Italian fashion house breathes new life into iconic garden villa

Rong Zhai was once home to Rong Zongjing, who was known as the Flour King of China.

Restoration works spanned six years and the residence was unveiled to the public in mid-October.

Prada will also be using the venue to host various cultural activities and fashion exhibitions.

Rong Zhai is not the first historical building that Prada has had a hand in restoring.

The fashion house has also helped to repair the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world's oldest shopping mall in central Milan, and the Palazzo or Ca' Corner della Regina, a Baroque-style building in Venice.

Patrizio Bertelli, the CEO of Prada Group, said: "We hope to associate our brand with history and not just fashion."

Bertelli explained that Prada chose to restore Rong Zhai because of its distinctive features that combine Western and traditional Chinese styles.

The property, which measures around 4,200 square meters, comprises a three-story building with a floor space of 2,182 sq m and a sprawling 2,475-sq-m garden.

Zheng Shiling, a historical preservation expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that Prada's efforts to preserve the residence can be held up as an example for others to follow.

"The restoration of heritage architecture is costly and requires great skill. It's better that such buildings are being used by companies and wealthy individuals who can afford to care for it," said Zheng.

"These buildings should be opened to the public but the owners should discourage large numbers of people from visiting at any one time so as to protect the property."