Industrial Heritage Protection from the Perspective of Spatial Narrative

Abstract

Industrial heritage has historical and cultural value and reuse potential. Urban industrialization has a significant social influence on place identity and emotional identity. Shougang Science Fiction Industrial Park (hereinafter referred to as “Shougang Park”) serves as one of the first pilot projects for the transformation of old industrial areas in China. This study examines Shougang Park through a spatial narrative lens, analyzing its industrial heritage via the “author-text-reader” framework. Research reveals the specific implications of the three dimensions and the connections behind them. The findings offer practical strategies for experiential tourism design and adaptive reuse planning, while establishing theoretical models applicable to global post-industrial heritage revitalization.

1. Introduction

At the beginning of the 21st century, the International Heritage Protection Committee proposed the relevant planning for the protection of industrial heritage in The Nizhny Tagil Charter for the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH, 2003) [1], laying the foundation for the protection and development of industrial heritage. The Charter states that “ an industrial heritage is composed of relics of an industrial culture, either of historical, technical, social, architectural, or scientific value”. The protection and renewal of industrial heritage should not only stay at the level of material space but also integrate the architectural design, landscape layout, tour guide, rest and play, cultural experience, cultural production, and other aspects.

Since the proposal of the “Wuxi Proposal” (2006) and “the Beijing Initiative” (2010) [2]. the protection and renewal of domestic cultural heritage have been in full swing, covering many aspects such as historical memory, value remodeling, space renewal, management system, and so on. As a dynamic cultural aggregation paradigm that strategically synthesizes socioeconomic value creation with heritage preservation imperatives, the cultural park has emerged as the dominant paradigm in contemporary heritage adaptive reuse, serving not only as a spatial mediator between industrial legacies and post-industrial societies but also as an experimental platform for urban regeneration initiatives that balance community identity preservation, creative economy cultivation, and sustainable tourism development through multi-stakeholder collaboration framework.

Research makes innovations on the theoretical framework and builds the overall narrative framework of “history-confrontation-transformation-digitization”. It is no longer limited to linear historical narratives, but incorporate the content of urban renewal and heritage digitalization into the thinking. The research outcomes can provide guidance for Shougang’s thematic tourism design and future construction planning.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Spatial Narrative Theory

The theory of spatial narrative reconstructs the cognitive paradigm of heritage through an interdisciplinary lens, emphasizing how “space” functions as a cultural production mechanism that embodies social relations. Henri Lefebvre (1991), in The Production of Space, transcends traditional geometric spatial perceptions by proposing a tripartite dialectical system: spatial practice (everyday use of material space), representations of space (planning discourses dominated by power structures), and representational spaces (symbolic systems carrying collective memory) [3]. This framework (see Figure 1) positions industrial heritage spaces not merely as physical containers but as dynamic arenas of power negotiation and meaning reproduction.

Methodologically, the shift of narratology from literary texts to material spaces marks a pivotal evolution. Bernard Tschumi (1987) pioneered programmatic superimposition in architectural narrative through the “event space” design of Parc de la Villette in Paris, transforming a former slaughterhouse site into a narrative medium for cultural activities [4]. Building on this, Long Diyong (2008) proposed a “four-dimensional model” of spatial narrative (physical space-event trajectory-symbolic system-meaning network), which further established the theoretical foundation for translating industrial heritage into spatial narratives [5].

Globally, spatial narrative strategies have shaped three paradigms in industrial heritage revitalization: (1) Visualizing Historical Stratification: Germany’s Ruhr Industrial Region constructed a narrative network via the Route of Industrial Heritage. By repurposing overhead gas pipelines into aerial walkways, it connected fragmented relics like coking plants and gasometers into a continuous narrative interface, overlaying AR technology to project 1950s workers’ production scenes. (2) Translating Traumatic Memory: New York’s High Line Park preserved railway tracks while using seasonal vegetation changes to metaphorize post-abandonment ecological succession. Its “rusty rails embedded with grasses” created a narrative tension between industrial decay and natural regeneration [6]. (3) Reconstructing Symbolic Systems: At London’s Tate Modern, the preserved industrial scale of the Turbine Hall was redefined through Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project. This installation transformed the energy narrative of industrial space into a contemporary artistic experience [7].

In contrast, domestic research has established a triadic dialectical framework for industrial heritage conservation and advanced methodologies in visual rhetoric and space syntax [8]. However, two critical gaps persist: first, the extraction of place memory overly relies on morphological analysis of physical remnants, neglecting systematic integration of non-material narrative elements like oral histories of worker communities; second, event-based narratives often prioritize linear historical accounts, failing to leverage conflict-driven storytelling—as seen in Liverpool’s Albert Dock revitalization, where “trauma-rebirth” narratives galvanized public engagement [9].

2.2. The Renewal of Industrial Remains

The conceptual foundation of industrial heritage studies originated in 1955 when British scholar Michael Rix formally proposed the term “Industrial Archaeology”, advocating systematic research and preservation of relics from Britain’s 18th- and 19th-century Industrial Revolution (Rix, 1955) [10]. The evolution of international frameworks for industrial heritage protection has been marked by three pivotal milestones: the 1977 Charter of Machu Picchu emphasized the symbiotic integration of heritage preservation with dynamic urban development (UIA, 1977) [11]; the 2003 Nizhny Tagil Charter expanded the definition of industrial heritage to encompass technological, social, and architectural values; and the 2011 Dublin Principles further broadened the scope to include intangible dimensions such as industrial production processes and technical knowledge systems (ICOMOS, 2011) [12]. This trajectory reflects a paradigm shift from static monument conservation toward a holistic understanding of industrial heritage as socio-technological ecosystems.

Contemporary international research has advanced across three interconnected domains. In the renovation of the waterfront industrial area in Incheon, South Korea, Mihue et al. (2020) adopted the strategy of “gradient elastic development” [13]. They implemented strict control over the style and features in the core heritage area, and introduced creative industries in the peripheral buffer zone, thus achieving a dynamic balance between cultural protection and economic development. Parallel advancements in value assessment methodologies include Buchanan’s (2020) “3D Documentation System”, which integrates LiDAR and machine learning to quantify structural degradation risks [14], and Alfrey and Putnam’s (2019) “Industrial Metabolism Analysis”, applied at Germany’s Völklingen Ironworks to map historical material flows for informed regeneration decisions [15]. The reconstruction of post-industrial landscapes has also gained theoretical rigor through concepts like Kirkwood’s (2017) “Traumatic Landscape Translation”, notably materialized in the Ruhr Valley’s Emscher Park, where derelict coking plants dialogue with restored wetlands to narrate industrial memory through ecological repair [16].

In China, industrial heritage research entered a phase of accelerated development following the 2006 Wuxi Forum, though scholarly focus remains disproportionately oriented toward physical renovation techniques (Ruan, 2008) [17]. The Shougang Industrial Park, a flagship Chinese steel heritage complex, epitomizes this tension. Its spatial hybridity—blending preserved blast furnaces with Winter Olympics infrastructure and digital art installations—parallels technological innovations like 5G-enabled heritage monitoring systems. Yet despite attracting a predominantly Generation Z demographic (over 60% of visitors), existing studies largely adhere to conventional “heritage park plus commercial development” frameworks [18]. This contrasts sharply with global precedents such as Detroit’s automotive heritage sites, where narrative infrastructure transforms industrial ruins into platforms for intergenerational cultural identity formation (Smith, 2022) [19]. Shougang’s potential as a “mediator of industrial civilization narratives” remains underexplored, particularly in leveraging its material and digital assets to articulate China’s industrialization legacy to youth audiences—a gap that underscores the urgency of reimagining industrial heritage through transdisciplinary narrative frameworks.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Overview of the Space Resources of Shougang Park

Shougang Park is located in the southwest corner of Shijingshan District in Beijing (see Figure 2), close to the south slope of Shijingshan and the bank of Yongding River, and in the middle of the end of the west extension of Changan Street. The geographical location is superior, the southwest is near the Yongding River, the ancient City, the east and northeast and Jinding Street, the south is near Fengtai District, and the west and northwest across the Yongding River and Mentougou District, is an important intersection of Shijingshan District, Mentougou District and Fengtai District (Hexi part).

Shougang Park is far away from the city center and has experienced a relatively unique urbanization process, bearing the important tasks of enterprise development, national industrialization, and urbanization. In the 21st century, Shougang is facing the challenge of post-industrialization, and its relocation and transformation have become a historical inevitability. At the same time, the urbanization process of Beijing has also affected the spatial form of Shougang. Therefore, the spatial characteristics of Shougang are diversified due to national policies, macroeconomic needs, and urban development positioning. In addition, the transformation and development of Shougang Park has also been included in the first batch of national pilot projects of old industrial zone transformationa (see Figure 3).

3.2. Research Methods

3.2.1. Research Framework

This research is meticulously structured into two principal components, each playing a crucial and complementary role in achieving the overarching research objectives. The initial segment of this study delves deep into the deconstruction of narrative objects, a process that is systematically divided into three interrelated yet distinct sections: “author–text–reader”. This tripartite framework allows for a comprehensive analysis, enabling researchers to explore the unique perspectives, intentions, and influences of each component within the narrative context. By examining the author’s creative process, the textual structure and content, and the reader’s interpretation and reception, a more profound understanding of how narratives are constructed and perceived is achieved.

In the subsequent part of the study, after an exhaustive exploration of the diverse narrative elements associated with Shougang, the research aims to identify a unifying thread that can seamlessly integrate these disparate elements. This narrative thread is artfully structured around four key nodes: the beginning, the development, the climax, and the ending. Each node serves as a pivotal juncture in the narrative arc, guiding the flow of the story and enhancing the overall coherence. Through this structured approach, the three-element narrative elements are presented in a dynamic and engaging manner, effectively conveying the rich history, culture, and significance of Shougang. This not only provides a more comprehensive and compelling narrative but also offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of narrative elements in real-world contexts. The research framework figure is as follows (See Figure 4).

3.2.2. Data Source

This study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection method. Each interview session lasted between one and two hours, during which face-to-face interactions were carried out to facilitate in-depth exploration of the research topics.

As summarized in

Table 1. Statistical description of the data collection.

Data Type		Interview Object	Overview of Interview Content	Total Interview Time (Hours)	Manuscript (Thousand Words)
First-hand data	Interview information	Six government workers (P1~P6)	The role of the government in the protection and renewal of industrial heritage, especially the challenges and coping strategies in policy promotion and implementation	4.1	6.7
		Interviews with 23 residents from outside the park (P7~P29)	Residents’ feedback concerns how the renovation of Shougang Park affects their daily life and their emotional identification with the industrial heritage	6.3	8.4
		8 managers in the park And 6 employees (P30~P43)	How to balance the relationship between economic benefit and historical and cultural protection in the redevelopment of Shougang Park	7.1	4.2
		Media 5 people (P44~P48)	How the park can increase the public attention in terms of spatial narrative and tourism attraction	3.4	2.6
Second-hand data	Local government work materials, inspection records, development policies, historical data, and social media comments

Source: the author’s field research.

, detailed information regarding the demographic characteristics of the respondents and the specific interview topics is presented. The interview protocol adhered to the principles of narrative inquiry, with interviewers adopting a non-intrusive approach to encourage participants to freely express their experiences and perspectives. This approach aimed to capture the participants’ authentic perceptions and lived experiences.

With informed consent obtained from all participants, interviews were audio-recorded using professional recording software. Subsequently, the recorded data were meticulously transcribed verbatim, followed by a systematic process of qualitative data analysis. This involved coding, categorizing, and thematically analyzing the transcripts to identify key themes, patterns, and insights relevant to the research objectives. This rigorous approach to data collection and analysis ensures the validity and reliability of the study’s findings.

3.2.3. Data Processing

This study employs constructivist grounded theory to guide the coding analysis of interview data, deeply deconstructing the narrative logic of interviewees through a systematic three-level coding process. In the open coding stage, the research team first transcribed 48 interview recordings into 219,000 words of textual data and conducted standardized preprocessing using NVivo 12 Plus software. By coding line by line, 54 free nodes were extracted, and a codebook containing operational definitions and typical citations was established. An inter-rater reliability test (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.82) was performed to ensure coding objectivity. This stage focused on capturing micro-narrative elements in the original interviews—for example, deriving conceptual labels such as “tactile material memory” from expressions like “touching the wall of the Third Blast Furnace” (see

Table 2. Industrial Heritage Narrative Coding Master Table.

Core Category	Axial Category	Open Coding Examples
Space power	A1 Official narrative authority	“Land use control clause in urban planning documents” “Expression of spatial decision-making power in the approval process of major projects” “Officially released regional development strategy text”
	A2 Individual narrative practice	“Memory of spatial transformation in residents oral history” “Self-media accounts record the changes in space” “Space rights claims in citizen proposals”
Time-Space changes	B1 Space reconstruction	“Functional replacement types of industrial sites” “New and old building materials side by side” “Space scale transformation”
	B2 The spirit of the era	“Olympic elements and industrial symbols fusion design” “Ecological restoration narrative under the carbon neutral goal” “Empowering spatial experience with digital technology”
Identity construction	C1 Passenger resident	“Space meaning value in tourist check-in behavior” “The indigenous peoples expression of the continuity of the identity of factory people and the construction of spatial belonging of new residents”
	C2 online community	“UGC content sentiment under the topic of Shougang Park” and “knowledge co-creation of industrial heritage in virtual communities” “Players secondary creation of the park space”

Source: the interview text and Collected second-hand information.

).

4. Result

Through the “author-text-reader” analytical framework applied to Shougang Industrial Park’s narrative structure, the study reveals a multidimensional narrative ecosystem where authoritative spatial governance strategies (“author”) negotiate power dynamics with grassroots practices, material transformations of industrial relics (“text”) materially archive the site’s spatiotemporal evolution from steel production to post-industrial hybridity, and diverse user engagements (“reader”) actively reconstruct place-based identities through embodied interactions.

The operation of power has driven the spatial reconstruction of Shougang, correspondingly transforming the identity of the “reader”, while the needs of the “reader” also influence the “author’s” creative process. Through the narrative thread of “industrial history-confrontation-transformation-digitization”, this reveals the shift from the “author’s” one-way creative output to the co-creation between the “author” and “reader”, ultimately forming Shougang’s unique narrative framework.

4.1. Interpretation of Narrative Elements of Shougang

4.1.1. Author Elements: The Operation of Space Power

In the process of industrial heritage conservation and transformation, the role of the “author” is critical, akin to how a literary author ensures narrative coherence. Designers strategically construct spatial expressions through professional expertise and innovative thinking. Within the “author” dimension, the Chinese government, as the key “creator”, profoundly shapes the Shougang Heritage through its industrial strategies—a process that directly correlates with the core coding of “spatial power”.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics catalyzed a functional metamorphosis. Guided by the Olympic Agenda 2020 sustainability principles [20], Shougang’s deindustrialization saw factory spaces repurposed into Olympic training venues, exemplifying state-driven adaptive reuse that hybridizes industrial morphology with neoliberal urbanism [21]. Presently, under China’s “Digital Economy” national strategy, Shougang’s metaverse laboratories and 5G-enabled monitoring systems epitomize heritage’s techno-futurist rebranding—a process critiqued for privileging spectacle over substance [22].

Currently, the state strongly advocates the strategies of digital economy and scientific and technological innovation. Shougang has followed the trend by building a metaverse laboratory and introducing cutting-edge technologies such as 5G and AR. This strategic orientation not only adds digital and technological elements to the industrial heritage but also endows it with new narrative methods and development directions. As a result, Shougang’s industrial heritage has transformed from a traditional carrier of industrial memories into a diversified display space that integrates historical culture and modern technology, fully demonstrating the profound influence of national industrial strategies on the shaping of Shougang’s industrial heritage.

4.1.2. Text Elements: The Space-Time Changes of Industrial Heritage

In the spatial narrative of industrial heritage, time and space serve as core textual elements that collectively weave the historical fabric and spirit of place at Shougang—a process that demonstrates profound intertextuality with the core code of “the space-time transformation”.

Time, as the narrative bridge and bond of the story, carries the vicissitudes and flow of plots in the protection of Shougang’s industrial heritage. From the industrial pioneering period of the Great Steel Campaign in 1958, to the functional reconstruction period of Olympic transformation in 2008, and then to the digital empowerment period of metaverse laboratory construction in 2023, each era has precipitated into tangible historical symbols in spatial relics. The gigantic furnace body of the Third Blast Furnace and the coke oven clusters in the Coking Plant from 1958 are not only production tools but also spatial-temporal carriers of the passion for national industrialization during the planned economy era; the rust on the equipment and the wear marks on the operation platforms visually present “the thickness of time”, allowing visitors to imagine the production scenes of the first-generation Shougang workers. The Olympic transformation in 2008 reset the “production time” of the original industrial space into “cultural time”—the Third Blast Furnace shifted from a production core “capable of producing thousands of tons of steel daily” to an industrial culture exhibition hall, where its original steel structure dialogues with newly added multimedia displays across time, narrating the transformation from “steel manufacturing” to “urban services” (See

Table 3. The Spirit of Shougang at different stages of development.

	Stage	Time	The Main Spiritual Embodiment
The traditional Shougang spirit	Tumultuous survival	1919–1948	Consciousness awakening, full struggle
	work hard and perseveringly	1949–1978	Aggressive, tenacious struggle
	forge ahead	1979–2002	“Dare to break, dare to insist, dare to work hard hard” “three dares” spirit, bold exploration
The Shougang spirit of the new era	pay attention to the interests of the whole	2002–2004	Obey the overall situation, active dedication
	continuous innovation	2005–2011	Bold, innovative, open and inclusive
	A new life	2012 To date	To serve the capital and promote its transformation and development

Source: Sorted out by the author.

).

Spatial planning focuses on the effective utilization of spatial and architectural resources in the park, constructing multi-level narrative scenes. Shougang’s spatial elements achieve the transformation from “production space” to “experience space” through the integration of industrial relics, ecological environments, and modern facilities, completing the reconstruction of the spirit of place. Industrial sites such as the coal washing workshop in the Coking Plant and the iron tapping platform of the Third Blast Furnace retain material traces of the production era through the principle of “minimum intervention” [23]. For example, the unremoved slag iron tanks and hoist tracks inside the Third Blast Furnace contrast with the transparent tempered glass on the ground (displaying historical production photos below), turning the space into a “three-dimensional manual” of the industrial process—visitors’ walking routes naturally become cognitive paths for understanding production techniques. The Snowboarding Big Air Venue is a typical example of spatial reconstruction: its steel structure is designed around the layout of the original cooling tower cluster, with the retained industrial pipelines at the base and the Olympic sports space at the top forming a symbiotic relationship of “industrial skeleton-sports skin”. This spatial planning not only continues the industrial genes of the site (such as its rugged steel texture) but also injects new narrative themes (Olympic spirit, extreme sports), transforming the old space from a “stage for steel production” into a “showcase for urban vitality”. The integration of the Yongding River restoration project with the park’s greening system constructs a dialectical relationship between “industry and nature”: the former industrial waste landfill has been transformed into the Xiuchi Wetland Park, where the reflection of blast furnaces on the water intersects with the retained transport rails and newly planted vegetation along the shore. Through the visualization of the restoration process (such as display boards on polluted soil treatment), this spatial design not only improves the environment but also narrates Shougang’s transformation from an “industrial rust belt” to an “ecological show belt”, endowing the space with a narrative dimension of environmental ethics. The spatial dimension narrative analysis of each scenic spot in Shougang is drawn into a table (see

Table 4. Analysis of the narrative elements behind the landscape.

Scene	Spatial Description	Expression of Feelings	Purpose Refining
	Three blast furnace museums preserving industrial culture and industrial history	The inheritance and continuation of culture, accompanied by hope and longing	Inheritance and bearing in mind; Review and store power; patriotism
	The industrial site retained in the park is now a coking oven	Traces of history arouse nostalgia
	The ski jumping platform and cooling tower are reflected in Qunming Lake	Bold and warm; self-challenge; Brave dream	positive; continuous improvement; young blood
	Shougang cultural and creative products are based on the perfect combination of Shougang ski platform and cooling tower	fine and smooth; Lively and clever; Innovation and creativity
	The coupling of industrial sites and scientific and technological creativity	Remember and start again; Freedom and bravery	restart; Embrace the future; Forward-looking vision
	Keep the original structure of the blast furnace and the external industrial style, take the Chinese science fiction story as the clue, and implant the cool cutting-edge innovative technology	cultural confidence; Science and technology shock; Exploration and curiosity

Source: The pictures come from the Internet and the author’s self-photograph, and the text comes from the interview text.

) for the next analysis [24].

4.1.3. Reader Elements: Identity Construction of Different Subjects

Industrial heritage functions as a “vessel of meaning”, translating abstract “urban memory” into tangible “identity symbols” through diverse groups’ perceptual and identificatory practices. This process infuses post-industrial spaces with both “emotional resonance” (e.g., veteran workers’ nostalgic connections) and “cultural signification” (e.g., new communities’ epochal identification), ultimately elevating heritage value from “material preservation” to “collective spiritual construction”. Such generational disparities and stratified emotional engagements (e.g., long-term residents’ status as “historical witnesses” versus newcomers’ role as “epochal participants”) epitomize the core mechanism of the “identity construction” code [25].

For long-time residents, Shougang’s industrial heritage serves as an emotional anchor embedded in daily life. Rust-covered operation tables, familiar factory numbers, and even the sound of old (factory broadcasts) constitute core elements of their identity. For example, retired workers often involuntarily touch the mottled steel plates of the Third Blast Furnace during revisits; the physical traces of production preserved in these spaces—such as nameplates on tool cabinets or fragments of operation logs—activate deep-seated emotions related to youth, labor, and collective memory. The preservation of life-supporting spaces like the “workers’ club” and “factory commuter railway” during the renovation further serves as a medium for intergenerational narration. Older residents transform personal memories—such as “childhood by the blast furnace” or “factory sports meets”—into family and community collective memories by guiding younger generations through the site, elevating industrial heritage beyond materiality to become a spiritual bond that sustains intergenerational emotions and strengthens local identity.

New residents and tourists engage with Shougang’s narrative network as “urban decoders”, constructing cognitive frameworks of the city’s industrial history through sensory experiences—visual exposure to steel structures, auditory immersion in restored industrial sounds, and tactile interaction with equipment textures. For instance, when young tourists take photos at the Snowboarding Big Air Venue, the industrial aesthetics of its steel framework clash visually with the modernity of Olympic sports, shifting their perception of Shougang from “abandoned factory” to “creative landmark”. Meanwhile, audio recordings of interviews with retired workers in the digital guide system fill the historical gaps in physical space, allowing visitors to complete a cognitive loop of “spatial perception—emotional resonance—meaning comprehension” as they walk. Crucially, Shougang’s “heritage park” design transforms industrial relics into participatory and interactive public spaces: the open-air theater by Xiuchi Pond and the immersive light exhibitions in the Coking Plant provide daily leisure scenes for new residents, integrating industrial memory into urban life as a living cultural resource rather than “museum exhibits”.

4.2. The Thread of the Narrative: The Relationship Behind the Narrative Elements

Selecting an appropriate thread to connect narrative elements is the key to this study. While the classic “beginning-development-climax-conclusion” structure serves as a common narrative rhythm in textual storytelling and remains applicable to spatial narratives [26], it proves insufficient for spatial scenarios that lack the inherent continuity of event progression. This necessitates a deeper exploration of the logic underlying this framework.

A chronological approach (“past-present-future”) offers a universal option, as seen in Shougang’s distinct phases: the industrial era representing historical roots, the Winter Olympics phase symbolizing contemporary identity, and the digital metaverse stage envisioning future trajectories. However, as noted in the literature, such unidirectional linear narratives still struggle to reveal the “spirit of place” embedded within landscapes, requiring further excavation [27].

Drawing theoretical insights, we synthesize three conceptual anchors: the “authenticity principle” in industrial heritage conservation emphasizes the historical witness value of material remains; “urban renewal theory” advocates sustainable spatial evolution through “coexistence of old and new”; and the “digital heritage” trend explores technological expansion of heritage preservation and dissemination. This integration yields a “history-transformation-digitization” theoretical narrative line [28].

By merging this with the traditional narrative rhythm, we formulate a “industrial history-confrontation-transformation-digitization” narrative thread (See Figure 5). This framework inherently employs a strategy of “qualitative diminution and symbolic augmentation” [29], this reveals the shift from the “author’s” one-way creative output to the co-creation between the “author” and “reader”, ultimately forming Shougang’s unique narrative framework.

4.3. The Selection of Narrative Nodes

4.3.1. Industrial History: No. 3 Blast Furnace—Material Embodiment of Production Epics

As the central landmark of Shougang’s industrial history, the No. 3 Blast Furnace preserves production memories dating back to the 1958 national steelmaking campaign. Guided by the principle of “minimal intervention”, its colossal furnace body, preserved slag iron pots, and hoist tracks retain the complete physical traces of steelmaking—from ore lifting and high-temperature smelting to molten iron transportation—forming a tangible “textbook of industrial production”. Transparent tempered glass floors overlay historical photos and real-time light projections, recreating the 1970s spectacle of daily molten iron flows through hybrid digital-physical displays. Rejecting static museum-style preservation, this spatial narrative employs authentic material remains—climbable control platforms and furnace wall scorch marks. Beyond technological evolution, the furnace’s rugged steel structure serves as both witness to industrial progress and a collective memory vessel, its very form constituting an unmediated “narrative text” of industrial history.

4.3.2. Confrontation: Coking Plant—Tension Field of Abandonment and Reconfiguration

The derelict coke oven complex epitomizes the clash between traditional industry and urban development. During the 2008 Olympic transformation, Shougang’s relocation silenced these once-perpetually active ovens, leaving ash-covered conveyor belts and rusted coal bunkers as material symbols of industrial decline. Yet this “confrontation” evolved into narrative capital through “site theatricalization”: preserved coke oven frameworks now serve as immersive projection screens, with nighttime animations reenacting coal processing, coking, and chemical production cycles—transforming former pollution hubs into “industrial ecology” (warning classrooms). The on-site “Transition Memory Exhibition” displays workers’ gas masks, environmental monitoring records, and relocation documents, crystallizing the value conflict between “high-energy production” and “Green Olympics” into decipherable historical fragments. No longer a battleground between heritage conservation and urban renewal, the coking plant now hosts public discourse on “developmental costs” and “inevitability of transformation”, achieved through preserved ruins and reflective narratives [30].

4.3.3. Transformation: Big Air Shougang—Narrative Grafting on Industrial Skeletons

Spanning the ruins of cooling tower clusters, Big Air Shougang’s steel framework symbolizes the shift from “production space” to “experiential space”. By repurposing original concrete foundations and water pipelines as structural supports, the design creates a symbiotic relationship between industrial “bones” and Olympic “muscles”: Olympic five-ring colors adorn repurposed pipelines at its base, while its curved ramp mirrors distant blast furnaces, fusing “steelmaking logic” with “sports aesthetics”. This space transcends industrial nostalgia through radical functional transformation—from “coal-fired workshops” to “athletic aerial stages”—propagating the idea that industrial heritage can surpass its original purpose to become “urban vitality generators”. Visitors ascending the jump platform witness former waste zones transformed into undulating eco-parks, this visual contrast serving as a potent metaphor for “transformation”.

4.3.4. Digitization: Metaverse Lab (No. 3 Blast Furnace Digital Layer)—Narrative Revolution of Spatiotemporal Folding

The No. 3 Blast Furnace’s digital layer enables visitors to witness 1960s iron-smelting scenes through smart glasses: virtual molten iron cascades from the furnace as digital workers rush with slag pots, accompanied by retro radio static and furnace roars—creating a palimpsest of past and present. The Metaverse Lab’s virtual park allows global users to explore Shougang’s history via digital avatars, from 1958’s dust-choked construction sites to 2023’s carbon neutrality exhibition hall. This digital narrative shatters linear spatiotemporal constraints, transmuting industrial heritage from “site-bound relics” into “infinitely accessible memory repositories”. When visitors touch the furnace’s steel plates, AR overlays display historical production data and worker stories tied to that exact spot, achieving deep integration of “material space” and “digital narrative”—endowing industrial heritage with future-oriented communicative power.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

5.1. Theoretical Discussion: Paradigmatic Innovation in Spatial Narrative Frameworks

This study validates the efficacy of the “history-confrontation-transformation-digitization” narrative framework through the Shougang case, revealing three paradigm shifts in industrial heritage spatial storytelling. These shifts challenge conventional preservation methodologies and open new avenues for interpreting industrial legacies as dynamic socio-cultural texts.

5.1.1. Reconstruction of Temporal Logic: From Linearity to Layered Temporality

Traditional linear narratives (“past-present-future”) evolve into multidimensional “folded spacetime” storytelling. The AR historical reconstructions at No. 3 Blast Furnace and the Metaverse Lab’s spatiotemporal explorations demonstrate how digital technologies transcend physical linearity through temporal layering, enabling three-dimensional historical memory expression. For instance, visitors interacting with AR overlays at the furnace experience not just a static past, but a dialogic encounter where 1960s worker narratives coexist with real-time environmental data visualizations. This approach aligns with Pierre Nora’s concept of lieux de mémoire (sites of memory), where material remnants act as thresholds between temporal dimensions, inviting participatory reinterpretation rather than passive consumption [31].

5.1.2. Productive Transformation of Contradictory Tensions: Beyond Binary Preservation

The “site theatricalization” of the Coking Plant illustrates how industrial decline’s “negative heritage” can be repurposed into public reflective resources via critical narratives. By exposing developmental contradictions—such as juxtaposing archival production quotas with real-time air quality indices from the 2008 Olympics—the site transforms from a symbol of obsolescence into a catalyst for deliberative democracy. This strategy surpasses the binary opposition of “preservation vs. demolition” by embracing what Miessen (2010) terms “conflictual participation”, where spatial narratives provoke uncomfortable yet necessary debates about industrialization’s socio-ecological costs [32].

5.1.3. Symbolic Elevation of Functional Value: Architecture as Palimpsest

The “bone-muscle symbiosis” of Big Air Shougang proves that industrial heritage’s functional renewal must transcend superficial physical adaptation. When cooling tower foundations become Olympic infrastructure, their value ascends from production tools to dual symbolic carriers of “industrial collective memory” and “post-industrial urban ideals”. This mirrors Aldo Rossi’s theory of urban artifacts, where architectural forms accumulate meaning across historical epochs. The jump platform’s reflective surface, mirroring both blast furnaces and athletes mid-flight, literalizes this palimpsestic quality, rendering the site a living archive of layered temporalities [33].

5.2. Practical Implications: Narrative-Driven Regeneration Pathways

The Shougang model, which is based on an interdisciplinary synthesis of urban design, digital humanities, and memory studies, provides replicable operational strategies for industrial heritage preservation. It first focuses on the criteria for selecting narrative anchors, which demands a tripartite legitimacy. Iconic landscapes, like the No. 3 Blast Furnace, need to meet three conditions. Material Legibility requires preserving tangible traces of complete production processes such as slag pot tracks to uphold the “authenticity of material substance” as defined by UNESCO. Event Relevance means deeply connecting with historical milestones like the Olympic transformation and carbon neutrality goals to root narratives in nationally significant collective memories. Technological Extensibility ensures spatial adaptability for digital narratives, for example, the compatibility of steel structures with AR projection mapping following the Oslo Manual’s innovation metrics.

Moreover, the Shougang model emphasizes the gradient design of experiential layers, which is a form of cognitive choreography. Visitor cognition progresses in a sequence from “sensory stimulation → conflict recognition → value identification”. The curated journey in the Coking Plant, starting from tactile interaction with gas masks, leading to cognitive dissonance through pollution data comparisons, and finally culminating in aspirational carbon neutrality exhibits in the Metaverse, follows Freirean pedagogy. This “emancipatory spatial literacy” enables visitors to perceive industrial history not as static facts but as a debatable area for civic discussion.

5.3. Future Prospects: Building Heritage Communities Through Narrative

The Shougang paradigm is a harbinger of future directions for industrial heritage, establishing it as a key point for global sustainability discussions. It significantly shifts the focus from “Spatial Adaptation” to “Meaning Production”, thereby democratizing heritage interpretation. Heritage value is now more reliant on the narrative-driven “spirit of place” as proposed by Norberg-Schulz in 1980, rather than just material integrity. The interpretation of the No. 3 Blast Furnace’s scorch marks, regarded as “material texts of planned-economy aesthetics”, should be collaboratively constructed. This can be achieved through citizen historian platforms where retired workers annotate AR reconstructions, tourists share AR Instagram stories, and scholars contribute dialectical analyses through crowdsourcing.

Furthermore, the Shougang model advocates for the creation of cross—media narrative ecosystems, aiming towards Metaverse—derived preservation. It emphasizes the establishment of closed—loop systems that integrate “physical sites—digital archives—community engagement”. For example, AI algorithms can analyze visitor movement patterns in the Metaverse Lab to dynamically adjust onsite lighting and soundscapes, thus creating feedback loops between the virtual and real worlds. This approach operationalizes Latour’s Actor—Network Theory, treating heritage as a combination of human and non—human elements [34].

Finally, the Shougang model showcases glocalized narrative strategies, effectively bridging the universal and the particular. The “industrial history—Olympic transformation-digital future” sequence at Shougang is an example of “glocalization” as defined by Robertson in 1995. It adheres to the Dublin Principles’ universal frameworks while highlighting local cultural distinctiveness through symbols like “Steel Olympics” [35]. This model can serve as a transitional template for post—industrial cities in the Global South, such as Jamshedpur in India or Johannesburg in South Africa, where deindustrialization is intertwined with decolonial identity politics.

5.4. Conclusion: Industrial Heritage as Social Dialogue Apparatus

This study, based on the tripartite analytical framework of “author-text-reader”, systematically deconstructs the narrative generation mechanism of industrial heritage in Shougang Industrial Park:

(1)

It reveals a multidimensional narrative ecosystem embedded within: First, authoritative spatial governance subjects (“authors”)—comprising governments and professional institutions—shape the value orientation of heritage spaces through institutional tools such as industrial policies and planning directives; Second, industrial relics (“texts”) materially translate the spatiotemporal succession trajectory of the site from “steel production dominance” to “post-industrial hybrid space” via functional reconfiguration (e.g., production → exhibition/culture/sports) and morphological translation (i.e., retaining structural features while superimposing new functions), forming narrative carriers that encapsulate historical stratification; Third, diverse “reader” groups actively reconstruct place-based identities across both material and semantic dimensions through embodied practices (e.g., tactile engagement with industrial textures, participation in digital interactions), achieving a role transformation from “passive recipients” to “meaning co-creators”.

(2)

The research reveals how the narrative thread of “industrial history-confrontation-transformation-digitization” disrupts the traditional “authoritative one-way output” model of heritage protection: Governmental spatial power operations drive physical space reconstruction, leading to differentiation in “readers’” identities (e.g., nostalgic identification of long-term residents vs. experiential identification of new visitors); Meanwhile, “readers’” emotional needs (e.g., intergenerational memory transmission, innovative experience expectations) influence the “authors’” adjustment of narrative strategies (e.g., shifting from function-first to emotion-driven design logic) through social feedback mechanisms (e.g., public participation, digital platform interaction), forming a bidirectional “governance-experience” narrative ecology.

Transcending single-dimensional heritage protection perspectives, this research integrates institutional forces (“author”), material carriers (“text”), and subjective practices (“reader”) into a unified analytical framework, revealing how the three dimensions form layered narrative texts through “power negotiation-spatiotemporal translation-identity co-construction” (e.g., the Third Blast Furnace as a spatiotemporal intersection of “industrial revolution-urban transformation-technological future”). This framework not only provides a deep explanatory tool for the Shougang case but also offers a replicable model of “historical texture preservation-modern function implantation-multiple identity construction” for heritage activation in post-industrial cities globally, helping to resolve the core contradiction between “material retention” and “meaning loss” in industrial heritage protection.