Project: Guangzhou Huadi Sustainable Master Plan
Designed by West 8
Project Team: Adriaan Geuze, Christoph Elsasser, Edzo Bindels, Attilio Ranieri, Ben Wegdam, Hernando Arrazola, Igor Saitov, Jan Breukelman, Kunkook Bae, Marco van der Pluym, Tanyi Huang, Winnie Poon, Yu-Han Chiu
Client: Planning Bureau of Liwan District, Guangzhou City People's Government
Location: Fangcun Huadi, Guangzhou, China
Website: www.west8.nl
Architecture practice West 8 has designed and won the first price for Guangzhou Huadi Sustainable Master Plan in Southern China also known as Flower City. They came out with a completely original architectural framework and hydrological zoning.
Read about the project after the jump:
From the Architects:
Guangzhou Fangcun Huadi (Flower City), located at Southern China, is a former delta land with traditional horticultural legacy of nowadays Guangzhou. With speedy expansion of the horticultural industry, the current scattered and disorganized land use of the area has pushed back the nature and its eco system is noticeably polluted. The Guangzhou Government is in search of a sustainable solution to the current problem in the era of rapid urban development. West 8’s winning entry provides the city a masterplan with sustainable vision on Fangchun Huadi.
The plan has the site area of 2,050 ha. (20.5km2), whereas more than 450 ha. is wetlands area. It consists of new living and industrial environments with ecological water system, wetlands, distinct division of land uses, urban planning with a highlight of cultural heritage and a design of an International Flora Expo Masterplan which will function as a focal point and economic generator for the whole development.
Ecological Cleaning System and Distinctive Land Division. The Masterplan vision starts with the introduction of an ecological water system network. Implementing this system will rearrange the land use structure on a large scale. It consists of the main ecological cleaning machine imbedded in locations, a Primary Water Collector System, Secondary Water Connector with Water Locks (Inlets/Outlets) and Tertiary Water Network of Small Scale Ditches (canals) which will be streaming along the gridline corresponding to the Guangzhou and Fushan cities historical axis, the Canton axis. It will create a systematic land use for horticulture industry purposes, improve logistics and allow keeping CO2 emission low.
This strategy also helps to identify a robust structure for healthier urban development. West 8 proposes a zoning plan with distinctive division between horticultural land use and urban area. This involves a careful implementation of the new ecological water system network while preserving the major existing infrastructure, historical monuments and also recent housing development. Although reallocation of the industrial developments and housing areas will take place, distinctive architectural guidelines are given to guarantee the better quality of urban design. Shadow is emphasized; pocket parks and green inner courtyard within city and a riverside park with bicycle lane will be introduced. A Central Park will also be established by hosting the Guangzhou International Flora Expo in the first phase of the development. This Expo will be designed as a compact event. After the year when the expo takes place it will be transformed into a metropolitan park of Guangzhou: the Central Park of Huadi Island.
International Flora Expo “Sensations”. The Flora Expo design consists of different theme areas: The compact core area, Flower Fields, Romance Gardens, Hidden / Secret Gardens, The Herbs Garden and Gardens of Sound. One of the key features will be The Palace of Flowers which locates at the centre point of the urban expo Canton axis. West 8 proposed a car-free green village to serve the Flower Expo as service zone. After the Expo event the Village stays with its legacy with museums, hotels and restaurants at the Central Park of Huadi Island as a living icon, where tradition and innovation meet.
All together a coherent recreation and mobility network is created consisting out of boulevards, squares and parks, which fulfill both excellent access and a high quality of life.