Hangzhou is one of the seven ancient capitals of China, founded 2,200 years ago during the Qin dynasty. With a population of 6.4 million, it is the premier city in China for business and has been a leisure destination for many centuries. The Sheppard Robson concept for a new mixed-used development south of the Qiantang Jiang River, links the increasing affluence of the city to its outstanding natural beauty.

Design:

Seven towers are connected by a ‘sky park’, allowing the ground level to be developed as an ecological park and environmental purification system. Its ambition is to create a powerful and unique symbol for Hangzhou; an architectural and urban destination which is an exemplar of high quality sustainable design. The ‘family’ of towers comprises five office towers, the tallest of which is 300m, a hotel tower over 240m tall, and a serviced apartment tower. The 750m long, six-storey ‘sky park’ mega-structure links the towers at the 12th floor, affording views across the river to the city centre. It houses the hotel and spa, high-end retail outlets, cafés, restaurants and bars.

Innovation:

Proposed wind turbines at the lower level and a botanical and horticultural garden on the roof, utilise the surrounding natural resources such as wind, solar and biomass to produce energy, bringing the park’s net carbon emissions to zero. The elevation of the podium makes way for an in innovative public realm and ecosystem, central to the sustainable strategy of the site. This environmental park comprises a series of ponds filtering and cleansing water for re-use in the towers.