KPF Completes Spring City 66, a Mixed-Use Development in Kunming, China

Written by Christele Harrouk
Published on February 27, 2020

Spring City 66, one of the largest commercial complexes in the city of Kunming in China has just opened. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the 430,000 m2 mixed-use development includes a retail podium and office tower, integrated into the unique landscape of the Yunnan Province.

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KPF Completes Spring City 66, a Mixed-Use Development in Kunming, China - Image 6 of 10 — Courtesy of KPF

Located adjacent to two major pedestrian-friendly boulevards and metro lines, Spring City 66 reconnects the Kunming’s walkable pathways. The design weaves this mixed-use project directly into the urban fabric of the city, through multiple levels of terraces lined with shops and restaurants.

The KPF design for Spring City 66 illustrates our belief that the most compelling architecture strongly expresses the spirit of its place. Kunming is a city of outdoor life, of vibrant color, and exciting topography. This building reflects that character in the shape of its roofs, and in its facade materials. We worked closely with Hang Lung, as we have previously in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Hangzhou, and Hong Kong, to weave together varied activities of working, shopping, and dwelling into one urban hive of activity. -- James von Klemperer, KPF President and Design Principal

Responding to Yunnan’s unique landscape and history, “a landscaped promenade, reminiscent of the region’s verdant valleys, is central to the project, while the surrounding undulating retail podium and a crag-like tower nod to the nearby Shilin Stone Forest’s notable limestone formations”. The promenade concludes at the 330-meter office tower, accentuating the monumentality of the structure.

Stitching together the series of varied height programs, the roof unites the building into a singular peeling surface forming an upper sky park. Almost a type of urban origami, the roof and walls fold to orient users along the public boulevard, as well as to allow the building to echo the surrounding mountains identifying the space as a moment of landscape blurred with its urbanism. -- Jeff Kenoff, KPF Design Principal.

Designed for Hang Lung Properties, the project prioritizes the user’s experience and the generation of a vibrant destination and urban lifestyle center. Inspired by the surroundings, the design puts in place a folding geometry on the retail podium and incorporates local stone on its main facades. Responding to solar orientation and views, the envelope maximizes natural light to the building’s interior, while also reducing heat gain. Pre-certified LEED Gold, Spring City 66 maximizes energy conservation, environmental comfort, and material efficiency.

One of the biggest challenges for us was to create public spaces that would be so inviting, that they entice pedestrians from the main roads and draw them through the site. I think that we very effectively achieved that through a synthesis of animated indoor and outdoor public spaces that are multi-level, mixed-use, transparent, and activity infused. The project has become a major amenity and focal-point for the neighborhood. -- Peter Gross, KPF Managing Principal.

The design development and construction of the project’s façade brings the elegance of the concept to realization, thanks to a talented and committed team. A seamless collaboration between KPF’s New York and Hong Kong offices, Spring City 66 is an excellent demonstration of the firm’s ability to deliver complex projects. -- Yee Tak Lau, KPF Director.