LOLA Landscape Architects, Taller Architects, and L+CC have released images of their competition-winning design for a 600-hectare forest and sports park in Guang Ming, Shenzhen, China. Commissioned in response to the exploding technology industry in the Shenzhen metropolitan area, the park will place an emphasis on health, sports, and nature to offer an ecological counterpoint to dense urban surroundings.
The winning collaboration saw off competition from JCFO, SWA, and TCL, with the competition jury praising the scheme for its “fresh approach and [for] being highly attentive to local ecology [while] meanwhile incorporating romantic techniques and realistic urban visions.”
The park’s design centers on two research and development centers, covering sports and botany. From there, a “constant evolution and diversification” of the landscape begins, with a central loop taking visitors on a journey through plant and tree nurseries, and facilities celebrating both modern and “forgotten” sports.
A diverse landscaped setting, from open valleys to lower hills and mountain forests, forms a dramatic natural backdrop to the sports and leisure facilities. Cutting through this varied landscape, an elevated path connects the park to the city and forest, dotted with a series of pavilions including restaurants, viewing platforms, and forest cabins. Each pavilion, though architecturally unique, is modular and prefabricated in order to minimize environmental impact.
LOLA Landscape Architects, based in the Netherlands, have previously contributed to notable projects such as Herzog & de Meuron’s residential gasholder transformation in Stockholm, and OMA’s competition-winning prison transformation scheme in Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, L+CC (Land+Civilization Compositions) and Taller Architects have previously collaborated on competitions including a transformation of the river territory in Medellin, Columbia, and the Central Mosque of Pristina in Kosovo.
