LWK + PARTNERS will be the Landscape Architect of Sites 4, 5 and 7-2 of FUTURE TIMES, one of Qianhai’s largest transport-oriented developments (TODs) with an ecological low-carbon vision.
Taking into account Qianhai’s urban planning objectives to be ‘ecological’, ‘all-dimensional’ and ‘compact’, the landscape scheme will establish the overall development as a contemporary urban landmark.
The design is part of LWK + PARTNERS Landscape Team work in the development of Qianhai and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In September 2021, the State Council of China announced its latest plan to expand the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone.
Qianhai’s administrative area has been expanded seven times from 14.92 to 120.56 sq km and further economic, social and technological reforms are expected to support growth as a leading innovation platform for the Greater Bay Area.
More than 200,000 sq m of landscape design areas for plots 4, 5 and 7-2 will work around amenities such as business centres, residences, recreational centre and art and culture venues.
A key design objective for the large site was to guide and coordinate the circulation of people. The design scheme is connected through a network of walkable pathways surrounded by multilayered greenery and accessible public spaces to foster a sense of community. A series of eco-friendly designs have been adopted in response to China’s national goals of carbon neutrality.
Fish are used as a motif across the entire programme and are featured in tree beds, sunken plazas and pergolas. They also intertwine with a range of water features and sculptures to create a visually engaging experience for visitors.
The Gate of Qianhai is formed by two towers rising on the opposite sides of Guiwan Fifth Road. Between them is a skybridge, which the team transformed into a hanging garden island. The Gate of Fantasy is another point of interest in the landscape plan. Façades of two towers facing each other are designed all the way from the ground floor towards the top as a vertical landscaping spectacle.
The height differences in the residential zone are mitigated through a series of landscape features, such as layers of aquatic designs and plantings which lead the eye towards the higher points of the site to create a sense of depth.