Kengo Kuma and Associates win competition to design the new People’s square in Xiangshan

People’s square

We are glad to announce that Kengo Kuma & Associates has been awarded first prize in the competition to design the new People’s square in Xiangshan, China.

Together with the outstanding local architects Tongji Architectural Design & Research Institute and Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Institute. Our aim is to create a new typology for Citizen Public Service Facilities.

We try to avoid a sudden “box” appearing in the city but to “PARK-LIZE” the public facility. We hope the architecture can blend into people’s daily life and build connections between the environment and people.

The strong impression to us of this city is its unique topography. The city is living in between the mountain and the ocean. So we hope to bring the fantastic local nature back into the city to create a “soft” landmark to Xiangshan.

Before we start planning the architecture, we try to start with the project from a large city park. People could visit the sports center, the library, and the museum when they jog in the morning, walk to the station after their work, enjoying family time on the weekend.

About the roof, we get inspired by the local mountain, which has a particular geometry and unique texture. We also create a possibility to let people walk on the roof and combine with the rich vegetation to give people a comfortable, FUN, and relaxed experience.

For the interior, we introduced Xiangshan local crafts to the design, including the traditional bamboo craft, fishing festival, and vegetable dyeing fabric, to reflect and celebrate Xiangshan culture, warmness, calmness, and long history.

It is a great honor to have the chance to work in such a unique city. We want to keep learning from the local people and nature to deliver a great space to be loved by the people of Xiangshan. Source by Kengo Kuma and Associates.