KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten were awarded first place in the international competition for the Qingdao Science and Technology City the company’s design for the approx. 600-hectare site in the north of the port city of China. The primary objective of the project was to create a sustainable urban living space for the 100.000 inhabitants, in which a high quality of life with ecological equilibrium is achieved. Come back after the break for more about this project.
The layout of the city is designed as a sustainable development with diverse facilities that prioritizes pedestrian traffic and public transport, contains a rainwater collection and recycling system, and creates the requisite conditions for a green city worth living in. This, of course, includes architectural design that is highly efficient in terms of energy use and distribution with today’s sustainability criteria as a guide. Different qualities with regard to open space such as the setting on the river, the park, as well as apartments and workplaces close to outdoor areas ensure a high quality of life in the new district.
The design by KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten for the area is characterized by a compact center and four mixed-usage quarters (residential, work, shopping, leisure ). An approx. 125-hectare area of greenery extending along the river from north to south across the entire planning area forms the backbone of the new development. The compact urban center is concentrated in structure and will be brought to life through the businesses, restaurants, and cultural facilities in it. Prestigious high-rises that are visible from afar will mark the center. Furthermore, each quarter will also boast its own (district) center, which the inhabitants will be able to reach on foot, and which have all requisite facilities. Basic institutions, such as an international school, a hospital etc., will be located in one of the quarters but will be for the use of all inhabitants.
The urban planning concept defines living quarters for the various groups of inhabitants, e.g., less developed, so-called “city garden areas” for families and residential high-rises with studios and apartments for singles and working people. Generally speaking, medium-height buildings (five storeys), with flexible floor plans and interior courtyards dominate. This form of development keeps things on a human scale while at the same time, through the concentration, enabling a certain urban flair. The central park opens out to the south and north, with in the middle two boulevards intersecting it from east to west, connecting the new district with the rest of the city. In the north the Qingdao Science and Technology City will adjoin an existing highway, separated from it by the perimeter of the park.
Architects: KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten Location: Jiao-Zhou, Qingdao Developer: Beijing Winland Real Estate Co Ltd & Local Government Jiao-Zhou/Shandong Land Size: 600 hectares GSA: 6,200,000 sqm Date: July 2011, 1st prize
