There are hundreds of roads, streets, lanes, and alleyways mixing and criss-crossing in the old town centre [1]. Many of those urban patterns have been hidden and destroyed under the rapid development of urbanisation [2].  Wang Yima is an alleyway stretching from south to north connecting with three smaller horizontal lanes. As one of the historic alleyways in central Shanghai, Wang Yima has witnessed the rise and fall of the surrounding urban area which gradually vanished into history, along with some ancient names such as Rong Fu lane, Heng de Lane and Jiu an Lane [3]. Along each of the lanes, there are building blocks which were mainly built around the1930s as residential and mixed-use functions. Site photos captured the current urban fabric of the historic building typology and served as visual records and design references through our early-stage studies. Those enable us to understand the scale of urban street and building characteristics.  As a new kind of Shikumen typology, these edifices were built approximately 24m in width, 18-20m in depth, and 13-14m in height, with two to four floors and they are made of bricks and concrete, covered with grey tiles on pitched roofs [4]. Big surfaces of the structure are covered with grey lime coating [Image 4], and some are painted dark red [Image 1]. On the side wall, red coloured bricks are layered in between grey bricks [Image 2]. Although many buildings have been abandoned and are empty now, there are architectural detail elements that still tell the glory of the past. There is a gateway that occupies two levels with an arch-shaped portico with a sculptured coin tripod which is in the middle surrounded by coral[Image1], scroll painting and lucid Ganoderma represent good wishes for peace, prosperity and good health4. Shikumen Gate which used to be the entrance to the lanes or ground shops is now walled up with concrete blocks and timber boards[Image 3].  We generated a Nolli Map referring to local survey statistics to illustrate the urban pattern of alleyways and demolished and surviving buildings [map 1]. This map also contains the information from the municipality regarding the hierarchical grade which is based on the local historic building conservation regulation. It reveals the alleyway pattern which inspired our design team to generate the proposed framework of the new development. Furthermore, it traces the dimensions of the building layout of the past, which then became the fundamental reference for the future building module.