CITY IN THE FOREST

The IT campus as an urban courtyard

On the far outskirts of Chengdu a new business hub is under construction. Projects from global star architects are nestled around China's largest manmade lake. It generates an image of urbanity, yet is lush, green and spacious -- much like a campus. This fits will within China's updated visions for urban expansions and new towns. In Chengdu it is called the "City in Forest model". But can a satellite really be an effective part of the city at such great distance from the actual city, even with direct subway access? Conversely, can the new satellite really mature into an autonomous piece of city. While the large grid pattern is a persuasive bit a planning from a satellite, the individual blocks of this satellite town are surrounded by highways, for pedestrians all but disconnecting them from the larger system.

This is equally true for our proposal for this IT HUB. Here the large volume of program offers some consolation in the critical mass that it generated within the 4 highways that surround it. This was the starting point to try and cross connect the different companies and buildings within the block. Not only on the ground plan, but spatially, and not only physically but socially. The result is a contemporary urban courtyard.