International Housing Estate Changchun

Location

The residential complex is located in the so-called “Talent Industrial Park” of the ‘Automobile Economic & Technological Development Zone‘ of Changchun, in the north of China. It is directly adjacent to the huge ‘Automobile Park’, the heart of the district, which boasts a variety of leisure and sports facilities. In addition, the popular Automobile Museum and the Volkswagen/Audi R&D Centre (equally planned by RhineScheme) are located nearby, to the north of the site. The FAW-Volkswagen plant is also not far away.

The immediate proximity to the automobile park creates a privileged location in the midst of an almost picturesque, lush green environment. The special location also makes the project a new trademark for the automotive industry and gives hope that it will establish itself as a model of a community-oriented housing estate of international character.

Main Features

Almost 600 flats were planned and designed on a site area of around 83,000 square metres. The planning follows a low-density approach with a high proportion of greenery to create a park-like, comfortable living environment with a human scale.

The southern part of the site (accounting for about 60%) accommodates mainly four- to six-storey flats for foreign professionals, while the slightly smaller northern area consists of seven- to eight-storey residential buildings offered on the open market.

Landscape

From north to south, the green spaces of the settlement are designed to encourage social encounters and activities, but also to provide more intimate retreats. The landscaping follows the layout of the buildings, but their linearity is divided into thematic gardens and courtyards that can be walked through and experienced along the buildings.

Service Facilities

The commercial and service building in the south-east corner of the site houses the club of the (mainly German) community on the inside, as well as a variety of retail outlets along the street, such as a supermarket, restaurant, café, bookshop, beauty salon and more. The club is accessed via a sunken courtyard-like square, which is furnished with patio furniture, sculptures and well-maintained green spaces.

Architecture

The architecture displays a simple, rather classical, largely “German” style that alternates or mediates between modernity and tradition and uses high-quality, durable materials throughout. Above an elegant natural stone base, bronze-coloured metal inlays and profiles emphasize the contours and structure of the building. Darker HPL panels in shades of brown and gold are setting colour accents within the basically light natural stone surfaces and lend additional warmth to the façade. The (‘multi-split’) outdoor air-conditioning units are hidden in specially manufactured metal mouldings and disappear visually. The result is a harmonious yet complex façade.

Interior

The building’s interiors were designed with comfort, contemporary design and practicality in mind. Each flat has its own naturally lit entrance area, an open-plan kitchen with integrated living & dining area, a spacious balcony or roof terrace, a master bedroom with its own bathroom, and multifunctional rooms that can be used both as bedrooms and as workspaces. Every design and fit-out detail has been carefully thought through to accommodate different living needs and family sizes, and to create a living environment that offers a sense of home away from home.

“The Rothenburg” Hotel and Conference Center Pinghu

Planning Background

Theme, idea, motto and motivation were given by urban planning guidelines long before RhineScheme came into the play. Within the Economic Development Zone, in which the site is located, there was an area of about 7 ha dedicated to a so-called “Rothenburg town” (just like the famous tourist town in Bavaria in Germany) consisting of a big German branded hotel and a mixed-use commercial town.

Why “Rothenburg”? The main reason was obviously that there is a multitude of German companies already settled in Pinghu (and many more expected) and that a Rothenburg-themed town could serve as their very place of interest, their second home, far from home. In brief: ‘West meets East’ as political decision.

A relatively simple concept was the right answer to the given urban planning program: A long building, bended several times, by that staying with a relatively low height, moreover equipped with a rich and vivid roof-scape and a multifaceted façade, as an adequate counterpart of the small-scale Rothenburg-style commercial town.

The interior however prepares a more or less timeless, neutral stage filled with up-to-date services and with the hotel guests as main actors in the theatre-play named hotel.

‘Tradition meets Present’ is an overall design concept that makes sense, because both antipoles complement and enrich each other.

Architectural Design

The architectural design draws inspiration from traditional Middle European styles to compose a unique building catering to the overall theme “Rothenburg” which has been given by the urban planning guidelines, rather than creating an anachronism.

The classical tripartite composition of the building coincides with the particularities of a complex high-level hotel. The core public areas conform the (mainly 2 levels) base and are in close relation to the gardens and surrounding city.

Most of the guest rooms are located in the building’s main body (3rd to 6th level), where the variations in balconies and oriels, in window styles, in orientation and views make all experiences unique.

And the capital crowns the composition with Rothenburg-style red clay roofs which host special rooms and VIP areas and enjoy the best views of the surroundings.

It is complex to recreate a romantic ambiance in a core perfected for contemporary aesthetics and commodities, but the constant consideration of proportions, materials and details, as well as a deep understanding of the practical and atmospheric requirements smoothed the way for composing this very holistic piece.

The result is meant to feel like craftsmanship. And in a way, it is. Even though production techniques have varied, and although the floor planning has been systematized and unified, the very values of the good artisan – like singularity, material savviness, and attention to detail – are all reflected in the (façade) design.

Entrance

The entrance is nonetheless clearly indicated by a dominant, super-elevated central volume that holds the composition together in both aesthetical and practical terms. On the right side of the entrance, the Conference Center grows from the base of the main building almost as a self-standing piece. With a powerful rhythm, with a beautiful copper cupola and a strong symmetry, the facade draws inspiration from renaissance and neo-classical urban palaces. A most suiting and classy setting for special occasions, for high-level conferences or festive events.

Entering the grounds by the main gate feels almost like approaching a palace. Travertine walls tower around the visitor, and a central axis of water features and manicured low vegetation guide the guests toward the hotel’s main entrance. Here, a monumental Lobby awaits, the beating heart of the building from where activities swirl around. It dominates the two main landscape areas of the plot; the entrance courtyard and the internal courtyard, connecting and dividing them both visually and physically.

Patio

The internal courtyard (or ‘patio’) is flanked on three sides by the main building and becomes an important visual focus when approaching the hotel from the north and along the river promenade. It also is a physical focus of a variety of functions: Lobby, ADD, Chinese Restaurant, Kids Area, Sports Bar, Gym, Swimming Pool, and many private rooms on the higher floors, all direct their views to this patio, which also serves as an outdoor expansion area for many activities.

This courtyard is the hotel’s own plaza, a square of human scale and classical dimensions, very much like the well-loved spaces of historic districts in medieval European towns. Such spaces have the unique capacity to connect all the actors in it; from people sitting downstairs having a coffee, to those on the balcony having a smoke, or someone on their window-sill just watching people passing by.

The boundaries of the physical space facilitate the virtual closeness that gives a sense of security and familiarity.

The third side of the plaza opens to the riverside, which runs calmly throughout the north side of the site and promises beautiful reflections of the buildings.

Promenade

A continuous promenade encircles the whole estate, connecting a great variety of open areas along the way; a lively boulevard to the south, the entrance garden and green belt to the west, and a waterside walkway.

The riverside promenade connects the inner courtyard with the entrance garden; a pedestrian bridge will furthermore connect with the still-to-be-developed areas north of the hotel site. Many rooms are facing the river side to take in the views and profit from the silent landscape upfront. The bars and two specialty restaurants also take advantage of this scenic location with tall windows, an arched arcade and outdoor seating on the ground level that eventually connects the river and building. The arcade offers a transitional space for guests to enjoy the surroundings in all seasons.

The Rothenburg-themed commercial town will extend to the south of the hotel and connect through a boulevard; with pedestrian dominance, terrace dining, and a series of small public areas, it will have all the elements that make downtown European streets so enjoyable

In a nutshell

The MARITIM Hotel in Pinghu is a modern and luxurious 5 star hotel, for both business and leisure guests, with all the charm and class inherent to historic towns in Germany and Middle Europe.

It is designed for travelers-in-mind and occasional travelers-in-time who nonetheless appreciate having all the contemporary luxury and pampering around them which they are used to.

A weekend in Europe might not be comfortable to do from China, but one in Pinghu’s “The Rothenburg” Grand Hotel will be soon.

Key Features

  • 282 keys
  • 250 standard rooms (48-53 m2 as King, Twin and Hollywood types)
  • 21 Junior Suites (1.5 bays), 9 Deluxe Suites (2 bays), 1 Presidential Suite (3+2 bays). Conference Centre with Banquet Hall incl. Pre-function Area (2,010 m2) Multifunctional Hall (470 m2) and 7 meeting rooms (300 m2)
  • 4 restaurants of tot. 1,850 m2: ADD, Chinese, German, Japanese
  • Gym & SPA incl. Swimming Pool: 1,000 m2
  • Main Lobby + Lobby Bar: 940 m2
  • Executive Lounge on 7th floor: 330 m2
  • Parking lots: 278 underground, 10 above ground

Shanghai Maxx Hotel Landscape

The upgrade areas consist of four scattered parts: the entrance area, the Lobby Bar, the terrace at the All-Day-Dining restaurant as well as the hanging garden on the 4th floor.

The design is based on a branding research carried out by RhineScheme for “Maxx by STEIGENBERGER”, extracting the brand’s key features of “urban enjoyment”, “ease and comfort” and “green design”.

Maxx as a brand has a quite unique design style. Its design inspirations come from the neat and elegant home furnishings of the 1950s, which are in its best samples creating an enchanting, comfortable, rather casual than formal atmosphere.

Pinghu German Town

In a more systematic way, the town is based on 3 simple development steps:

Two major roads, one from North to South, and one from East to West, outline the city into four major parts, each with one main functional identity.

The end of each street is identified by a Gate-tower, while the crossing of the two roads are widened to the major town square.

Representative buildings of the town are placed along the main square. The functions of these buildings are closely related to car industry.

The secondary paths, laid on top of the above introduced main roads, are concluding a densely-weaved road network, forming a winding and interesting pedestrian system leading through spatial nodes with different sizes. This creates different scenes and offers changing view points while walking, inviting to experience the city and discover more.

The created building blocks, within the street network, welcome the visitor by scale, by design and by function. Each possible shop is facing the street to maximize the commercial value, enhance street life and generate activity. The four endpoints of the town, at the ends of the main routes, are marked by distinctive bell towers, representing the unique connotation of the town.

The facade design of the buildings aims to display the image of a romantic town in Germany. Uncompromising contemporary architecture is blended with historicizing facades, reflecting the western culture and mediating between rationalism and romanticism. It is a representative display of the quality and advantages of European towns in their abilities to transform, to adapt and to create new expressions, coming along with new functions.

Open Space and Landscape

The landscape design consists of the contrast between “stone city” and “Garden”. The plaza-street system forms the stone city, together with the buildings. Adjacent to it are green alleys and small gardens.

The market square contains green elements, inviting people to linger and offers refreshing water features.

The entrance squares contains trees in lines and guides people movements. Bike parking can be arranged well underneath the trees.

Green courtyards contrast the stone city with themed gardens like, grass garden, wilderness garden, mirror garden, formal garden, art garden, monastery garden and finally a beer garden. The inside, green and private, and the outside, paved and public, is created.

Changchun German Town

Relying on Chinese and German enterprises, we aim to build the urban reception room of Red Flag Town, and create an international characteristic town integrating automobile display, art and cultural innovation, life and leisure, cultural tourism and other functions according to the idea of “1 + 1 + 1” integrated development of industry, culture and tourism.

In the environment surrounded by lush green plants, the town faces the park on the north side and spreads out along the river. The main interface is formed with the small theater and white bell tower as the core. The central main street, which is vertical to the main interface connects the central square and leads to the entrance of the city road.

On the basis of horizontal and vertical axes, the secondary paths are divided by densely-weaved road network, forming a tortuous and accessible pedestrian system. Spatial nodes with different sizes and main bodies are scattered among them, this brings different scenes while walking around and orderly organized space. The small blocks are delicate and welcoming, each shop is facing the street on both sides to maximize the commercial value. The four endpoints of the town are marked by distinctive bell towers and various cultural buildings, representing the unique connotation of the multi-culture of the town.

The facade design of the buildings aims to present the image of Europe before World War II, including the architectures in the “classical modernism” style from 1920s to 1940s. In addition, some uncompromising contemporary architectures are mixed together, reflecting the western culture wavering between rationalism and romanticism, and reappearing the real image of the western cities represented by Europe at present. This is not deliberately creating a fake Disney World. It is a representative display of the quality and advantages of European towns. It has humanized scale, concise decoration and exquisite details, so as to show diversified temperament, vivid atmosphere and international characteristics.

The business form of the town is based on the integration of modernity and tradition, the combination of Chinese mindset and international culture. Diversified catering can not only provide exotic food, but also satisfy people for the flavor of their hometown. A space featuring coffee shops, bars and simple meals is convenient for tourists to mingle. There are fitness club, exhibition and performance spaces and supporting facilities to provide tourists and surrounding residents a rich cultural life after work and shopping, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between merchants and enterprises.

G9 Global Winery Resorts

Lee World G9’s first chateau, in the southwest of Lee World G9 Global Winery Resorts, covers an area of about 113 mu. Chief consultant of historic building restoration of Versailles in France, Jean-Pierre Errath, took charge of the architectural design. RhineScheme provided consulting services on G9’s master planning, the landscape of the first plot French winery, and the design of the main gate.

Sanya Show & Sales Centre

The surrounding buildings are therefore not only part of the existing situation, but they determine layout and zoning of the sales office. In order to achieve the own requirements, wall planes were created for screening the views from outside in, opening the views from inside out, and creating an interior space at the same time.

Option one: Sea Waves
A meandering path leads into a peaceful quiet park. Gradually, a reflecting pool appears on both sides of the trail. Water bubbles show up on the pavement, telling visitors that they have arrived at a sea world. Two bar seating areas are set like birdcages into a quiet reflecting pool, adding interesting experiences to the sales office.
The crisp white form is conceived as a lightweight cloud. The reflective pool emphasizes the apparent weightlessness of the structure which is immersed in the natural surroundings.
Facing the seaside, large windows and their shading louvers can selectively fade out the sea-view, or integrate sea, beach and sunshine into the room.

Option two: The Frame
A white box, and a wonderful viewing platform as well. It leads the visitor through a sequence of spaces from the green shade into the white box. Empty and solid spaces interpenetrate, setting viewing frames properly as the space changes. Using the traditional Chinese landscape design method of framing and inflating the views, the visitor walks through the setting while his views from the windows are directed and focused on the sea.
The outdoor reflecting pool avoids the view of the existing wrecks in the sea. A gap at the bottom of the box lets the whole box appear floating upon the water. The white box itself is very simple in shape, but the spatial changes between the inside and outside fills it with a deeper, meaningful sense.

Changchun 1948

Seeing the industrial heritage of the past as a chance to form attractive, creative, innovative spaces, is still not much developed in China. Singular and successful attempts in the biggest cities, Shanghai and Beijing, are exceptions. In Changchun, RhineScheme made a variety of proposals in the form of feasibility studies and business/usage concepts of how to keep and integrate a suitable amount of the old factory halls and revive them with new functions.

Some of the iconic factory buildings as well as typical, unique, sometimes peculiar industrial relics of the past have been seamlessly integrated. A number of fascinating artefacts found in situ have been transformed into artistic sculptures. In the same way landscape elements – mainly the immense rows of big trees having grown on the plot for over 60 years – could be preserved and become part of the new ‘commercial landscape’. Even if a complete conservation of the old building structures was not always possible, brick materials have been re-used extensively in facades and pavements, and great efforts have been made in reshaping buildings that resemble the local findings.

This exceptional commercial area is tailored to local culture and conditions and also to Changchun’s specific urban planning history with Russian influence.
The project is an outstanding case study and one of the early examples in China transforming an abandoned industrial site into a successful mixed-use area. Especially in the evening and night hours ‘Changchun 1948’ unfolds a special charm and magic atmosphere.

Tianjin Culture Park | Landscape

As a result of the competition, a design team under the leadership of RhineScheme’s landscape architects – together with urban planners and architects from the international scene – has created a dynamic set of cultural spaces, indoor and outdoor, that are connected and unified through the artful use of water as the core design element.
The site encompasses an area measuring about 90 ha with a 10 ha lake at the centre. A vast urban promenade winds through the site for 700 meters, with its focal point and simultaneously the most dramatic viewing point along the 150 meters lakeshore front of Tianjin’s new Opera House.

Like the contrasting sounds of a symphonic crescendo and the unobtrusive melody of a flutist’s solo, the landscape experience of Tianjin’s cultural centre will capture the attention of its visitors.
An ecological park, gardens, plazas, and terraces are surrounding the lake and connect visitors to fine and performing arts as well as science and history, to museums, theatres and library as well as a retail and youth centres.
Yet, the emotive landscapes dedicated to promoting cultural pursuits also provide the simple pleasures of sport and recreation including skating areas, picnicking sites and a host of other opportunities for generations to interact. The grand design concept also includes intimately human-scaled spaces allowing visitors to the park to enjoy meditation in the quiet and serenity of the gardens.
So, while the Culture Park is an international destination, it is designed with the people of Tianjin at its heart.

Society Hill Community | Landscape

The urban concept is on the one hand profoundly European and by that connected to Tianjin’s historical heritage, but inspired as well by the traditional North Chinese hutong.
Thanks to a relatively compact arrangement of the residential buildings, saved space could be used for a diverse mix of intimate green and urban spaces: courtyards, gardens and plazas which are at the heart of mini-neighbourhoods and distinguish important pedestrian intersections.
Each neighbourhood has its own recognizable personality. The variety in small scale is held together by an overall landscape idea that has its roots in the site itself and its agricultural heritage. Existing orchard trees – up to 200 years old – have been entirely retained and integrated into the design. Also the typical irrigation channels of the former farmland have been kept and extended to form a whole decentralised storm water management system, with swales and channels and memorable water features.

Finally, as part of the ecological efforts in ‘Society Hill’, a 30 meters wide polluted irrigation canal has been restored as a quasi-natural river over a length of 1 kilometre. The banks have been softly moulded and planted – a flourishing ecology is helping to rebalance the natural biology of the water so that it can cleanse itself after years of receiving industrial and agricultural pollution.
Accessible by boardwalk, steps and ramps, the restored ecological integrity of the river-canal helps to make it a community treasure and a focus point for leisure and socialising.