to learn about the local area through cultural experiences, and encourage more local revitalization units to collaborate.