Zhengzhou Vanke City Gallery - 8a Biennal 2014

JONATHAN DONES, KENNY FUNG, BRANDON HUANG, JEROME LEE, LEI WAN

Located just 18 kilometres northwest of the city centre, Zhengzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone is fast catching up with its counterparts in other Chinese cities with numerous developments planned for the near future.

One of the mega developments in the area is Zhengzhou Vanke City. Spanning over 100 hectares and encompassing 16 plots of land, it has a total gross floor area of more than 3.4 million square metres of residential, office and retail programs to be added to the city in the coming decade. This township will be spearheading the area's economic growth in rapidly transforming its current barren land into a self-sustainable new town.

Launched successfully last winter in November 2013, the City Gallery is designed to showcase a new urban environ to its future residents and to introduce a new lifestyle to the once flourishing Central Plain of China. Set to become the benchmark for the entire regional precinct, the main objective for the landscape environment is to create a distinctive identity for the arrival plaza in a post-industrial context where topography is generally flat.

The interweaving paths of the front plaza encapsulate the large flow of pedestrian traffic. Along with a series of elevated landforms, the landscape seeks to echo the multi-faceted crystalline architectural facade. This constructed topography starts to augment the flat site into an ever-changing landscape experience for visitors. Integrated with dry fountains and children's play zones, the urban square is becoming a popular meeting place, creating its own context and identity in an area of overriding tabula rasa.

A 1,500 square metres reflecting pool separates the front plaza and rear garden. The feature pool not only demarcates public and private spaces, but also integrates them into one. Subtle pool fountains provide vivid reflections to the architecture and landscape environment. Slated to transform into a Community Centre in the future, the building will fulfill public amenities for residents including the kids and elderly.

In contrast to the large-scale urban square, the show unit areas aim to provide a conductive environment for leisure and recreation with a series of smaller scaled spaces. These gardens include a Zen Garden, Albizzia Boulevard, Water Courtyard, Maple Terrace, Sunken Deck and Sunny Poolside. These landscape environments integrate to form a cohesive whole with the arrival experience.

The project enters its next and more important phase of development this summer of 2014. The creation of the 12,000 square metres Zhengzhou Central Park immediately north of the complex aims to further underscore the precinct as a landmark outdoor space for all to gather in the new town. A central zigzag datum leads the public from the adjacent west river park to the future retail shopping street and community sports hub to the northeast, whilst appending a series of activity spaces such as a miniature children's rock climbing wall, X-game amphitheatre, fountain square and mist rock garden to its circulation spine. Opposite these nodes to the north are generous alfresco decks reflecting pools and expansive lawns for a quieter dwell into the night.

A distinctive vermillion serpentine bench that glows at dusk together with a collection of joyful sculptures dot and seal the animated public environs for all to enjoy at the Zhengzhou Central Park.

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