A 25-storey tower will stand as a gatepost to the new district
Chengdu is building a new urban district and it is calling on a joint UK-China team to design the first phase of the urban development project.
According to a statement from UK-based architecture firm Broadway Malyan, the company’s bid to design the ‘Chengdu Creative Centre’ as a gateway to the soon-to-be built Tianfu New Town was recently selected as the winning entry in an international competition to shape the new community.
The new high-tech business park and mixed use centre is said to draw inspiration from the local surroundings, and the masterplan will integrate office, retail and green public spaces focused around a statement 110m central tower.
The new development aims to create a new benchmark for sustainable development in the region, according to the designers, by halving current energy consumption standards.
Jeremy Salmon, Shanghai-based Main Board Director at Broadway Malyan, said: “This international competition win is testament to our growing reputation in China for delivering schemes that have a real sense of place and establish successful and sustainable centres in growing cities.
Broadway Malyan worked in partnership with Shanghai-based designers the East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (ECADI) and UK environmental engineers Cundall to beat five international teams in the competition, which was commissioned by the Chengdu Tiantou Real Estate Development Company Limited.
The team’s close cooperation and clear design vision were said to be key factors in reaching an agreement with the state-owned developer, and the project designers say they plan to continue working together as the project is implemented.
“Our expert design team will now work in close partnership with the wider project team to realise the client’s vision and demonstrate that well-designed urban development in China can create sustainable and environmentally conscious places,” Salmon said.
China’s state council has designated Chengdu as the country’s western centre of logistics, commerce, finance, science and technology, as well as a hub of transportation and communication. It is also an important base for manufacturing and agriculture.
The Chengdu city government launched Tianfu New Area, where the Creative Centre will be located, in December 2011 with the goal of building a modern international urban area suitable for residence, industry and commerce.
The redevelopment project brings together the southern part of Chengdu High-tech Zone, Longquanyi District, Shuangliu County, Xinjin County, Jianyang City, Pengshan County of Meishan City and Renshou County.
In all the project involves three cities, seven urban and rural districts, and thirty-seven towns and villages covering 1,578 square kilometres (981 square miles).
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