Furong Lake View Community
International design competition 2nd Prize
Overall planning goal was to create a community, which is recognized as an entity, but offers a variety of places and neighbourhoods with different characters at the same time. This differentiation is achieved by different spatial situations, each of them differing in function and design. The whole concept is marked by a superposed urban principle: strong framing (high buildings) and soft core (low buildings).
The medieval European town has served as an image for this new residential area: surrounded by a wall, with a vivid small-scale structure inside, and opening up to a river – or in this case: to Furong Lake in view distance.
A specific element of the site is its terrace situation: Most of the site is on a higher level than the surrounding streets. This characteristic topographic element is emphasized by pedestal buildings on the northern and southern secondary streets, and by open terraces between the buildings facing east. It also allows an easy access to underground parking areas.
High-rise buildings are mainly concentrated in the southern part of the site, facing a green belt.
The space between the high-rises is the location of different types of squares, with different functions and characteristics, like playgrounds, roof-covered spaces, botanic gardens etc., providing a vivid atmosphere and neighbourhood spaces of high urban quality.
Along the southern road, the gaps between the high-rise slabs are filled with (European) street townhouses which can be entered from the exterior public street and from the interior community street. These townhouses with their human scale avoid the effect of a tall and closed city-wall on the south side of the plot.
The traffic concept integrates a substructure of pedestrian walks, which are separated from the streets. Those walks connect neighbourhood squares and green areas and lead to each row of townhouses. The townhouses have hence direct access to both the street and the interior landscape areas. This structure provides a high open space quality and a clear division between public and semi-public areas.