Location: Jinan, China.

Architect: Benoy.

Benoy, a retail planner and architect, is designing a new mixed-use destination in Jinan’s Central Business District in China. The project is an urban village with a 55,000m2 retail street and integrated landscape features. The design is inspired by Chinese culture and features streets, gardens, and water features. The design also includes the concept of creating ‘streets in the sky’ to boost retail value beyond the ground level. The design takes inspiration from the City of Spring and global urban streetscapes. A chain of squares will form an internal streetscape and link the buildings, both above ground and below, along with a network of green spaces. The design ensures a balance between creativity and functionality, with the commercial feasibility of the scheme equally high on its agenda.