This building had fallen into disrepair and become hazardous. Advanced design and construction methods were used to reconstruct a space that harkens back to the golden era of Beijing's old historic quadrangle in the city center. An architectural project like the “Quad” is about central location and privacy. The design challenge was the difficulty of revamping this historic edifice, how to balance a bar space with privacy and find ways to fit the new building into the surrounding urban context. Designers emphasized modern elements as a way to blend in with the historic surroundings and strike a balance between new and old, low-key and high-end, and market and comfort.