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Architects: Place Design Group
- Area: 49392 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:LAB Photography
Project background
Sunac Szeyup Palace is located on the banks of the Tanjiang River, Kaiping City. The project site is flat and open with excellent natural landscape conditions. As a noted hometown of overseas Chinese, Kaiping City, a part of Lingnan Area, frequently appears in the dream of those living overseas. As a result, the designers had to not only think about integrating natural and cultural landscape resources into the design thinking, but also about making connections to overseas Chinese.
Landscape circulation
The display area covers an area of 4 hectares, which is much larger than usual display area. As such, the landscape design focuses on optimizing the long walking distance and maximizing the natural advantages the project offers. We extensively considered the driving/walking flow into the center of the display area, creating an “enclosed first and open late” space: the parking area was positioned relatively close to the display area so as to reduce visitors’ walking distance. Bamboo forests and sunken footpaths enclose the front part of the space, creating a winding and peaceful atmosphere. In front of the sales center, the mirror-like waterscape and open space enables visitors to enjoy the beauty of Tanjiang River during the negotiation, leading to a strong spatial contrast.
Landscape highlights
The bamboo forest walk leads visitors deeper inside the display area. Passing through the bamboo forest walk, the sunken footpath in front of sales center really demands visitors’ attention.
The bowl-shaped space in footpath allows visitors to stay in the mist. A tree stands in the bowl-shaped space, creating a strong focal point for the forecourt plaza.
Initially, the high-water level was expected to affect the tree’s survival. So we applied a partially sinking planting tank to avoid the roots being soaked by groundwater.
While viewed from the sales centre the tranquil and broad waterscape is connected with the surface of Tanjiang River. With water and sky sharing the same color, the design theme of creating a connection between the clouds and water is achieved.
In the inner courtyard, the designers elaborately built a “wind-bell feature wall” that echoes marginal waterscape. The wall consists of tens of thousands of mirrored blades that will move with the wind and reflect light above the water once the breeze hits.
An open space was specially designed along the display area to create a place to view the beauty of the Tanjiang River. The designers combined the land art landscape with walkway and woods. A mirror-like “starlight wall” was created on both sides of the walkway, where river surface, sky and tree shadow meet with one another, with the angle of each steel plate designed to precision.
