The Alibaba Jiangsu Headquarters project is a major mixed-use development located in Nanjing, China. It comprises a GFA of 850,000 sq m and is due for completion in 2023.
The client wanted a campus that would demonstrate collaboration between the Alibaba culture and its business partners within a holistic ecosystem: a showcase to display its innovation technology; a community for the end-users and service providers; and a network to seamlessly connect the digital and physical worlds.
The Ali Hub is the starting point of the journey. Like a CPU plugged into a motherboard, it starts the engine for the whole network, with four bridges connecting to disparate campus components. The architecture facilitates the reduction of CO2 emissions by integrating with cutting-edge logistics technology. Across the campus, self-driving electric vehicles traverse the bridges, transporting both goods and people between plots.
The campus buildings are strategically positioned along a diagonal, maximizing sunlight penetration. The descending height also enables energy savings, while increasing visibility and luminosity. The setting, meanwhile, corresponds and speaks to neighbouring developments. Multiple green squares and a sunken plaza create a pleasant and ecologically rich environment, providing a seamless and harmonious interface with the surrounding city.
Transcending architecture in the traditional sense, the Alibaba project is better described as a network, connecting people, places, data and experiences in unprecedented ways. It sets a new benchmark for mixed-use, smart city projects, and provides a compelling vision for the campus of the future.
All the information about how to enter the 2020 WAN Awards is here.
We are very happy to offer support so please don’t hesitate to email Georgia, WAN Awards Event Coordinator with any questions at Georgia.Baily@haymarket.com.
Last year more than 40 countries took part in the WAN Awards with strong showings from Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. And we saw some truly outstanding projects, take a look at the winners from last year here.