Location: Beijing, China.

Architect: Spark architects.

Construction has started on a 127,000 sq m mixed-use development in Beijing’s Daxing district. The Vanke-Shoukai joint-venture development will include a publicly accessible park environment between office, residential and retail buildings. The development is part of a larger master plan for the Daxing district, which will act as a major destination between the future airport and Beijing’s central core. The design aims to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, and between retail and recreational zones. The south plot incorporates an office tower, serviced apartments, a mall, a commercial complex and a park, while the north plot includes office and retail zones positioned at each end of the new park. The park has been designed to be enjoyed physically at multiple levels, and visually from the architecture that overlooks it. The development is linked by pedestrian crossings as well as an underground retail passage, allowing for an interwoven ensemble of mixed-use functions that strive to set a new standard in the region. A public car park below the landscape provides a “park and ride” facility, supporting the existing subway infrastructure. The design presents a counterpoint to the dense modes of development that characterise central Beijing.

Photo credit: Shu He.