A landscape of many facets - One City development
Located in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, Gemdale Parkway is a commercial mixed-use project designed by Stephen Buckle and his team from Aspect Studios in Shanghai.
Comprising a cultural and art centre, business district and eco-shopping mall, the design of this new space is deeply rooted in local culture and people-centred sustainability. A place for family, entertainment and work.
Gemdale Parkway is a commercial mixed-use project. Image credit - Arch-Exist.
The brief called for a landmark destination which reflects contemporary Wuhan culture.
The design response abstracts the mythological Chinese Phoenix (originating from the Chu Kingdom in Hubei) into a narrative for the flowing landscape whose fluid lines guide people through the social gathering and event spaces.
The project is designed by Stephen Buckle and his team from Aspect Studios in Shanghai. Image credit - Arch-Exist.
A solar “tree” defines the main gathering space of the central plaza, casting an extensive canopy across the main entertainment space sheltering people from the elements.
To its east, the Phoenix reflection pool and dancing fountains flanked by locally selected tree species is a multi-functional play space for children, reflection pool and summer entertainment space surrounded on all sides with shaded seating for onlookers.
The Phoenix reflection pool. Image credit - Arch-Exist.
South of the water plaza, a series of signature sweeping walls sculptured from local stone, create a visual interplay between each other, structured to deliberately bring people physically closer together to encourage social interaction in the dappled shade.
The local natural rock forest formations of Wuhan have inspired the form of the edging. Image credit - Arch-Exist.
Throughout the public realm, the design captures moments of a bird in flight, a flutter of wings and feathers, colours infused into the elements.
A sweeping language of the Phoenix unifies public space, while the dramatic local natural rock forest formations of Wuhan have inspired the form and character of the bespoke precast active edges that frame the perimeter development.
A solar “tree” defines the main gathering space of the central plaza. Image credit - Arch-Exist.
Specialist lighting design integrates the precinct’s architecture and landscape, assisting the natural transition for the changing demographic of users from weekdays to weekends, dawn til dusk, and from a place of interaction and commerce to a recreational play space.
“Grand and inspiring, humanistic and engaging. It’s a landscape of many facets, scales and experiences, each contributing to a dynamic new public domain. The careful selection of native trees and shrubs will bring a seasonal dimension to the design, as the spaces take on different characters through the year,” says, Stephen Buckle, Studio Director ASPECT Studios Shanghai.