Integrating skillsIntegrating skillsIntegrating skillsIntegrating skillsA Second Life For Factory 798A Second Life For Factory 798• Fast readingWhat did factory 798 use to be ? What is the factory used for now?Factory 798 used to be an important army in Beijing.It is now changed into a center for the arts.1.Why don’t companies want to move into some old buildings?2. How do people usually deal with these old buildings?3. When was factory 798 built? Who designed it?4. Why is it very different from Chinese architecture?5. Why was factory 798 welcomed by the painters, music bands, artists and musicians? Carefully reading1. Why don’t companies want to move into some old buildings?• It is usually difficult to find other companies to move into the building, because the floor plan — the size and the number of halls — does not fit their company.2.How do people usually deal with these old buildings? Often, these buildings are pulled down after having stood empty without use for many years.3.When was factory 798 built? Who designed it?• Factory 798 was built in the early 1950s.• It was designed by East German architects.4. Why is it very different from Chinese architecture?The simple style of the buildings and the fact that they are German set them aside as very different from Chinese architecture.5. Why was factory 798 welcomed by the painters, music bands, artists and musicians?1. Painters and other artists can move into the smaller rooms to use them as studios to paint, while music bands rent space to practice.2. Smaller halls can e changed into shops and restaurants while the main factory halls can be used for concerts parties and dance festivals.3. Young, beginning artists and musicians often do not have enough money to rent studios or other buildings to practice, perform or even work and live.4. They like these buildings because the rooms and hall are often very larger, which is good for artist who want to make large objects.5. Besides, many of these buildings were constructed far from the city, so that people in the neighborhood are not disturbed when rock musicians move in and practice for a concert.
