10 DESIGN has been appointed as Lead Design Architect, following an international design competition for this landmark mixed use development in Hengqin. The Huafa Plaza development amalgamates 3 key development sites within the new Hengqin District in Zhuhai.
It will accommodate over 300,000sqm of boutique retail, food and beverage facilities, and office space when built with expected construction completion in 2019. The winning design consists of 3 high rise towers together with 3 boutique retail and F&B environments.
Gordon Affleck (Design Partner at 10 DESIGN) said, “It is important that the development addresses the waterfront location and the park along the shoreline. So the creation of intimate ground level spaces and garden courtyards in lieu of a traditional mall was key to the success of the masterplan.”
At ground level, Affleck designed a series of garden courtyards and layered planted terraces which stagger along the esplanade to maximise the open views to the waterfront. Large sculptural canopies provide cover to the terraces while creating a series of more intimate spaces at low level, acting as a buffer between the human scale of the landscaped courtyards and the urban scale of the surrounding towers.
At high level, each of the tall towers is made up of 3 distinct vertical volumes that rise and slide past each other, creating a simple but elegant layered form topped by a series of cascading terraces. The undulating height of the 3 slabs breaks up not only the scale of the towers but also help in layering the skyline.
Elevated amenity spaces are provided by raised terraces and roof gardens. These terraces ensure that all occupants have access to the panoramic views across the Pearl River Delta to Macau, to the south, east, and north while also providing mountain views to the west.
The tower volumes are set within a simple series of frames whose rhythm of fenestration reflects that of traditional Chinese window screens. Traditionally the screens were designed to frame views to internal courtyard gardens; however, in this case, they are designed at a super scale with the frames looking outward to Macau across the waterway.
Miriam Auyeung (Partner at 10 DESIGN) claimed, “When Huafa Plaza opens, it will become one of the most dynamic destinations on Hengqin Island, offering vibrant retail environments, waterfront F&B facilities, and office spaces surrounded by green clusters of gardens and terraces.” Source by 10 DESIGN.
Location: Zhuhai Hengqin New District, China
Architect: 10 DESIGN
Design Partner: Gordon Affleck
Partner & Project Director: Miriam Au Yeung
Project Team: Phil Gray, Alexey Golbraykh, Sonja Stoffels, Yang Wang, Jonathan Lynn, Jose Castaneda, Javier Manjon, Almudena Lacruz, Yan Liu
Local Design Institute: Architectural Design and Research Institute of Guangdong Province – Shenzhen Design Institute, Beijing Institute of Architectural Design
Client: Huafa Group
Site Area: 62,800sqm
GFA: 254,000sqm (Above Grade), 145,000sqm (Below Grade)
Status: Anticipated Construction Completion 2019
Images: Courtesy of 10 DESIGN