| This world-class mixed-use destination includes retail, office, and entertainment facilities. The nearly 300,000 square meter shopping center, specialized retail spaces, and twin towers were designed lengthwise to meet the narrow 500 meter-long site parameter. Inspired by the natural beauty of Jiang Su Province and the Haohe River, the lushly-lined waterway near Nantong, the project's design concept represents water carving through rock as it weaves its way to the sea. The various textures and colors of the building facades represent the layers of rock revealed by the flowing water in a river. The stacked materials create a unified, horizontal expression while allowing for opportunities to expose unique gems within the overall composition. Lighting and texture accentuate the different layers, allowing the concept to read clearly whether day or night — a true marriage of Nantong’s natural beauty and the built environment.
To solve the site dimension challenge, the design team spread both the for-sale retail and shopping center buildings lengthwise along the long-axis for the site. This maximizes street exposure and causes the buildings to complement each another while enhancing circulation throughout the site.
The design of the towers features strong, yet simple forms with subtle changes in the exterior that pick up light in a variety of settings, allowing for maximum natural light and minimal energy consumption. The design includes a large canopy that matches the smaller-scale retail components to the large shopping center, while the terraced facade decreases the scale of the shopping center to create a pedestrian friendly avenue.
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