Southern Gate of Ningbo Yinzhou
In January 2014, amphibianArc won first prize in the Ningbo Yinzhou Southern CBD Portal Project Planning Design Competition. The competition was commissioned by Ningbo Yinzhou Urban Construction Investment and Development Corporation, who is responsible for successfully implementing the Ningbo Museum project designed by Wang Shu.
The subject of the competition was the fourth phase of the Ningbo Yinzhou Southern CBD, the Portal Project. The winning plan is not only a successful summary of the first three developing phases of the CBD, but a driving force for the area’s future dynamic urban life. Six international design firms from China, U.S. and France participated in the competition, including URBANUS.
The project is located in the southernmost tip of Yinzhou Southern CBD, to the north of Huanqiu City, east of southern Ningnan Road, west of southern Tiantong Road, and south of eastern Tai’an Road. The plan emphasizes the strategic position of the portal area while facilitating its urban center feature. Based on transitoriented development model, it also seeks to create a new regional center around the transportation hub, so as to maximize the urban public space and to achieve vertical sustainable development of the landscape levels. With Ningbo being one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, the booming economy of Yinzhou plays a critical role in both the ancient and the modern trade routes. So the planning concept draws inspiration from the Silk Road, as a manifestation of Chinese cultural heritage.
The plan by amphibianArc emphasises the strategic position of the portal area while facilitating its urban centre feature. Based on a transit-orientated development model, it also seeks to create a new regional centre around the transportation hub, so as to maximise the urban public space and to achieve vertical sustainable development of the landscape levels.
With Ningbo being one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, the booming economy of Yinzhou plays a critical role in both the ancient and the modern trade routes. So the planning concept draws inspiration from the Silk Road, as a manifestation of Chinese cultural heritage.
The plan divides the buildings of the site into two categories. The first category is the five main buildings, which have the most highlighted features and body mass. The five main buildings have the most highlighted features and body mass.
With different styles and forms, they compose a diversified group, unfolding a variety of environments and cultural characters. The second category is the background buildings, including the shopping centre at the Vibrant Culture Area, the education centre at the Pan-asian Education Area, the health centre at the Holographic Health Area and the residential apartments at the Commercial & Residential Area. Simple changes in the body mass and building facades are utilised in the design of these buildings to set off the distinctive and diverse manifestations of the main buildings.
“Simple changes in the body mass and building facades are utilized in the design of these buildings to set off the distinctive and diverse manifestations of the main buildings,” writes amphibianArc. The project is located in Zhengzhou, one of China’s major cities. With China’s rapid urbanization, the city is densely populated with crowded buildings, which leads to less per capita green space, The design utilized three-dimensional greening, effectively increased the the green space, providing a vertical “oasis” in a limited space.