A space for all ages

SWA Group have announced the completion of the first phase of Sanshan Hillside Park, offering a, “dynamic and lively space that meets the needs of people of all different ages.”

Located in the heart of Sanshan New Town, a rapidly growing urban development in Foshan City’s Nanhai District in China, the park, “exemplifies how a sensitive and adaptive approach to a site’s existing assets can offer diverse and sustainable experiences at the edge of an increasingly urbanized region.”

“A new type of urban park” in Sanshan New Town. All images credited to SWA Group with photography by Chill Shine.

The completed phase I Park is 16.7-hectares, and later phases are currently under construction. At approximately 88-hectares, the entire park is envisioned as an urban forest park that will draw visitors not only from Guangzhou-Foshan, but from outside the region.

Sanshan Hillside Park is composed of three hills- Big Pine Forest, Central Hill and Liangangwei Hill.

Sanshan New Town is a rapidly growing urban development in Foshan City’s Nanhai District in China.

The design utilises the continuous, sloping intersection of mountain and city to create a resilient boundary around the mountain. The park activates leisure spaces in the mountain and urban areas using a sewing and weaving method, creating a multi-faceted and flexible mountain-city experience that is both open and self-contained.

The park’s gateway and mountain climbing trail are enhanced by distinctive planting, luminous art and mountain-inspired signage. The contrast of craggy mountain and surrounding urban fabric highlights the experience of nature in a similar way to New York’s Central Park. 

The park “exemplifies how a sensitive and adaptive approach to a site’s existing assets can offer diverse and sustainable experiences at the edge of an increasingly urbanised region.”

Sanshan Hillside Park has three distinct areas- a natural hillside, an urban development area, and a resilient edge in-between, consisting of a circular system of waterways, rain gardens and multi-use trails. It features a multi-functional plaza and corridor at the main entrance, a ‘sunshine lawn’, a landscaped lotus pond, flower gardens, seating areas, a lawn for recreation, a multi-functional water pavilion, viewing overlooks at the top and midpoints of the hill, and a hiking trail and fitness area under the bridge. 

“These human-centered and flexible spaces provide rich experiences: the openness of the large space at both the bottom and top of the hill contrasts with intimate space under the lush native balsam fir forest,” say SWA Group. “Broad vistas overlook the surrounding area while details including water jets and play devices satisfy children's curiosity. Adults may find various opportunities to exercise, rest, cool off, and socialize.”

Sanshan Hillside Park has three distinct areas - a natural hillside, an urban development area, and a resilient edge in-between.

The park preserves as much existing mountain vegetation as possible, and uses infrastructure from both within and outside of the park. A railway track crossing the mountain is a viewing highlight from the hilltop observation deck, and grey space under the highway has become an exercise area.

The foundation of an abandoned electricity tower has been reappropriated as a viewing platform, and existing shallow, buried rocks have been excavated to form gabions and stacked stone retaining walls. 

The park preserves as much existing mountain vegetation as possible.

SWA Group took the geographical location, and mountain and forest characteristics of Sanshan Forest Park into account when creating their design, as well as the vegetation and water of the mountain itself, and the high-speed railway line and highway overpass that cross the mountain. 

“The team has created a new type of urban park that satisfies the demands of a healthy and livable city, while attracting visitation and adjacent development,” say the designers. “Here, people can enjoy the high-speed rail landscape, experience nature, and also have access to a calm, meditative environment. Sanshan Hillside Park has become Sanshan New Town’s “calling card”: stimulating vitality within the area, serving as a driving force for regional development, and upgrading of the city's lifestyle and economy – all within a park that flows with light, color, and activity.”