Through Miles of Landscape

Through miles of landscape

Concept Scheme for the Central Landscape Avenue (Pinglian Road) in the North of Hangzhou

Overview:

ZXD Architects successfully won the bid in the Central Landscape Avenue (Pinglian Road) in the North Borough of Hangzhou City.

“Through miles of landscape” fully studies the characteristics of Hangzhou’s existing urban landscapes and the canal. It organically and naturally integrates the three major cultural elements: the canal, Mount Banshan and the industry with the aesthetic connotation of the landscapes, giving new value to contemporary industrial heritage on the basis of protection.

The design is to lead the citizens into the picture of rippling water, green high hills, and the blast furnace while confronting the existing reality and existence of the modern urban traffic on both sides of the street. Taking full advantages of the local plants and create a multi-element and multi-level plastic landscape view through proper combination of the buildings and green plants on the landscape avenue and the arrangement of them in distance and height, meanwhile correspond to the ambient urban space structure to form a vivid urban city park that embodies the harmony between human and nature.

Project Background:

Apart from Xixi National Wetland Park, and Banshan Forest Park, here flows the longest artificial river in the world-the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, listed as one of the four most magnificent ancient projects in the world.
The industrial culture represented by Hangzhou Oil Refinery, Hangzhou Steel and Banshan Power Plant embodies China's century-old industrialization process. The construction and development of the industrial park here represents the establishment and development of Hangzhou's industry. Pinglian Road carries the glory and cultural imprint of the agriculture and industry of the North of Hangzhou. With the economic transformation and industrial upgrading, the obsolete industrial remains will be escalated to a brand new city image, and become the source and opportunity for the future development of the North Borough of Hangzhou City.

Design Narrative:

Creating the new city of the North of Hangzhou in the central axis landscape green corridor and opening the east-west ecological axis, this concept schema combines with the Half-mountain National Forest Park, Hanggang Ruins Park, Ducheng Ecological Park, Canal Cultural Park generates an east-west integrated landscape green axis and public activity space.
Multi-line waterways, generating a linked landscape system, making full use of the Grand Canal passenger capacity, enriching the experience of visitors to reach, activating of industrial heritage sites.

Pinglian Road, leaving a rich industrial culture and agricultural culture along the road. Fully protecting and moderating transformation, leading these buildings or objects to continue serve the public with a new look, recall the memory and heritage of the historical context.

10 sceneries of Pinglian Road

Thousands sails canal
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal had a long history, and till now, it is still an important channel for inland water transportation. The prosperous scene of the logistics and transportation also reflects the prosperity of the ancient Jiangnan.

Portal Crane wharf
Portal Crane wharf is formed by using the dilapidated portal crane as the entrance sign, remaining the cross-river oil pipelines and clearing the slow-traffic system.

Phoenix trees avenue
Phoenix trees avenue stretches from the canal to the power plant; it is a great feast for the eyes walking in the phoenix trees gallery with leaves spinning in the air.

Interactive oil tanks
The set-back buildings with open overhead bottom extend the landscape to the two sides of the plot and enclose a continuously-open public square. In addition, the abandoned oil tanks in the refinery are transformed by opening holes into the interactive devices that are full of childishness.

Pond mirroring buildings
The planned buildings are arranged in the periphery and therefore, an open pond is enclosed. The surface of the undisturbed pond mirrors the existing buildings as if the roads were floating on the water.

Overhead curve bridge
Overhead curve bridge is erected conforming to the layout of the buildings on both south and north sides to broaden the openness of the plot and provide a place for communication, interaction and rest of the tourists and the local citizens.

Crisscross Footpaths fields
Crisscross Footpaths fields are developed based on the existing ridges of the fields and are integrated into the slow-traffic system; a sport field is arranged referring to the layout of the railway corridor; therefore, a comprehensive ecological park is complete with the ocean of flowers, forests, water landscape and entertainment venues.

Freight yard square
Freight yard square is reconstituted in the original site by making use of the landscape language, that is, re-arrange the existing portal crane in it to recall the memories; enclose an activity square by plants, and set an open sunken courtyard combined with the subway business to provide a diversified space for public leisure and communication.

Train carriages bazaar
The terminal of the Pinglian road is also the entrance to the Hangzhou Steel Heritage Park and where the new train tracks interview with the old ones. Train carriages are parked and modified into various business space and thus a lively train bazaar is developed which may remind of the transport and handling of goods in the old days.

Mount Banshan view
Stand at the end of the train bazaar and take a far look, you may enjoy your time in the beautiful landscape of Mount Banshan in the distance, feel yourself in a wonderland and amazed by the miracles of nature.

The landscape Avenue of Pinglian road creates a new "ten sceneries of Pinglian road" between the canal and the middle of the mountain, optimizes the urban architectural system, gathers more urban energy, and guides the planning and construction with a more forward-looking perspective and more spirit of urban discovery. The road landscape and the surrounding plots coexist harmoniously and prosper as a whole.